Shadowing the Other - Aristocratic Identity in the Fourteenth-Century Middle English Charlemagne Romances

The Charlemagne chansons de geste were not written
for the fourteenth-century aristocracy, nor
especially for an English audience. Translated from
the Old French with varying degrees of accuracy, they
came to England as the Matter of Charlemagne
romances, with the aristocracy as their intended
audience. The ability of the aristocracy to read
their concerns into the texts and onto the Saracens
who populated them increased the romances' popularity
and ensured their circulation, for a time.
Singularly, the English aristocracy chose Charlemagne
for a hero-king. Perhaps this came as a reaction to
Edward III's, or even Edward I's, Arthurian
enthusiasm. Whatever the cause, for a century the
Middle English Charlemagne romances provided a forum
for airing aristocratic concerns.

About the author

Jolanta Komornicka received her M.A. in History from BostonUniversity('05), where she is currently a Ph.D. Candidate. Herdissertation examines the bureaucracy of torture infourteenth-century France with regard to crimes of lese-majesty.

Product details

• Authors: Jolanta Komornicka
• Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 09.03.2009
• EAN: 9783639018356
• ISBN: 978-3-639-01835-6
• No. of pages: 132
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > Middle Ages; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: antiquity to present day