The Earliest States of Eastern Europe

The long eleventh century saw a flurry of historical writing across Europe for a wide variety of reasons. In Byzantium, periods of political instability tended to prompt narratives giving a partisan account – often purporting to be objective – of recent events. Newly established regimes and conquerors in western Europe tended to commission self-glorifying and -justifying historical texts. This holds true of the Normans in Southern Italy and Sicily and England and of some Rus’ princely regimes. However, elements of criticism of the conduct of rulers may be detected in works that appear at first sight to be encomiastic or propagandist. Works written in a monastic milieu could serve the local interests of their religious house while recounting a more general narrative. Equally, they could set out norms and taboos of political culture by means of cautionary tales. Instances of such literary techniques are noted in Anglo-Norman England and Rus’, with reference made to the Bayeux Tapestry, and the works of Eadmer, William of Malmesbury and the “Povest’ Vremennykh Let”. The intimations of disapproval by churchmen of a ruler’s actions could bring him serious political embarrassment, even if it could not unilaterally topple him. In all the polities under consideration the validity of Christian oaths was deemed to be an absolute, transgression being correspondingly heinous and potentially incurring general catastrophe. The appearance of Halley’s Comet and its direct connection with broken oaths and subsequent disasters appears to be a theme in the Bayeux Tapestry and the “Povest’ Vremennykh Let” alike.

Keywords:

Anglo-Norman England, Byzantium, chronicle, criticism, encomia, historical writing, Kievan Cave Monastery, kissing of the Cross, monastery, ethical norms, oaths, political culture, Rus’

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