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Writing History for the King: Henry II and the Politics of Vernacular Historiography Hardcover – October 15, 2013
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Writing History for the King is at once a reassessment of the reign of Henry II of England (1133–1189) and an original contribution to our understanding of the rise of vernacular historiography in the high Middle Ages. Charity Urbanski focuses on two dynastic histories commissioned by Henry: Wace’s Roman de Rou (c. 1160–1174) and Benoît de Sainte-Maure’s Chronique des ducs de Normandie (c. 1174–1189). In both cases, Henry adopted the new genre of vernacular historical writing in Old French verse in an effort to disseminate a royalist version of the past that would help secure a grip on power for himself and his children. Wace was the first to be commissioned, but in 1174 the king abruptly fired him, turning the task over to Benoît de Sainte-Maure.
Urbanski examines these histories as part of a single enterprise intended to cement the king’s authority by enhancing the prestige of Henry II’s dynasty. In a close reading of Wace’s Rou, she shows that it presented a less than flattering picture of Henry’s predecessors, in effect challenging his policies and casting a shadow over the legitimacy of his rule. Benoît de Sainte-Maure’s Chronique, in contrast, mounted a staunchly royalist defense of Anglo-Norman kingship. Urbanski reads both works in the context of Henry’s reign, arguing that as part of his drive to curb baronial power he sought a history that would memorialize his dynasty and solidify its claim to England and Normandy.
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCornell University Press
- Publication dateOctober 15, 2013
- Reading age18 years and up
- Dimensions6.12 x 0.88 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-100801451310
- ISBN-13978-0801451317
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Urbanski's Writing History for the Kingis a shining example of the kind of work more researchers needs to do in the primary texts that underpin medieval historical narratives―a dedicated, nuanced, and insightful examination of the writing of vernacular history during the reign of Henry II.
-- Thomas Lecaque ― ComitatusReview
Writing History for the King features a reevaluation of the reign of Henry II, who has traditionally been considered the most secure and powerful king of England in the High Middle Ages. Charity Urbanski suggests that Henry's authority in England and Normandy was 'remarkably tenuous in some ways’ and that the future of his dynasty was far from certain. Urbanski argues that Henry II commissioned Wace and Benoît de Sainte-Maure to provide a legitimizing, genealogically framed account of early Norman history that would strengthen and ultimately secure his legitimacy. Urbanski’s lucid and fluidly written book is novel in its interpretation both of the texts under consideration and their function, and of the political situation that originally engendered them. Everyone interested in Anglo-Norman historiography will want to read Writing History for the King.
-- Gabrielle Spiegel, Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of HistoryThe Johns Hopkins University, author of Romancing the Past: The Rise of Vernacular Prose Historiography in Thirteenth-Century FranceAbout the Author
Charity Urbanski is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Washington.
Product details
- Publisher : Cornell University Press (October 15, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0801451310
- ISBN-13 : 978-0801451317
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.12 x 0.88 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,054,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,763 in Renaissance Literary Criticism (Books)
- #3,337 in Medieval Literary Criticism (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
I am a historian of Medieval Europe focusing on the political and cultural history of twelfth-century France and England. I completed my PhD in History at UC Berkeley, and taught at UC Berkeley and UCLA before joining the University of Washington's Department of History in 2008. My courses include seminars on Medieval Outlaws, the Monstrous in the Middle Ages, the Supernatural in the Middle Ages, the History of Ritual, and the Politics of Medieval History Writing. My lecture courses include surveys of the Medieval World and Tudor England, and upper division courses on Medieval England, Medieval Women, and the Late Middle Ages.
My first book, Writing History for the King: Henry II and the Politics of Vernacular Historiography (Cornell University Press, 2013), examines the politics of vernacular history writing in England. It focuses on two of the earliest vernacular histories produced in Old French: Wace's Roman de Rou (c. 1160-1174) and Benoit de Sainte-Maure's Chronique des ducs de Normandie (c. 1174-1189). While both works are royally commissioned dynastic histories written at Henry II's behest, Wace and Benoit produced two very different versions of Norman history - Wace's version was apparently so inflammatory that he was fired and replaced with Benoit. I argue that Henry commissioned these histories of his Norman ancestors as part of a larger political program to restore royal power after two decades of civil war, that he attempted to marshal the past to enhance his authority and secure the succession of his children, and I explore how the authors entrusted with this project turned their histories into forums for debating royal policies and used history writing to endorse or undermine the king.
Since completing my first book, my research focus has shifted from examining the attempts of the powerful to harness the past for their own ends, to examining monstrosity in medieval Europe. My most recent book, Medieval Monstrosity: Imagining the Monstrous in Medieval Europe (Routledge, 2023) is aimed at undergraduate teaching and focuses on how medieval Europeans conceptualized the monstrous and how clerical and secular authorities deployed the rhetoric of monstrosity to dehumanize and demonize non-Christians, non-Europeans, and women. It also features medieval depictions of fantastic monsters like revenants, werewolves, and dragons.
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is enthralling. One should buy this book even if you have no interest in the subject
just to enjoy the elegant writing and the wit of the author. I envy those students who take
her classes.