Writing William

This dissertation examines the views on the legitimacy of the rule of William the Conqueror in Anglo-Norman historiography of the 12th century, often referred to as the "Golden Age of English Historiography". In particular, this paper aims to show how the views on the legitimacy of William’s rule have changed throughout the course of this century and have been "adapted" to then contemporary ideas. In detail, the following works are analysed, which are well known in English medieval research: the Historia Ecclesiastica by Orderic Vitalis, the Historia novorum in Anglia by the Eadmer of Canterbury, the Gesta regum Anglorum by William of Malmesbury, the Historia Anglorum by Henry of Huntingdon, the Chronica by Roger of Howden, and the Historia de rebus Anglicis by William of Newburgh. To summarise, the importance of William’s coronation and the emphasis on continuity (despite the Conquest) were central points in all six works