Institute for Medieval Studies

Session	827
Title	Clods, Altars, Records, and Donors: Reading Narratives and Emotions in Early Medieval Charters
Date/Time	Tuesday 11 July 2006: 16.30-18.00
Organiser	Allan Scott McKinley, Department of History, University of Birmingham
Moderator/Chair	Charles Insley, Centre for Medieval & Early Modern Studies / Department of History, School of Arts, Languages & Cultures, University of Manchester
Paper 827-a	'Secured in the Kingdom of my Fathers': Charters, Kings, and the Control of Kent in the Late Seventh Century (Language: English) Martin Ryan, School of Arts, Languages & Cultures, University of Manchester Index Terms: Charters and Diplomatics; Politics and Diplomacy
Paper 827-b	Personal Motivations for Giving Land to the Church in the Eighth Century? The Case of Wissembourg (Language: English) Allan Scott McKinley, Department of History, University of Birmingham Index Terms: Charters and Diplomatics; Ecclesiastical History
Paper 827-c	Fixing Documents in Carolingian-Period Catalonia (Language: English) Jonathan Jarrett, Institute for Medieval Studies / School of History, University of Leeds Index Terms: Charters and Diplomatics
Abstract	The aim of this session is to use the narratives and emotional keys of early medieval charters to attempt new understanding of key aspects of the early medieval period. Ryan will argue that Kentish charters of the late seventh century show Kentish rulers deliberately seeking to project narratives of ruler legitimacy in times of contention over kingship; McKinley will examine evidence from eighth-century Alsatian charters, arguing that the emotional clues therein offer keys to understanding the motivation behind those gifts; Jarrett will use narratives of charter production from ninth-century Catalonia to question existing understandings of charter redaction, and to suggest a more nuanced approach.