HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE MIDDLE AGES - Julian Emperor

CHAPTER SIXHIGH AND LATE MEDIEVAL NATIONALHISTORIOGRAPHYNorbert KerskenAn inspection of the European cultural circle shows that, in almostall systems of rule on a national basis until the beginning of the sixteenthcentury, a tradition of historiography had developed that wasbound formally and substantively to national criteria. Four temporalperiods can be differentiated in the chronology of the documents ofthis historiography. These temporal emphases, in which the writingof national historical portrayals in various regions are concentrated,are the first quarter of the twelfth century, the period around 1200and the third quarter of the thirteenth century, the fourteenth century,and the second half of the fifteenth century. 1Development of the National Historical Form of Expression in theFirst Quarter of the Twelfth CenturyIn the first quarter of the twelfth century a national historical historiographydeveloped according to a remarkably similar timetablein several European regions, marking the onset of a tradition. Twogroups of regions can be typologically differentiated here. First, theregions in the west of Europe, in which national historical reflectionlinked up with a political and geographical terminology from lateantiquity and the migration of the peoples and took as its referencethe gentes of the migratory period and their historiography. On theIberian peninsula, in France, and in England, the traditional regionalterms Hispania, Gallia, and Britannia and the histories of the Goths,the Franks, and the Anglo-Saxons, as well as the historical drafts1In the following, only the text editions, as well as a very select list of the mostimportant and newest literature, will be given. In general, see Kersken (1995).