Charlemagne Essay Research Paper Franklin S GibbsProfHistory

Charlemagne Essay, Research Paper

Franklin S. Gibbs

Prof.

History of Western Civilization

November 25, 2000

Charlemagne

The two lives of Charlemagne as told by Einhard and Notker the Stammerer are very different accounts of the life of the great Emperor. Einhard gives us a historical overview of the life of Charlemagne who lived from 742 to 814 A.D. Charlemagne was also known as Charles the Great and the King of the Franks.Charles was one of four children born to Pepin the Short, A Mayor of the Palace of the Carolingian Empire. He had one brother, Carloman and two sisters, Gisela and Pepin.Since women at the time didn’t inherit power, when Pepin the Short died, the kingship of the Carolingian Empire was divided and shared by Charlemagne and his brother, Carloman. Unfortunately, Carloman died early and unexpectedly as a young man and the entire land of the Franks was given to Charlemagne. This kingdom was vast and covers what would today include parts of the countries of Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and France.

Charlemagne took very good care of his mother who lived with him at the palace and died at a ripe old age. His brother Pepin died as a child and his sister Gisela spent her entire life as a religious in a nunnery. Charlemagne had four wives and four concubines. From these relationships he had fourteen children. He insisted on educating all of his children both the boys and the girls. The boys leaned how to hunt and use arms while the girls learned womanly things like weaving. Charlemagne was a devoted father and when he wasn’t fighting a war and was at home, he insisted on eating dinner with his children and also took them with him on many of his journeys. He was so attached to his daughters that he refused to give them away in marriage with the result that two of them ended up having illegitimate children.

Charlemagne was a famous king because of the many years in which he waged war against other nations, about forty seven years in total. During that time he practically doubled the land given to him by his father. He successfully waged war against many including the Bretons, Bavaria, the Slavs, Esthonians, Danes and an especially long thirty-year war against the Saxons. He was a respected and feared by many of the rulers of other lands.

He is also remembered because of the Carolingian Renaissance which took place under his direction and leadership. Although he was not a learned man, he revered and respected knowledge. He attracted many scholars to his palace. Theology and the literary

Skills became a part of the everyday life in the palace for nobles and common people of talent as well. Many building projects were also undertaken during this time of renaissance including two magnificent palaces the cathedral of the church of the Holy Mother of God at Aachen, the bridge over the Rhine at Mainz, the restoration of many sacred buildings which had fallen into disrepair, and the building of a naval and coastguard fleet to protect the ports and mouths of rivers from enemy attack.

Charlemagne died at the age of 72 and designed his only surviving son Lewis as heir to his kingship. He was interred at his beloved cathedral in 814 A.D. In his will, he provided for the church, the cities in the kingdom, all of his children, grandchildren, palace workers, servants and the poor.

Einhard’s historical view outlined above gives a historical view of the life of Charlemagne. It was written from the historical facts as well as Einhard’s personal observations and his relationship with Charlemagne. Einhard was a minister of his Royal Majesty. He was highly respected for his knowledge, intellect, brilliance, integrity and character. He enjoyed a comfortable life at the palace and a personal relationship with the King and his family.

His stated reason for writing the book was to make sure that the greatness of Charlemagne was recorded for history and to accurately record events he witnessed and could verify. He also stated that no one had started to write about Charlemagne to his knowledge and he wanted to make sure his greatness was recorded. He also felt a sense of indebtedness for his patron’s care, nurturing and comfortable lifestyle he enjoyed at the palace.

Whereas Einhard wrote his book from the historical perspective and his personal knowledge of the Emperor, Notker the Stammerer wrote his book seventy years after he death of Charlemagne in the form of a series of anecdotes about Charlemagne’s care of the church primarily from the stories told to him as a child by a priest named Werinbert. Adalbert, who was Werinbert’s father was he source of the stories about Charlemagne’ campaigns of war against other nations. These anecdotes in some cases support and elaborate on the basic information provided by Einhard. In other cases, the anecdotes embellish with fantasy and fiction so that little credibility can be given to his accounts.

Although it is difficult to compare these two books because they are not at all similar, some comparisons can be made. Einhard said that Charlemagne’s first wife was the daughter of Desiderius, the King of the Longobards. He states that that he dismissed his wife after a year and nobody new why he had done that. In Notker’s book, he explains that Chrlemagne had just defeated the Longobards and in order to keep them from se