03759nam 2200637 450 991081795650332120210520211146.00-8014-6971-60-8014-6972-410.7591/9780801469725(CKB)3710000000020536(OCoLC)862209045(CaPaEBR)ebrary10774205(SSID)ssj0001001422(PQKBManifestationID)11609188(PQKBTitleCode)TC0001001422(PQKBWorkID)10967099(PQKB)11745807(StDuBDS)EDZ0001503863(MiAaPQ)EBC3138525(MdBmJHUP)muse28958(DE-B1597)478619(OCoLC)979970029(DE-B1597)9780801469725(Au-PeEL)EBL3138525(CaPaEBR)ebr10774205(CaONFJC)MIL683597(EXLCZ)99371000000002053620130327d2013 uy| 0engur|||||||||||txtccrWriting history for the king Henry II and the politics of vernacular historiography /Charity UrbanskiIthaca :Cornell University Press,2013.1 online resource (271 p.)1-322-52315-0 0-8014-5131-0 Includes bibliographical references and index.Front matter --Contents --Acknowledgments --List of Abbreviations --Norman Genealogical Table --Map of the Angevin Empire --Introduction --1. Situating the Roman de Rou and Chronique des ducs de Normandie --2. Henry II --3. The Roman de Rou --4. The Chronique des ducs de Normandie --Conclusion --Bibliography --IndexWriting History for the King is at once a reassessment of the reign of Henry II of England (1133-1189) and an original contribution to our understanding of the rise of vernacular historiography in the high Middle Ages. Charity Urbanski focuses on two dynastic histories commissioned by Henry: Wace's Roman de Rou (c. 1160-1174) and Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Chronique des ducs de Normandie (c. 1174-1189). In both cases, Henry adopted the new genre of vernacular historical writing in Old French verse in an effort to disseminate a royalist version of the past that would help secure a grip on power for himself and his children. Wace was the first to be commissioned, but in 1174 the king abruptly fired him, turning the task over to Benoît de Sainte-Maure. Urbanski examines these histories as part of a single enterprise intended to cement the king's authority by enhancing the prestige of Henry II's dynasty. In a close reading of Wace's Rou, she shows that it presented a less than flattering picture of Henry's predecessors, in effect challenging his policies and casting a shadow over the legitimacy of his rule. Benoît de Sainte-Maure's Chronique, in contrast, mounted a staunchly royalist defense of Anglo-Norman kingship. Urbanski reads both works in the context of Henry's reign, arguing that as part of his drive to curb baronial power he sought a history that would memorialize his dynasty and solidify its claim to England and Normandy.HISTORY / MedievalbisacshGreat BritainHistoryNorman period, 1066-1154HistoriographyGreat BritainHistoryAngevin period, 1154-1216HistoriographyNormandy (France)HistoriographyHISTORY / Medieval.942.02072Urbanski Charity1970-1593225MiAaPQMiAaPQMiAaPQBOOK9910817956503321Writing history for the king3913252UNINA