The main object of this study is to establish which of the transmitted versions of the Gesta Normannorum Ducun (GND) is the original one and how and when the subsequent redactions have originated from it. It is intended as a priliminary study for a new text edition. ... Zie: Summar

Houts, Elisabeth

University of Groningen

   University of GroningenGesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het geschiedwerk enhet genreHouts, ElisabethIMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite fromit. Please check the document version below.Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordPublication date:1982Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research databaseCitation for published version (APA):Houts, E. (1982). Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst hetgeschiedwerk en het genre. Groningen: s.n.CopyrightOther than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of theauthor(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).Take-down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons thenumber of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.Download date: 12-11-2019Summary' F h e  r e i n  ^ l - . i ê . r  n f  f h i q  q t r . l "  i s  r n  e c j - a l r r i s h  w h i c h  o f  t h e  L r a n s m i t t e dversions of  the Gestd Noy,mannoTum Ducwn (GND) is  the or ig inal  one andhow and  when  t he  subsequen t  r edac l j ons  have  o r i g t na ted  f r om i t .  I t  i si r l - a n d a d  e q  e  n r o l i r j n 4 - y  s l - l t f l v  f o r  a  n e w  t e x t  e d i t i O n .ï n  l l - ê  F i r c f  e h ^ . i ê r  ê  q r r r \ / ê \ /  i q  o i r z e n  o f  t h e  h i s f o r v  a n d  c u f r e n Lstate of  research concerning Lhre GND.The  nexL  t h ree  chapLe rs  t r ea t  t he  deve lopmen t  o f  Lhe  GND f r om,  r es -n o c 1 - i r r e l r r  :  c o d i n n l ^ - j - ^ r  a  l ^ i s f o - i c a l  n o i n L  O f  v i e W .p L e L t v L t l  L L u l e g r u a t ,  r - r J L v - r e q t  y e r l uT h e  f o l l o w i n o  e o n c l r r g i g n g  h a v e  b e e n  I e a c h e d .Redact ion C is the oldestvers ion of  the GND, wr i t : t :en by Wi l l iam ofJ u m j è g e s  a b o u t  l 0 7 0 / 7 1 ;  h i s  a u L o g r a p h  h a s  n o t  s u r v i v e d .  W i L h i n  t h e  C -r e d a c t i o n  m a n u s c r i p L  C 4  ( c a .  1 1 0 0 ,  N o r m a n d y ,  p o s s i b l y  L y r e )  i s  n e a r e s Lto the or iq inal  text .  The nev/  edi t ion of  the Gl lD therefore has to bebased  on  tÁ i s  manusc r i pL .  My  s tudy  has  con l i rmed  t ne  hypo thes i s  o f ,P ro fesso r  R .H .C .  Dav i s ,  who  i n  1980  conc luded ,  ma in l y  on  h i s t o r i ca l. , r a " n i c  f h : f  f È ^  . - r e r l à c t i o n  r e n r e q e n l  <  f l - ê  n r i n i n : l  f ê v f  ^ .  L h e  C N D .I t  c o n s i s t s  o I  a  d e d i c a t o r y  l e t t e Í  f r o m  W i l l i a m  o - [  J u m i è g e s  t o  W i l l i a mf l - ê  í - n n d r r ê r . r  c e r r o n  h n n l , e  w h i n h  À n à r f  f r o m  t h e  f i r c l  ê a e h  C o n t a i nthe  h i s f o r y  o f  a  No rman  duke  f r om Ro l l o  1 -o  W i l f i am  the  Conque ro r ,  andthe l -ong epi logue.R e d a c t i o n s  D ,  E  a n d  o B ,  t h e  l a t t e r  t h e  d i r e c L .  p r e c u r s o r  o f  A  a n d  B ,i ndependen t l y  de r i ve  f r om C .  Redac t i on  oB ,  wh i ch  has  no t  su r v i ved  i n^ n \ /  m ^ n r r q e r i n l - .  n r r q í -  h a v e  C O n s i S t e d  O Í  t h e  d a r r i . À l - . r v  l ê f i - ê r  S e v e nbooks ,  and  Lhe  sho r t  ep i l ogue ;  Book  V f  c .  i i ,  con ta i ned  an  i n t e rpo la t i onconce rn ing  N i cho Ias ,  abbo t  o Í  Sa in t -Ouen  à t  Rouen .  Ma in l y  because  o fth is addÍ t ion I  at t r ibute the hypothet Ícal  redact ion oB t to an anon).rynousmonk  o f  Sa in t -Ouen .  The  redac t i on  can  be  da ted  t o  t he  pe r i od  1096 -1100 .RedacL ion  A ,  cons i s t i ng  o f  t he  comp le te  wo rk  o Í  Dudo  o f  Sa in t -Quen t i nf o l l owed  by  Books  V ,  V I ,  V I I  and  t he  sho r t  ep i l ogue  o f  t he  G / /D ,  de r i vesf r o m  0 3 .  l t  o r i g i n a t e d  i n  N o r m a n d y  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  a f t e r  1 0 9 6 - i i O O .Redact ion B contalns the text  of  oBf to which have been added fouranecdo tes  i n  Books  V  and  V l  and ,  a t  t he  end  o f  t he  GND,  Lhe  sma l l  t ex tDe  ab í  Lu  Wí l l e lm í  (D )W)  .  The  anecdoLes  da te  . [ r om  1  1 th - cen tu r y  No rmandy ,whereas D)W was \dr i t ten by an anonl tnous author f rom the entourage ofW i I I i a m  R u f u s ,  p r o b a b l y  c e r a l d u s  C a n c e l f a r j u s ,  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  1 0 9 6 / 9 8 -1100 .  The  B - redac t i on  was  composed  a t  t he  beg j - nn ing  o f  t he  l 2 t h  cen tu r y ,c n m o u r h o r o  i n  f h a  À n ^ l ^ - N ^ r m à n  F m n i v aRedac t i on  D  cons i s t s  o f  t he  ded i ca to r y  l e t t e r  and  seven  books ,  o fwh i ch  t he  l as t  I acks  t he  end ing .  A f I  manusc r i p t s  o f  Lh i s  r edac t i on  moreo r  l ess  ag ree  Í n  om i t t i ng  t - he  t ex t  f r om  Book  V I I  c .  x v i  ( x xxv i i )  onwa rds .R e c à i l q e  o ' q o m e  o e o o r a n h i c a l  n i o r c a d i n d q  T . . n i ê . f l r r ê  f h ^ i -  n  w a s  w r i t l e nin  Eng land,  and no t  ln  Normandy or  France.  The redac t ion  can be  da ted  tot h e  p e r i o d  f r o m  1 1 0 6  t o  I I 2 O - 1 1 3 0 ,  w h e n  i t s  o l d e s t  m a n u s c r i p t ,  D 1 ,  w a sw r i t t e n .A b o u L  1 1 1 3  O r d e r i c  V i t a l i s ,  m o n k  o f  S a i n t - É v r o u l t ,  w r o t e  h i s  v e r s i o na f  t , ' n a  C I \ I D  r ê d a ^ f i ^ n  r  - ^ h - i - È i n ^  a s  r h ê  À ê ^ i ^ : f ^ r r z  1 ê t f ê rv r l  L ,  u u t r s r s L f t t g  u i  L t . -  - , - - , * - -  ,  S e v e nh ^ ^ L c  5 n n  f h ^  r ^ h ^  ^ n i l n n r r e  ' F h a  u r h n l ê  f e x t  h a s  b e e n  s t i f i s t i c a l l v  r e _w r i L L e n  a n d  m a n y  i n t e r p o l a t i o n s  h a v e  b e e n  a d d e d ,  e s p e c i a l . I y  i n  B o o k  V f I .Abou t  1139  redac t i on  E  was  used  by  Robe r t  o f  To r j gn i ,  monk  o f  t hemonas te r y  o f  Bec ,  t o  w r i t e  t he  F - redac t i on .  Th i s  ve r s i on  cons i s t s  o f  as l  i oh f l v  a l f e rê í l  ded ie : j - n r r r  lÊ j - l - ê r  c i nh r -  166 ] ( s  and  t he  so -ca l l ed  Add i  LA -menLa .  W i l i i am  o f  Jum ièges ' ep i l ogue ,  a t -  t he  end  o f  Book  V I f ,  was  om i t t edh v  R ó l - 1 ê r f  h e c e r r q e  ^ f  h i s  a d d Í t i o n  6 f  3 n  € , i n h f h  h n n k  n n  H ê n r \ /  I .  A f t e ï1151  Robe r t  even  cons ide red  hav ing  Lhe  GND con t i nued  by  a  h i s t o r y  o fc a a f f v o t t  ^ r  À n i ^ r r  à c  ^ , r L ê  ^ f  N ^ r h á n ^ \ /T h ê  q ê . ^ n . l  n r r r n ^ q ê  o f  t h i c  s t l t d v  i s  f . o  e x a m i n e  f h ê  n r o h i e m  o f  t h egesta,  the genre to which in the modern l l terature on medieval  h isto-r i og raphy ,  Lhe  CND a re  usua l l y  r eckoned .  The  f i f t h  and  f as t  chap te rl ^ r o n i n e  h . '  - r r f  I  i n i n a  l - - h g  m o d e r n  t h e o r i e s  C ó n . ê r n i n n  l - l ^ p  m o d i o r r S lI  i i ê - F r \ ,  : n r i  h i c t - n r i n n r a n h i c : l  n e n r a q  w i t h i n  t h e  Í i e I d  o f  t h ê  í - h ê n r \ /o f  f i t e ra l - u re  Lhe re  i s  a  t endency  t o  i den t i f y  gen res  by  s tudy ing  t herecept ion of  a text ,  in other words the lnteracl ion between authoran r l  n r r h l  i  c  ó r  f  hê  ^ r - he r  hand  mode rn  h i s t ^ r i  r nê  c , , ónÁê  and  Me .L -r z i l l a  f r \ 7  f ^  n l r c c i  F r r  m o Á i o r r r ' l  h i c f n r i n n r a n h u  a a a a r à  i n n  f ^  ^ ,! a / r r )  d u u u r  u  r r r g  L U  e o n -temporary medievaf  cr i ter ia based on the medieval  t i t fes of  the works.T h e V  l ê a V e  o t r f  o f  à c c ^ , , n 1  h a - . ' a . ' a -  + h ó  ^ , j ^ j r  f h ó : ^ ó : h ^  f h eva lue  o f  t hese  t i t r l e s .The  second  sec t i on  pays  a tLen t i on  t o  t he  so -ca I I ed  ges ta -h í s to r i es ,and  es tab l i shes  t ha t  t he  t e rm  gesLa  has  no t  been  s tud ied  p rope r l y .  I tànnêà rq .  hó l - h  f r nm n r ; 6 l g1n  I i t e f a tu fe  and  f r om t . hê  n rêsên t  c t l t ^ "  f h : fi n  t h e  M i d d l e  A o e s  f i t l e s  w e r e  a n n l i ê d  m o s f  i n c o n s i s f e n t ' l v -  T h i S  l e a d sto the concfusion | .ha1c gesLa \^ /as not  used to indicate a genre.  Fol lowingGrundmann most h istor ians today understand by gesta:  h istor ical  narra-t i ves  abou t  t he  deeds  o f  a  se r i es  o Í  pe rsons  ho ld i nq  t he  same  o f f i ce .Some  h i s t o r i ans ,  howeve r ,  g i ve  o the r  de f i n i t i ons ,  They  a l so  coun t  amongges ta  hLs to r i ca l  na r . r aL i ves  abou t  one  pe ï son  f r om such  a  se r i es ,  abou tn n o  i n d i r z i r l r r a l  n n e  1 3 f  i 6 n  O r  e V e n  6 n g  1 6 c i n n  R a n l - i  o r  a n ' l  q ^ t  C O n - [ i n et he i r  de Í i n i t i on  t o  a  l ess  ex tens i ve  ca tego ry ,  name ly  gesLa  ep í scopoT ,umaod gesta abbatun- The gesla of  seculaï  pr inces have not  so far  beens tud ied  as  a  sepa ra te  ca tego ry ,  bu t  on l y  i n  t he  con tex t  o Í  h i s t o r i ca lna r raL i ves  abou t  a  s i ng le  na t i on ,  genea log ies ,  and  b i og raph ies  o r  0 tLae .Mode rn  l i t e ra tu re  as  we f l  as  So t r s  r ecen t  s t udy  o f f e r s  f ou r  c r i t e r i aLo  be  saL i f i ed  by  ges ta :  1 .  emphas i s  l a i d  on  t he  o f f i ce  r a the r  t han  onf h o  h e a r c r -  2  f h e  c l o s e  b o n d  o f  t h e  a u t h ^ -  ' . ' i f h  f h ê  r ê - i ^ - ' - h e r e  t h ec j - ó r ' z  h ^ q  h c e n  u r r i j - j - ê n -  3  l o o i f i m i q e f i ó n  ^ q  n r r r n ó q ê  f n  u r r i f ê  S u C h  ah i e i n r i . ^ l  n á r r á f t t r o .  4 -  t h e  r o n e n r  e a r a e t e l  o f  t h e s e  t e x t S .In the th i rd sect . ion the development of  the GND is studied in theI i gh t  o f  t hese  c r i t e r . i a .  Whe reas  t he  t ex t  w r i t t en  by  W i l l i am  o f  Jum iè -c e q  d o c q  á n q w ê r  f h ê q ê  a r i f e - i a .  f h c  q r r h c e n r r ê n f  y ê d À . i - i ^ n <  d n  9 9  f a f  f e S S .T t  à - ^ ê à r c  t h á t  f h ê  F i r d F  n h i c ó  ^ f  + h ó  a 1 7 , D  i s  m a i n l w  e o n e e r n e d  W i t h  t h esuccession f rom father to son as duke of  Normandy.  The re lat ion r^/ i tht he  duchy  o f  No rmandy  i s  t hus  c fose r  a l t hough  a t t en t i on  i s  pa id  t oE n n l  i c l -  : F F a i r c  a  F ^ e 1 -  w h i e h  h a r d l v  q r r r n l i s e s  b e C a U S e  t h e  t e x t  W a Svír i t ten short ly  af ter  1066. The f i rs t  redact ion of  the GND also throwsc n n e  I i n h i -  n n  f h ê  n n n a s f e r v  o c  , l l t m i è o e s -  A l f h o l t o h  f h e  ' l  e o i f  i n i S a t i 6 n  O ft he  No rman  Conques t  i s  one  o f  W i I l - i am  o f  Jum ièges ' pu rposes  i n  w r i t i ng  ah ie fo r v  o f  t he  No rnan  r l ' r kes .  hc  i q  r ho r re  a l l  i n t e res ted  i n  h . i s  owncountry and the l lne of  succession there.  He therefore holds out  to h isreaders the prospect  of  a cont inuat ion of  the GND Lo deal  wí th RobertCurthose,  as duke of  Normandy,  and not  wi th Wif t iam the Conqueror,  ask i n o  o f  f h e  F , n o l i s h -  T h i s  v ê r v  i n t ê n t i ó n  t o  c o n l j n u e  L h e  C , 4 / D  s h o w s  t h eI  o n e n n e q q  I  o f  t h c  w o r : k .Among the di f ferent  vers ions of  the GND each redact ion does answerone  o r  mo re  c r i t e r i a ,  none  howeve r  a I I  f ou r .  S t ruc tu ra l - Ly  t he  wo rkcons i s t s  o f  books ,  each  devo ted  t o  t he  h i s t o r y  o f  one  duke ,  and  t h i sbas j c  s t r uc tu re  has  been  respec ted  by  t he  i n t e rpo la to r s  and  con t i nua to r s .R r r j -  i n  o r z o r r r  r o d : c f i O n  O n e  f i n d S  t e X t U a I  e h a n a e s  w h e r e  j - h e  c r r g 6 g g g i 6 ni n  o f f i c e  i s  c o n c e r n e d ,  e . g .  i n  B o o k  V I f  c .  i x  ( x x i )  w i t h  r e g a r d  t oRobert  Curthose as his father 's  successor.  Both Order ic Vi ta l is  andRobert of Torigni do not only pay attention Èo matters connected withthe of f ice of  duke or  wi th the ducal  succession,  but  a lso,  and mainJ-y,to af fa i rs which have some relat ion to. their  own monaster ies.  Theyobviously wr i tê fór  their  fe l low nonks.  The aspect  of  legi t i r Í l isat ioncan only be found in the work of  Wi l l ian of  Jumièges,  h is precursorDudo of  Saint-Quent in,  and Robert  of  Tor igni .  At tent ion is  a lso dravrnto the fact  that  the contenporary pol- i t ical  s i tuat ion inf luences thedi f ferent  authors of  the GND. tn uncerta in t imes,  but  af ter  a per iodof  stabi l i ty ,  the GND were cont inued, or  p lans were made to do so (C,F  ca .  1139  and  a f t e r  1151 ) .  I n  peace fu l  pe r i ods ,  bu t  a f t e r  t ens ionor d. isagreemenL over the succession,  the text  was only interpolated( o B ,  E ) .Whether or  not  these f indings are typical  for  th is type of  h istory,ví2.  gesta,  can only be said af ter  a proper evaluat ive study of  thecr i ter ia ment ioned. Such a study,  based on more texts than only theGND , renains to be written.Dossier  I  contains an elaborate descr ipt ion of  the 45 manuscr iptsof t.he GND.Dossier  f I  l is ts a l - I  substant ive var iants between the di f ferentredact ions.(2Ll 'l ,l 0?

Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het geschiedwerk en het genre

University of Groningen Research Database

  
 University of Groningen
Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het geschiedwerk en
het genre
Houts, Elisabeth
IMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite from
it. Please check the document version below.
Document Version
Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record
Publication date:
1982
Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database
Citation for published version (APA):
Houts, E. (1982). Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het
geschiedwerk en het genre Groningen: s.n.
Copyright
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the
author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).
Take-down policy
If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately
and investigate your claim.
Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the
number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
Download date: 11-02-2018
Summary
' F h e  r e i n  ^ l - . i ê . r  n f  f h i q  q t r . l "  i s  r n  e c j - a l r r i s h  w h i c h  o f  t h e  L r a n s m i t t e d
versions of  the Gestd Noy,mannoTum Ducwn (GND) is  the or ig inal  one and
how and  when  t he  subsequen t  r edac l j ons  have  o r i g t na ted  f r om i t .  I t  i s
i r l - a n d a d  e q  e  n r o l i r j n 4 - y  s l - l t f l v  f o r  a  n e w  t e x t  e d i t i O n .
ï n  l l - ê  F i r c f  e h ^ . i ê r  ê  q r r r \ / ê \ /  i q  o i r z e n  o f  t h e  h i s f o r v  a n d  c u f r e n L
state of  research concerning Lhre GND.
The  nexL  t h ree  chapLe rs  t r ea t  t he  deve lopmen t  o f  Lhe  GND f r om,  r es -
n o c 1 - i r r e l r r  :  c o d i n n l ^ - j - ^ r  a  l ^ i s f o - i c a l  n o i n L  O f  v i e W .p L e L t v L t l  L L u l e g r u a t ,  r - r J L v - r e q t  y e r l u
T h e  f o l l o w i n o  e o n c l r r g i g n g  h a v e  b e e n  I e a c h e d .
Redact ion C is the oldestvers ion of  the GND, wr i t : t :en by Wi l l iam of
J u m j è g e s  a b o u t  l 0 7 0 / 7 1 ;  h i s  a u L o g r a p h  h a s  n o t  s u r v i v e d .  W i L h i n  t h e  C -
r e d a c t i o n  m a n u s c r i p L  C 4  ( c a .  1 1 0 0 ,  N o r m a n d y ,  p o s s i b l y  L y r e )  i s  n e a r e s L
to the or iq inal  text .  The nev/  edi t ion of  the Gl lD therefore has to be
based  on  tÁ i s  manusc r i pL .  My  s tudy  has  con l i rmed  t ne  hypo thes i s  o f ,
P ro fesso r  R .H .C .  Dav i s ,  who  i n  1980  conc luded ,  ma in l y  on  h i s t o r i ca l
. , r a " n i c  f h : f  f È ^  . - r e r l à c t i o n  r e n r e q e n l  <  f l - ê  n r i n i n : l  f ê v f  ^ .  L h e  C N D .
I t  c o n s i s t s  o I  a  d e d i c a t o r y  l e t t e Í  f r o m  W i l l i a m  o - [  J u m i è g e s  t o  W i l l i a m
f l - ê  í - n n d r r ê r . r  c e r r o n  h n n l , e  w h i n h  À n à r f  f r o m  t h e  f i r c l  ê a e h  C o n t a i n
the  h i s f o r y  o f  a  No rman  duke  f r om Ro l l o  1 -o  W i l f i am  the  Conque ro r ,  and
the l -ong epi logue.
R e d a c t i o n s  D ,  E  a n d  o B ,  t h e  l a t t e r  t h e  d i r e c L .  p r e c u r s o r  o f  A  a n d  B ,
i ndependen t l y  de r i ve  f r om C .  Redac t i on  oB ,  wh i ch  has  no t  su r v i ved  i n
^ n \ /  m ^ n r r q e r i n l - .  n r r q í -  h a v e  C O n s i S t e d  O Í  t h e  d a r r i . À l - . r v  l ê f i - ê r  S e v e n
books ,  and  Lhe  sho r t  ep i l ogue ;  Book  V f  c .  i i ,  con ta i ned  an  i n t e rpo la t i on
conce rn ing  N i cho Ias ,  abbo t  o Í  Sa in t -Ouen  à t  Rouen .  Ma in l y  because  o f
th is addÍ t ion I  at t r ibute the hypothet Ícal  redact ion oB t to an anon).rynous
monk  o f  Sa in t -Ouen .  The  redac t i on  can  be  da ted  t o  t he  pe r i od  1096 -1100 .
RedacL ion  A ,  cons i s t i ng  o f  t he  comp le te  wo rk  o Í  Dudo  o f  Sa in t -Quen t i n
f o l l owed  by  Books  V ,  V I ,  V I I  and  t he  sho r t  ep i l ogue  o f  t he  G / /D ,  de r i ves
f r o m  0 3 .  l t  o r i g i n a t e d  i n  N o r m a n d y  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  a f t e r  1 0 9 6 - i i O O .
Redact ion B contalns the text  of  oBf to which have been added four
anecdo tes  i n  Books  V  and  V l  and ,  a t  t he  end  o f  t he  GND,  Lhe  sma l l  t ex t
De  ab í  Lu  Wí l l e lm í  (D )W)  .  The  anecdoLes  da te  . [ r om  1  1 th - cen tu r y  No rmandy ,
whereas D)W was \dr i t ten by an anonl tnous author f rom the entourage of
W i I I i a m  R u f u s ,  p r o b a b l y  c e r a l d u s  C a n c e l f a r j u s ,  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  1 0 9 6 / 9 8 -
1100 .  The  B - redac t i on  was  composed  a t  t he  beg j - nn ing  o f  t he  l 2 t h  cen tu r y ,
c n m o u r h o r o  i n  f h a  À n ^ l ^ - N ^ r m à n  F m n i v a
Redac t i on  D  cons i s t s  o f  t he  ded i ca to r y  l e t t e r  and  seven  books ,  o f
wh i ch  t he  l as t  I acks  t he  end ing .  A f I  manusc r i p t s  o f  Lh i s  r edac t i on  more
o r  l ess  ag ree  Í n  om i t t i ng  t - he  t ex t  f r om  Book  V I I  c .  x v i  ( x xxv i i )  onwa rds .
R e c à i l q e  o ' q o m e  o e o o r a n h i c a l  n i o r c a d i n d q  T . . n i ê . f l r r ê  f h ^ i -  n  w a s  w r i t l e n
in  Eng land,  and no t  ln  Normandy or  France.  The redac t ion  can be  da ted  to
t h e  p e r i o d  f r o m  1 1 0 6  t o  I I 2 O - 1 1 3 0 ,  w h e n  i t s  o l d e s t  m a n u s c r i p t ,  D 1 ,  w a s
w r i t t e n .
A b o u L  1 1 1 3  O r d e r i c  V i t a l i s ,  m o n k  o f  S a i n t - É v r o u l t ,  w r o t e  h i s  v e r s i o n
a f  t , ' n a  C I \ I D  r ê d a ^ f i ^ n  r  - ^ h - i - È i n ^  a s  r h ê  À ê ^ i ^ : f ^ r r z  1 ê t f ê rv r l  L ,  u u t r s r s L f t t g  u i  L t . -  - , - - , * - -  ,  S e v e n
h ^ ^ L c  5 n n  f h ^  r ^ h ^  ^ n i l n n r r e  ' F h a  u r h n l ê  f e x t  h a s  b e e n  s t i f i s t i c a l l v  r e _
w r i L L e n  a n d  m a n y  i n t e r p o l a t i o n s  h a v e  b e e n  a d d e d ,  e s p e c i a l . I y  i n  B o o k  V f I .
Abou t  1139  redac t i on  E  was  used  by  Robe r t  o f  To r j gn i ,  monk  o f  t he
monas te r y  o f  Bec ,  t o  w r i t e  t he  F - redac t i on .  Th i s  ve r s i on  cons i s t s  o f  a
s l  i oh f l v  a l f e rê í l  ded ie : j - n r r r  lÊ j - l - ê r  c i nh r -  166 ] ( s  and  t he  so -ca l l ed  Add i  LA -
menLa .  W i l i i am  o f  Jum ièges ' ep i l ogue ,  a t -  t he  end  o f  Book  V I f ,  was  om i t t ed
h v  R ó l - 1 ê r f  h e c e r r q e  ^ f  h i s  a d d Í t i o n  6 f  3 n  € , i n h f h  h n n k  n n  H ê n r \ /  I .  A f t e ï
1151  Robe r t  even  cons ide red  hav ing  Lhe  GND con t i nued  by  a  h i s t o r y  o f
c a a f f v o t t  ^ r  À n i ^ r r  à c  ^ , r L ê  ^ f  N ^ r h á n ^ \ /
T h ê  q ê . ^ n . l  n r r r n ^ q ê  o f  t h i c  s t l t d v  i s  f . o  e x a m i n e  f h ê  n r o h i e m  o f  t h e
gesta,  the genre to which in the modern l l terature on medieval  h isto-
r i og raphy ,  Lhe  CND a re  usua l l y  r eckoned .  The  f i f t h  and  f as t  chap te r
l ^ r o n i n e  h . '  - r r f  I  i n i n a  l - - h g  m o d e r n  t h e o r i e s  C ó n . ê r n i n n  l - l ^ p  m o d i o r r S l
I  i i ê - F r \ ,  : n r i  h i c t - n r i n n r a n h i c : l  n e n r a q  w i t h i n  t h e  Í i e I d  o f  t h ê  í - h ê n r \ /
o f  f i t e ra l - u re  Lhe re  i s  a  t endency  t o  i den t i f y  gen res  by  s tudy ing  t he
recept ion of  a text ,  in other words the lnteracl ion between author
an r l  n r r h l  i  c  ó r  f  hê  ^ r - he r  hand  mode rn  h i s t ^ r i  r nê  c , , ónÁê  and  Me .L -
r z i l l a  f r \ 7  f ^  n l r c c i  F r r  m o Á i o r r r ' l  h i c f n r i n n r a n h u  a a a a r à  i n n  f ^  ^ ,! a / r r )  d u u u r  u  r r r g  L U  e o n -
temporary medievaf  cr i ter ia based on the medieval  t i t fes of  the works.
T h e V  l ê a V e  o t r f  o f  à c c ^ , , n 1  h a - . ' a . ' a -  + h ó  ^ , j ^ j r  f h ó : ^ ó : h ^  f h e
va lue  o f  t hese  t i t r l e s .
The  second  sec t i on  pays  a tLen t i on  t o  t he  so -ca I I ed  ges ta -h í s to r i es ,
and  es tab l i shes  t ha t  t he  t e rm  gesLa  has  no t  been  s tud ied  p rope r l y .  I t
ànnêà rq .  hó l - h  f r nm n r ; 6 l g1n  I i t e f a tu fe  and  f r om t . hê  n rêsên t  c t l t ^ "  f h : f
i n  t h e  M i d d l e  A o e s  f i t l e s  w e r e  a n n l i ê d  m o s f  i n c o n s i s f e n t ' l v -  T h i S  l e a d s
to the concfusion | .ha1c gesLa \^ /as not  used to indicate a genre.  Fol lowing
Grundmann most h istor ians today understand by gesta:  h istor ical  narra-
t i ves  abou t  t he  deeds  o f  a  se r i es  o Í  pe rsons  ho ld i nq  t he  same  o f f i ce .
Some  h i s t o r i ans ,  howeve r ,  g i ve  o the r  de f i n i t i ons ,  They  a l so  coun t  among
ges ta  hLs to r i ca l  na r . r aL i ves  abou t  one  pe ï son  f r om such  a  se r i es ,  abou t
n n o  i n d i r z i r l r r a l  n n e  1 3 f  i 6 n  O r  e V e n  6 n g  1 6 c i n n  R a n l - i  o r  a n ' l  q ^ t  C O n - [ i n e
t he i r  de Í i n i t i on  t o  a  l ess  ex tens i ve  ca tego ry ,  name ly  gesLa  ep í scopoT ,um
aod gesta abbatun- The gesla of  seculaï  pr inces have not  so far  been
s tud ied  as  a  sepa ra te  ca tego ry ,  bu t  on l y  i n  t he  con tex t  o Í  h i s t o r i ca l
na r raL i ves  abou t  a  s i ng le  na t i on ,  genea log ies ,  and  b i og raph ies  o r  0 tLae .
Mode rn  l i t e ra tu re  as  we f l  as  So t r s  r ecen t  s t udy  o f f e r s  f ou r  c r i t e r i a
Lo  be  saL i f i ed  by  ges ta :  1 .  emphas i s  l a i d  on  t he  o f f i ce  r a the r  t han  on
f h o  h e a r c r -  2  f h e  c l o s e  b o n d  o f  t h e  a u t h ^ -  ' . ' i f h  f h ê  r ê - i ^ - ' - h e r e  t h e
c j - ó r ' z  h ^ q  h c e n  u r r i j - j - ê n -  3  l o o i f i m i q e f i ó n  ^ q  n r r r n ó q ê  f n  u r r i f ê  S u C h  a
h i e i n r i . ^ l  n á r r á f t t r o .  4 -  t h e  r o n e n r  e a r a e t e l  o f  t h e s e  t e x t S .
In the th i rd sect . ion the development of  the GND is studied in the
I i gh t  o f  t hese  c r i t e r . i a .  Whe reas  t he  t ex t  w r i t t en  by  W i l l i am  o f  Jum iè -
c e q  d o c q  á n q w ê r  f h ê q ê  a r i f e - i a .  f h c  q r r h c e n r r ê n f  y ê d À . i - i ^ n <  d n  9 9  f a f  f e S S .
T t  à - ^ ê à r c  t h á t  f h ê  F i r d F  n h i c ó  ^ f  + h ó  a 1 7 , D  i s  m a i n l w  e o n e e r n e d  W i t h  t h e
succession f rom father to son as duke of  Normandy.  The re lat ion r^/ i th
t he  duchy  o f  No rmandy  i s  t hus  c fose r  a l t hough  a t t en t i on  i s  pa id  t o
E n n l  i c l -  : F F a i r c  a  F ^ e 1 -  w h i e h  h a r d l v  q r r r n l i s e s  b e C a U S e  t h e  t e x t  W a S
vír i t ten short ly  af ter  1066. The f i rs t  redact ion of  the GND also throws
c n n e  I i n h i -  n n  f h ê  n n n a s f e r v  o c  , l l t m i è o e s -  A l f h o l t o h  f h e  
' l  
e o i f  i n i S a t i 6 n  O f
t he  No rman  Conques t  i s  one  o f  W i I l - i am  o f  Jum ièges ' pu rposes  i n  w r i t i ng  a
h ie fo r v  o f  t he  No rnan  r l ' r kes .  hc  i q  r ho r re  a l l  i n t e res ted  i n  h . i s  own
country and the l lne of  succession there.  He therefore holds out  to h is
readers the prospect  of  a cont inuat ion of  the GND Lo deal  wí th Robert
Curthose,  as duke of  Normandy,  and not  wi th Wif t iam the Conqueror,  as
k i n o  o f  f h e  F , n o l i s h -  T h i s  v ê r v  i n t ê n t i ó n  t o  c o n l j n u e  L h e  C , 4 / D  s h o w s  t h e
I  o n e n n e q q  I  o f  t h c  w o r : k .
Among the di f ferent  vers ions of  the GND each redact ion does answer
one  o r  mo re  c r i t e r i a ,  none  howeve r  a I I  f ou r .  S t ruc tu ra l - Ly  t he  wo rk
cons i s t s  o f  books ,  each  devo ted  t o  t he  h i s t o r y  o f  one  duke ,  and  t h i s
bas j c  s t r uc tu re  has  been  respec ted  by  t he  i n t e rpo la to r s  and  con t i nua to r s .
R r r j -  i n  o r z o r r r  r o d : c f i O n  O n e  f i n d S  t e X t U a I  e h a n a e s  w h e r e  j - h e  c r r g 6 g g g i 6 n
i n  o f f i c e  i s  c o n c e r n e d ,  e . g .  i n  B o o k  V I f  c .  i x  ( x x i )  w i t h  r e g a r d  t o
Robert  Curthose as his father 's  successor.  Both Order ic Vi ta l is  and
Robert of Torigni do not only pay attention Èo matters connected with
the of f ice of  duke or  wi th the ducal  succession,  but  a lso,  and mainJ-y,
to af fa i rs which have some relat ion to. their  own monaster ies.  They
obviously wr i tê fór  their  fe l low nonks.  The aspect  of  legi t i r Í l isat ion
can only be found in the work of  Wi l l ian of  Jumièges,  h is precursor
Dudo of  Saint-Quent in,  and Robert  of  Tor igni .  At tent ion is  a lso dravrn
to the fact  that  the contenporary pol- i t ical  s i tuat ion inf luences the
di f ferent  authors of  the GND. tn uncerta in t imes,  but  af ter  a per iod
of  stabi l i ty ,  the GND were cont inued, or  p lans were made to do so (C,
F  ca .  1139  and  a f t e r  1151 ) .  I n  peace fu l  pe r i ods ,  bu t  a f t e r  t ens ion
or d. isagreemenL over the succession,  the text  was only interpolated
( o B ,  E ) .
Whether or  not  these f indings are typical  for  th is type of  h istory,
ví2.  gesta,  can only be said af ter  a proper evaluat ive study of  the
cr i ter ia ment ioned. Such a study,  based on more texts than only the
GND , renains to be written.
Dossier  I  contains an elaborate descr ipt ion of  the 45 manuscr ipts
of t.he GND.
Dossier  f I  l is ts a l - I  substant ive var iants between the di f ferent
redact ions.
(2Ll 'l ,l 0?


ARTS repository - University of Groningen

Dutch

NARCIS 

   University of GroningenGesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het geschiedwerk enhet genreHouts, ElisabethIMPORTANT NOTE: You are advised to consult the publisher's version (publisher's PDF) if you wish to cite fromit. Please check the document version below.Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordPublication date:1982Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research databaseCitation for published version (APA):Houts, E. (1982). Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst hetgeschiedwerk en het genre. s.n.CopyrightOther than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of theauthor(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).The publication may also be distributed here under the terms of Article 25fa of the Dutch Copyright Act, indicated by the “Taverne” license.More information can be found on the University of Groningen website: https://www.rug.nl/library/open-access/self-archiving-pure/taverne-amendment.Take-down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediatelyand investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons thenumber of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.Download date: 16-07-2023Summary' F h e  r e i n  ^ l - . i ê . r  n f  f h i q  q t r . l "  i s  r n  e c j - a l r r i s h  w h i c h  o f  t h e  L r a n s m i t t e dversions of  the Gestd Noy,mannoTum Ducwn (GND) is  the or ig inal  one andhow and  when  t he  subsequen t  r edac l j ons  have  o r i g t na ted  f r om i t .  I t  i si r l - a n d a d  e q  e  n r o l i r j n 4 - y  s l - l t f l v  f o r  a  n e w  t e x t  e d i t i O n .ï n  l l - ê  F i r c f  e h ^ . i ê r  ê  q r r r \ / ê \ /  i q  o i r z e n  o f  t h e  h i s f o r v  a n d  c u f r e n Lstate of  research concerning Lhre GND.The  nexL  t h ree  chapLe rs  t r ea t  t he  deve lopmen t  o f  Lhe  GND f r om,  r es -n o c 1 - i r r e l r r  :  c o d i n n l ^ - j - ^ r  a  l ^ i s f o - i c a l  n o i n L  O f  v i e W .p L e L t v L t l  L L u l e g r u a t ,  r - r J L v - r e q t  y e r l uT h e  f o l l o w i n o  e o n c l r r g i g n g  h a v e  b e e n  I e a c h e d .Redact ion C is the oldestvers ion of  the GND, wr i t : t :en by Wi l l iam ofJ u m j è g e s  a b o u t  l 0 7 0 / 7 1 ;  h i s  a u L o g r a p h  h a s  n o t  s u r v i v e d .  W i L h i n  t h e  C -r e d a c t i o n  m a n u s c r i p L  C 4  ( c a .  1 1 0 0 ,  N o r m a n d y ,  p o s s i b l y  L y r e )  i s  n e a r e s Lto the or iq inal  text .  The nev/  edi t ion of  the Gl lD therefore has to bebased  on  tÁ i s  manusc r i pL .  My  s tudy  has  con l i rmed  t ne  hypo thes i s  o f ,P ro fesso r  R .H .C .  Dav i s ,  who  i n  1980  conc luded ,  ma in l y  on  h i s t o r i ca l. , r a " n i c  f h : f  f È ^  . - r e r l à c t i o n  r e n r e q e n l  <  f l - ê  n r i n i n : l  f ê v f  ^ .  L h e  C N D .I t  c o n s i s t s  o I  a  d e d i c a t o r y  l e t t e Í  f r o m  W i l l i a m  o - [  J u m i è g e s  t o  W i l l i a mf l - ê  í - n n d r r ê r . r  c e r r o n  h n n l , e  w h i n h  À n à r f  f r o m  t h e  f i r c l  ê a e h  C o n t a i nthe  h i s f o r y  o f  a  No rman  duke  f r om Ro l l o  1 -o  W i l f i am  the  Conque ro r ,  andthe l -ong epi logue.R e d a c t i o n s  D ,  E  a n d  o B ,  t h e  l a t t e r  t h e  d i r e c L .  p r e c u r s o r  o f  A  a n d  B ,i ndependen t l y  de r i ve  f r om C .  Redac t i on  oB ,  wh i ch  has  no t  su r v i ved  i n^ n \ /  m ^ n r r q e r i n l - .  n r r q í -  h a v e  C O n s i S t e d  O Í  t h e  d a r r i . À l - . r v  l ê f i - ê r  S e v e nbooks ,  and  Lhe  sho r t  ep i l ogue ;  Book  V f  c .  i i ,  con ta i ned  an  i n t e rpo la t i onconce rn ing  N i cho Ias ,  abbo t  o Í  Sa in t -Ouen  à t  Rouen .  Ma in l y  because  o fth is addÍ t ion I  at t r ibute the hypothet Ícal  redact ion oB t to an anon).rynousmonk  o f  Sa in t -Ouen .  The  redac t i on  can  be  da ted  t o  t he  pe r i od  1096 -1100 .RedacL ion  A ,  cons i s t i ng  o f  t he  comp le te  wo rk  o Í  Dudo  o f  Sa in t -Quen t i nf o l l owed  by  Books  V ,  V I ,  V I I  and  t he  sho r t  ep i l ogue  o f  t he  G / /D ,  de r i vesf r o m  0 3 .  l t  o r i g i n a t e d  i n  N o r m a n d y  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  a f t e r  1 0 9 6 - i i O O .Redact ion B contalns the text  of  oBf to which have been added fouranecdo tes  i n  Books  V  and  V l  and ,  a t  t he  end  o f  t he  GND,  Lhe  sma l l  t ex tDe  ab í  Lu  Wí l l e lm í  (D )W)  .  The  anecdoLes  da te  . [ r om  1  1 th - cen tu r y  No rmandy ,whereas D)W was \dr i t ten by an anonl tnous author f rom the entourage ofW i I I i a m  R u f u s ,  p r o b a b l y  c e r a l d u s  C a n c e l f a r j u s ,  i n  t h e  p e r i o d  1 0 9 6 / 9 8 -1100 .  The  B - redac t i on  was  composed  a t  t he  beg j - nn ing  o f  t he  l 2 t h  cen tu r y ,c n m o u r h o r o  i n  f h a  À n ^ l ^ - N ^ r m à n  F m n i v aRedac t i on  D  cons i s t s  o f  t he  ded i ca to r y  l e t t e r  and  seven  books ,  o fwh i ch  t he  l as t  I acks  t he  end ing .  A f I  manusc r i p t s  o f  Lh i s  r edac t i on  moreo r  l ess  ag ree  Í n  om i t t i ng  t - he  t ex t  f r om  Book  V I I  c .  x v i  ( x xxv i i )  onwa rds .R e c à i l q e  o ' q o m e  o e o o r a n h i c a l  n i o r c a d i n d q  T . . n i ê . f l r r ê  f h ^ i -  n  w a s  w r i t l e nin  Eng land,  and no t  ln  Normandy or  France.  The redac t ion  can be  da ted  tot h e  p e r i o d  f r o m  1 1 0 6  t o  I I 2 O - 1 1 3 0 ,  w h e n  i t s  o l d e s t  m a n u s c r i p t ,  D 1 ,  w a sw r i t t e n .A b o u L  1 1 1 3  O r d e r i c  V i t a l i s ,  m o n k  o f  S a i n t - É v r o u l t ,  w r o t e  h i s  v e r s i o na f  t , ' n a  C I \ I D  r ê d a ^ f i ^ n  r  - ^ h - i - È i n ^  a s  r h ê  À ê ^ i ^ : f ^ r r z  1 ê t f ê rv r l  L ,  u u t r s r s L f t t g  u i  L t . -  - , - - , * - -  ,  S e v e nh ^ ^ L c  5 n n  f h ^  r ^ h ^  ^ n i l n n r r e  ' F h a  u r h n l ê  f e x t  h a s  b e e n  s t i f i s t i c a l l v  r e _w r i L L e n  a n d  m a n y  i n t e r p o l a t i o n s  h a v e  b e e n  a d d e d ,  e s p e c i a l . I y  i n  B o o k  V f I .Abou t  1139  redac t i on  E  was  used  by  Robe r t  o f  To r j gn i ,  monk  o f  t hemonas te r y  o f  Bec ,  t o  w r i t e  t he  F - redac t i on .  Th i s  ve r s i on  cons i s t s  o f  as l  i oh f l v  a l f e rê í l  ded ie : j - n r r r  lÊ j - l - ê r  c i nh r -  166 ] ( s  and  t he  so -ca l l ed  Add i  LA -menLa .  W i l i i am  o f  Jum ièges ' ep i l ogue ,  a t -  t he  end  o f  Book  V I f ,  was  om i t t edh v  R ó l - 1 ê r f  h e c e r r q e  ^ f  h i s  a d d Í t i o n  6 f  3 n  € , i n h f h  h n n k  n n  H ê n r \ /  I .  A f t e ï1151  Robe r t  even  cons ide red  hav ing  Lhe  GND con t i nued  by  a  h i s t o r y  o fc a a f f v o t t  ^ r  À n i ^ r r  à c  ^ , r L ê  ^ f  N ^ r h á n ^ \ /T h ê  q ê . ^ n . l  n r r r n ^ q ê  o f  t h i c  s t l t d v  i s  f . o  e x a m i n e  f h ê  n r o h i e m  o f  t h egesta,  the genre to which in the modern l l terature on medieval  h isto-r i og raphy ,  Lhe  CND a re  usua l l y  r eckoned .  The  f i f t h  and  f as t  chap te rl ^ r o n i n e  h . '  - r r f  I  i n i n a  l - - h g  m o d e r n  t h e o r i e s  C ó n . ê r n i n n  l - l ^ p  m o d i o r r S lI  i i ê - F r \ ,  : n r i  h i c t - n r i n n r a n h i c : l  n e n r a q  w i t h i n  t h e  Í i e I d  o f  t h ê  í - h ê n r \ /o f  f i t e ra l - u re  Lhe re  i s  a  t endency  t o  i den t i f y  gen res  by  s tudy ing  t herecept ion of  a text ,  in other words the lnteracl ion between authoran r l  n r r h l  i  c  ó r  f  hê  ^ r - he r  hand  mode rn  h i s t ^ r i  r nê  c , , ónÁê  and  Me .L -r z i l l a  f r \ 7  f ^  n l r c c i  F r r  m o Á i o r r r ' l  h i c f n r i n n r a n h u  a a a a r à  i n n  f ^  ^ ,! a / r r )  d u u u r  u  r r r g  L U  e o n -temporary medievaf  cr i ter ia based on the medieval  t i t fes of  the works.T h e V  l ê a V e  o t r f  o f  à c c ^ , , n 1  h a - . ' a . ' a -  + h ó  ^ , j ^ j r  f h ó : ^ ó : h ^  f h eva lue  o f  t hese  t i t r l e s .The  second  sec t i on  pays  a tLen t i on  t o  t he  so -ca I I ed  ges ta -h í s to r i es ,and  es tab l i shes  t ha t  t he  t e rm  gesLa  has  no t  been  s tud ied  p rope r l y .  I tànnêà rq .  hó l - h  f r nm n r ; 6 l g1n  I i t e f a tu fe  and  f r om t . hê  n rêsên t  c t l t ^ "  f h : fi n  t h e  M i d d l e  A o e s  f i t l e s  w e r e  a n n l i ê d  m o s f  i n c o n s i s f e n t ' l v -  T h i S  l e a d sto the concfusion | .ha1c gesLa \^ /as not  used to indicate a genre.  Fol lowingGrundmann most h istor ians today understand by gesta:  h istor ical  narra-t i ves  abou t  t he  deeds  o f  a  se r i es  o Í  pe rsons  ho ld i nq  t he  same  o f f i ce .Some  h i s t o r i ans ,  howeve r ,  g i ve  o the r  de f i n i t i ons ,  They  a l so  coun t  amongges ta  hLs to r i ca l  na r . r aL i ves  abou t  one  pe ï son  f r om such  a  se r i es ,  abou tn n o  i n d i r z i r l r r a l  n n e  1 3 f  i 6 n  O r  e V e n  6 n g  1 6 c i n n  R a n l - i  o r  a n ' l  q ^ t  C O n - [ i n et he i r  de Í i n i t i on  t o  a  l ess  ex tens i ve  ca tego ry ,  name ly  gesLa  ep í scopoT ,umaod gesta abbatun- The gesla of  seculaï  pr inces have not  so far  beens tud ied  as  a  sepa ra te  ca tego ry ,  bu t  on l y  i n  t he  con tex t  o Í  h i s t o r i ca lna r raL i ves  abou t  a  s i ng le  na t i on ,  genea log ies ,  and  b i og raph ies  o r  0 tLae .Mode rn  l i t e ra tu re  as  we f l  as  So t r s  r ecen t  s t udy  o f f e r s  f ou r  c r i t e r i aLo  be  saL i f i ed  by  ges ta :  1 .  emphas i s  l a i d  on  t he  o f f i ce  r a the r  t han  onf h o  h e a r c r -  2  f h e  c l o s e  b o n d  o f  t h e  a u t h ^ -  ' . ' i f h  f h ê  r ê - i ^ - ' - h e r e  t h ec j - ó r ' z  h ^ q  h c e n  u r r i j - j - ê n -  3  l o o i f i m i q e f i ó n  ^ q  n r r r n ó q ê  f n  u r r i f ê  S u C h  ah i e i n r i . ^ l  n á r r á f t t r o .  4 -  t h e  r o n e n r  e a r a e t e l  o f  t h e s e  t e x t S .In the th i rd sect . ion the development of  the GND is studied in theI i gh t  o f  t hese  c r i t e r . i a .  Whe reas  t he  t ex t  w r i t t en  by  W i l l i am  o f  Jum iè -c e q  d o c q  á n q w ê r  f h ê q ê  a r i f e - i a .  f h c  q r r h c e n r r ê n f  y ê d À . i - i ^ n <  d n  9 9  f a f  f e S S .T t  à - ^ ê à r c  t h á t  f h ê  F i r d F  n h i c ó  ^ f  + h ó  a 1 7 , D  i s  m a i n l w  e o n e e r n e d  W i t h  t h esuccession f rom father to son as duke of  Normandy.  The re lat ion r^/ i tht he  duchy  o f  No rmandy  i s  t hus  c fose r  a l t hough  a t t en t i on  i s  pa id  t oE n n l  i c l -  : F F a i r c  a  F ^ e 1 -  w h i e h  h a r d l v  q r r r n l i s e s  b e C a U S e  t h e  t e x t  W a Svír i t ten short ly  af ter  1066. The f i rs t  redact ion of  the GND also throwsc n n e  I i n h i -  n n  f h ê  n n n a s f e r v  o c  , l l t m i è o e s -  A l f h o l t o h  f h e  ' l  e o i f  i n i S a t i 6 n  O ft he  No rman  Conques t  i s  one  o f  W i I l - i am  o f  Jum ièges ' pu rposes  i n  w r i t i ng  ah ie fo r v  o f  t he  No rnan  r l ' r kes .  hc  i q  r ho r re  a l l  i n t e res ted  i n  h . i s  owncountry and the l lne of  succession there.  He therefore holds out  to h isreaders the prospect  of  a cont inuat ion of  the GND Lo deal  wí th RobertCurthose,  as duke of  Normandy,  and not  wi th Wif t iam the Conqueror,  ask i n o  o f  f h e  F , n o l i s h -  T h i s  v ê r v  i n t ê n t i ó n  t o  c o n l j n u e  L h e  C , 4 / D  s h o w s  t h eI  o n e n n e q q  I  o f  t h c  w o r : k .Among the di f ferent  vers ions of  the GND each redact ion does answerone  o r  mo re  c r i t e r i a ,  none  howeve r  a I I  f ou r .  S t ruc tu ra l - Ly  t he  wo rkcons i s t s  o f  books ,  each  devo ted  t o  t he  h i s t o r y  o f  one  duke ,  and  t h i sbas j c  s t r uc tu re  has  been  respec ted  by  t he  i n t e rpo la to r s  and  con t i nua to r s .R r r j -  i n  o r z o r r r  r o d : c f i O n  O n e  f i n d S  t e X t U a I  e h a n a e s  w h e r e  j - h e  c r r g 6 g g g i 6 ni n  o f f i c e  i s  c o n c e r n e d ,  e . g .  i n  B o o k  V I f  c .  i x  ( x x i )  w i t h  r e g a r d  t oRobert  Curthose as his father 's  successor.  Both Order ic Vi ta l is  andRobert of Torigni do not only pay attention Èo matters connected withthe of f ice of  duke or  wi th the ducal  succession,  but  a lso,  and mainJ-y,to af fa i rs which have some relat ion to. their  own monaster ies.  Theyobviously wr i tê fór  their  fe l low nonks.  The aspect  of  legi t i r Í l isat ioncan only be found in the work of  Wi l l ian of  Jumièges,  h is precursorDudo of  Saint-Quent in,  and Robert  of  Tor igni .  At tent ion is  a lso dravrnto the fact  that  the contenporary pol- i t ical  s i tuat ion inf luences thedi f ferent  authors of  the GND. tn uncerta in t imes,  but  af ter  a per iodof  stabi l i ty ,  the GND were cont inued, or  p lans were made to do so (C,F  ca .  1139  and  a f t e r  1151 ) .  I n  peace fu l  pe r i ods ,  bu t  a f t e r  t ens ionor d. isagreemenL over the succession,  the text  was only interpolated( o B ,  E ) .Whether or  not  these f indings are typical  for  th is type of  h istory,ví2.  gesta,  can only be said af ter  a proper evaluat ive study of  thecr i ter ia ment ioned. Such a study,  based on more texts than only theGND , renains to be written.Dossier  I  contains an elaborate descr ipt ion of  the 45 manuscr iptsof t.he GND.Dossier  f I  l is ts a l - I  substant ive var iants between the di f ferentredact ions.(2Ll 'l ,l 0?

English

https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/14420053/van_houts.PDF

Gesta Normannorum Ducum. Een studie over de handschriften, de tekst het geschiedwerk en het genre

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Groningen

University of Groningen Research Database

ARTS repository - University of Groningen

NARCIS

ARTS repository - University of Groningen