Early Lives of Charlemagne by Eginhard and the Monk of St Gall, Edited

Notker, Balbulus, 840？-912Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.0

Word count: 249K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Early Lives of Charlemagne by Eginhard and the Monk of St Gall edited by Prof.Author: Notker, Balbulus, 840?-912,Language: English, Class: DC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: France, Andorra, Monaco, Release Date: May 3, 2015

Editor's review

This volume brings together two early biographical sources on Charlemagne: Einhard's Life of Charlemagne and Notker the Stammerer's Deeds of Charlemagne, written by a monk of St Gall. Einhard served for a long time at Charlemagne's court, and his account, based on close observation, is concise and clearly structured—a primary source for understanding Carolingian politics and court life. Notker's text is more legendary and reflects a monastic perspective, supplementing the historical record with anecdotes and narrative tradition. Read together, the two reveal how the same figure was portrayed differently by different narrators and illustrate two typical paths of early medieval biographical writing. This Project Gutenberg edition is an English public-domain ebook, convenient for searching and comparative reading; it serves well as an introductory primary source for the study of medieval history and early European monarchy, and is also suitable for readers interested in biographical literature and the comparison of historical sources. Note that both texts were written in the Middle Ages and bear clear period-specific stances and theological frameworks; readers should approach their miracle narratives and value judgments with a critical eye toward the sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of medieval history and the Carolingian dynasty who need primary sources in English translation
General history readers interested in Charlemagne himself and his court life
Literature or history enthusiasts studying biographical genres and source narratives
Advanced learners who want to practice academic reading with English source texts

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting a systematic general history or modern scholarly annotation
Casual readers seeking light storytelling who lack patience for the nature of historical sources
Readers who need a Chinese translation and are not comfortable with public-domain English book formatting

Reading tips

Read Einhard first to grasp the basic biographical framework, then read Notker's text for comparison.
While reading, note differences in the narrators' stances, especially how the same event is handled differently.
Keep a basic Carolingian chronology at hand to help locate figures and events.
Public-domain English books have plain formatting; use an e-reader to adjust font size and add bookmarks.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which two works does this book contain?

It contains Einhard's Life of Charlemagne and the Deeds of Charlemagne recorded by Notker, a monk of St Gall, both included in English public-domain editions and bound together in one volume.

Can I read it without a background in medieval history?

Yes, but it is advisable to first understand the basic background of Charlemagne and the Carolingian dynasty. Both texts are not long, and with a chronology and an introduction, general readers can follow the narrative.

How do the two texts differ in their narration?

Einhard served at court, so his account is closer to firsthand experience and restrained in style; Notker's text carries monastic tradition and legendary color, with more anecdotes and miracle narratives. The two can be read against each other.

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About the author

Notker, Balbulus, 840？-912 Author · Swiss

Notker Balbulus (c. 840–912) was a monk of the Abbey of St Gall and a medieval Latin poet and writer of sacred chants. His byname "Balbulus" means "the Stammerer," and he is commonly known by this name. His writing was closely tied to the monastery's liturgical, educational and commemorative traditions, and his texts carry a strong religious and monastic character. One work held in the collection is an edited volume of Early Lives of Charlemagne, which brings together biographical material on Charlemagne by Einhard and the Monk of St Gall, showing that his editorial work touched on historical accounts of a key figure of the Carolingian dynasty. Public information about his life and writings is limited; he is known today mainly through his surviving poems, sacred chants and editorial work, which place him within early medieval Latin literature and monastic culture.