Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T12:34:47.855Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

13 - Feudalism and kingship

from Part IV - How can we read Medieval French Literature Historically?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2009

Simon Gaunt
Affiliation:
King's College London
Sarah Kay
Affiliation:
Princeton University, New Jersey
Get access

Summary

The aim of this section dealing with historical themes is to consider how medieval French texts invite historical or historicizing readings and in this chapter the focus will be on feudalism and kingship. Indeed, the question of what kind of histories can be written from the literary evidence seems especially acute when we look to representations of political and social structures. After all, a society’s sense of its preoccupations does not invariably offer a secure guide to actual practices. Another difficulty with medieval French texts, especially those dating from the earlier period (on which this chapter will focus), is that their presentation of events is very often either partial or critical. Texts do not merely advance claims or accounts of events, they also question the ways in which such claims are made and legitimized.

Although they are often dealt with as separate themes, feudalism and kingship are both fundamental to conceptions of French identity, whether in relation to its myths of class structure, state formation, or legal and political institutions. This is especially true where the principles underpinning the two systems are seen to be in conflict. Terms associated with feudalism appear frequently in literary works, providing a language for exploring relations between the rights and dues owing to high-status individuals and for mapping out the consequences of actions in a dramatically compelling manner. Literary treatment of kings provides insight into how collective identities are founded and shaped, into the strains and conflicts created by the desire for, or imposition of, unity. One central example is the term franc, which, in that it means both 'Frankish' and 'free-born', combines both status and ethnicity.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×