Reviews

Rewriting Saints and Ancestors: Memory and Forgetting in France, 500-1200 by Constance Brittain Bouchard

siria's review

4.0

This is an interesting look at the kinds of sources we use to tell the story of the political and ecclesiastical history of early medieval France, from sixth-century vitae to twelfth-century cartularies. Or indeed, in this book, from twelfth-century cartularies to sixth-century vitae, because Bouchard has organised her book in reverse chronological order—appropriate for a work which is concerned with how time and memory are constructed in the Middle Ages, but also the ways in which medieval people might deliberately forget things. The early chapters on cartularies are most useful for my purposes, but there's lots here to follow up on and think about and Bouchard handles her sources skilfully. Definitely worth reading for those with an interest in this part of the field.