Historians in England during the Middle Ages facts for kids

Historians in England during the Middle Ages helped create the first detailed records of early England, Wales, and Normandy. They wrote about cultures and even shared insights about themselves.

The best time for historical writing was during the High Middle Ages, in the 12th and 13th centuries. English writers, called chroniclers, created many interesting works. These works are full of information and cover a wide range of topics. Even if we question how accurate some parts are, these writings are where we learn most of what we know about the Middle Ages.

Early History Writers

Before the big boom in historical writing, there weren't many good historical works from early England. Later historians often complained about these missing parts. They usually blamed Viking invasions for the lack of records.

Here are some important historians and their works from this early period. They are listed by when the author died. The dates show the time period their work covered.

1. Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain (De Excidio Britanniae) (died 570)
2. Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum) AD 1-731
3. History of Britain (Historia Brittonum) 809 (thought to be by Nennius, but maybe not)
4. Asser, Life of King Alfred 893
5. Annales Cambriae, Annals of Wales 447-954 (around 970)
6. Æthelweard, Chronicle (Chronicon Æthelweardi) AD 1-975

The Golden Age of History Writing

The High Middle Ages was a fantastic time for writing history in England. History wasn't a subject you studied in school, like logic or theology. Instead, it was something smart, educated men did. They weren't tied to the strict rules of universities.

These writers were often educated men in monasteries or working for kings, bishops, and nobles. They had the time, position, and talent to write. Because of this, the quality and style of histories from this time varied a lot. Some are very entertaining and interesting to read.

Many writers, called chroniclers, wrote detailed accounts of recent events. King Alfred the Great ordered the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle to be written in 893. Similar chronicles were made throughout the Middle Ages. A very famous work is by Jean Froissart (1333-1410), who was French. His Froissart's Chronicles, written in French, is still a key source for the first part of the Hundred Years' War.

After the Norman Conquest in 1066, people became very interested in English history. Some think this was because the native English wanted to get back their cultural identity after the disaster of 1066. Also, the new Norman rulers wanted to learn about the people they now ruled. This led to a demand for stories about England's early kings, like Geoffrey of Monmouth's tales of King Arthur.

What Made These Histories Special?

Works from this period are often split into two types: chronicles and literary histories. Chroniclers simply wrote down events and their dates. They didn't add much detail or explanation. For example, the Winchcombe Annals, written by a monk in the 12th century, had one paragraph for each year. It didn't matter how much or how little happened. Each event got just one sentence. So, chronicles often gave as much attention to small things as to big, important ones.

Literary histories were different. They were more like other medieval stories. In fact, entertaining the reader was a real goal for historical writers. Accounts of battles often included long, made-up speeches from leaders. Histories were as much a part of medieval literature as romances or other tales. Most writers wanted their works to be easy to read. They wanted to offer "something which each may relish," providing both "profit and entertainment."

Another common feature was that historians often copied heavily from other writers. Sometimes they copied entire works and presented them as their own. For example, Henry of Huntingdon's History of the English is only one-quarter original. Much of it comes from Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica. Later writers would then copy these combined works, continuing the cycle.

Bede was highly respected by historians of this time. Later writers were sad that there were so few records for the 223 years between Bede's death in 735 and Eadmer's History of Recent Events (which started in 960). William of Malmesbury said of Bede, "after him you will not easily find men who turned their minds to the composition of Latin histories of their own people." Henry of Huntingdon called Bede "that holy and venerable man, a man of brilliant mind."

For writing about their own time, historians could use what they saw themselves. They also used reports from people they met and official documents like letters. Having a good network of contacts was very important. Traveling a lot was also common. Churchmen who worked for kings often had the best access to information. An example is Roger of Howden during King Henry I's reign. Some monks, like William of Newburgh, never left their monastery. Yet, they still got a lot of information through the stories and gossip that spread even in quiet monastic life.

Key Historians of the High Middle Ages

Here are some of the most important historians and chroniclers from this period. They are listed by when the author died. The dates show the time period their work covered.

1. Eadmer, History of Recent Events (Historia novorum) 960-1109
2. John of Worcester Chronicon ex chronicis 1-1140
3. William of Malmesbury, Deeds of the English Kings (Gesta regum Anglorum) 449-1120
4. Symeon of Durham, History of the Kings (Historia regum) 616-1129
5. Henry of Huntingdon, History of the English (Historia Anglorum) 55BC-1129
6. Alfred of Beverley, Annales sive Historia de gestis regum Britanniae 1-1129
7. Orderic Vitalis, Ecclesiastical History (Historia Ecclesiastica) 1-1141
8. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1-1154
9. Deeds of King Stephen (Gesta Stephani) 1-1154
10. William of Newburgh, History of English Affairs (Historia rerum Anglicarum), 1066–1198
11. Gervase of Canterbury, Chronicle (Chronicon), 1135–1199
12. Ralph of Diceto, Images of History (Imagines Historiarum), 1148–1202
13. Roger of Howden, Chronicle (Chronicon) 732–1201
14. Walter Map, Trifles of the Court (De Nugis Curialium) (died 1209)
15. Gerald of Wales, Itinerarium Cambriae 1191, Descriptio Cambriae 1194
16. Ralph of Coggeshall, Chronicle (Chronicon) 1066–1224
17. Roger of Wendover, Flores Historiarum 1202–1235
18. Matthew Paris, Chronica Maiora (died 1259)
19. Piers Langtoft, Langtoft's Chronicle (Chronicon) (died 1307)
20. Nicholas Trivet, Annales sex regum Angliae 1135–1307
21. Robert Mannyng, Chronicle (Chronica) (translations of earlier work, through 1338)

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Unique Stories

Geoffrey of Monmouth is special among these historians. On one hand, he was one of the most popular writers in England during this time. On the other hand, his Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain) was seen as almost entirely made up. Some other historians of his time didn't think it was real history.

Kings of Britain tells the legend of King Arthur and other Welsh legends from early England. Geoffrey presented these stories as actual English history, and many people believed him. It was incredibly popular! However, other historians, who cared about being fair and truthful, strongly criticized Geoffrey. William of Newburgh wrote a long section in his own history to show why Geoffrey was wrong. He even said, "only a person ignorant of ancient history would have any doubt about how shamelessly and impudently he lies in almost everything." The debate about whether King Arthur was a real person still continues today.

See also

• List of English chronicles
• Historiography of the United Kingdom