Einhard: an almost lasting legacy of Charlemagne.

When at Christmas 800 Charlemagne was crowned as emperor, he was at the height of his power. With great zeal he undertook all kind of reforms regarding the government of his empire and one of these reforms was harmonizing the two Germanic law systems – the lex Salica and the lex Ribuaria.  For reasons not explained by Einhard, this was one of the few things Charlemagne was not successful in. As Einhard’s vita is a eulogy rather than a scholarly account of Charlemagne’s life, it was probably seen is a minor failure, Charlemagne also ordered that ancient heroic lays should be written down. Alas! Not a single copy has survived – to the deep regret of scholars of Germanic languages and literature.

What has been a legacy almost till the 20^th are the Germanic names for the months. True, the Anglo-Saxons were earlier, but their names only partially overlap and the names of the months devised by Charlemagne were in use for a thousand years in parts of Western Europe.

Finally he gave Germanic names to the twelve winds. The Latin names for these winds go back to Isodore of Sevilla. Whereas the names of the months are imaginative and connected with agriculture, the names of the winds are just combinations of north, east, south and west. It is easy to reconstruct from the Germanic names the direction of the winds: north is nord, east is ost, south is sund and west is uuest. The suffix – roni makes the word an adjective.

Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni, c.29

[29] Post susceptum imperiale nomen, cum adverteret multa legibus populi sui deesse - nam Franci duas habent leges, in plurimis locis valde diversas - cogitavit quae deerant addere et discrepantia unire, prava quoque ac perperam prolata corrigere, sed de his nihil aliud ab eo factum est, nisi quod pauca capitula, et ea inperfecta, legibus addidit. Omnium tamen nationum, quae sub eius dominatu erant, iura quae scripta non erant describere ac litteris mandari fecit. Item barbara et antiquissima carmina, quibus veterum regum actus et bella canebantur, scripsit memoriaeque mandavit. Inchoavit et grammaticam patrii sermonis. Mensibus etiam iuxta propriam linguam vocabula inposuit, cum ante id temporis apud Francos partim Latinis, partim barbaris nominibus pronuntiarentur. Item ventos duodecim propriis appellationibus insignivit, cum prius non amplius quam vix quattuor ventorum vocabula possent inveniri. Et de mensibus quidem Ianuarium uuintarmanoth, Februarium hornung, Martium lenzinmanoth, Aprilem ostarmanoth, Maium uuinnemanoth, Iunium brachmanoth, Iulium heuuimanoth, Augustum aranmanoth, Septembrem uuitumanoth, Octobrem uuindumemanoth, Novembrem herbistmanoth, Decembrem heilagmanoth appellavit.

Ventis vero hoc modo nomina inposuit, ut subsolanum vocaret ostroniuuint, eurum ostsundroni, euroaustrum sundostroni, austrum sundroni, austroafricum sunduuestroni, africum uuestsundroni, zefyrum uuestroni, chorum uuestnordroni, circium norduuestroni, septentrionem nordroni, aquilonem nordostroni, vulturnum ostnordroni.

adverteret = animadverteret

prava quoque ac perperam prolata corrigere: to correct the distorted and wrongly (perperam adv.) transmitted (things)

Omnium tamen nationum: Saxons, Thuringians and Frisians

litteris mandari:  to be entrusted to writings (No copies have survived: the oldest extant law books are from the 13^th century and probably don’t derive directly from the Carolingian manuscripts, though in content they are likely to be much the same.)

barbara  = Germanica (i.e. non-Christian)

inchoavit: the word indicates that is was never completed

iuxta propriam linguam: according to his own language

uuintarmanoth: winter month

horning: the shedding of antlers

lenzinmanoth: spring month (lenzin = lent)

ostarmanoth: Easter month (Eostra was a Germanic  goddess in whose honour celebrations took place in April. Her name was transferred to Cristian feast of the death and resurrection of Jesus.)

uuinnemanoth: pasture month (winne is an Old High German word for pasture, but as the word became obsolete at a quite early stage, it was connected with Wonne `love’.)

brachmanoth: breaking month (i.e. breaking the soil, ploughing

heuuimanoth: hay month

aranmanoth: harvest month

uuitumanoth:  wood month (gathering wood for winter)

uuindumemanoth: month of raping grapes

herbistmanoth:  autumn month (herbist is connected with English `harvest’ and Latin carpo.)

heilagmanoth: holy month (because of Christmas.)

Translation by Samuel Epes Turner (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1880)

It was after he had received the imperial name that, finding the laws of his people very defective (the Franks have two sets of laws, very different in many particulars), he determined to add what was wanting, to reconcile the discrepancies, and to correct what was vicious and wrongly cited in them. However, he went no further in this matter than to supplement the laws by a few capitularies, and those imperfect ones; but he caused the unwritten laws of all the tribes that came under his rule to be compiled and reduced to writing . He also had the old rude songs that celebrate the deeds and wars of the ancient kings written out for transmission to posterity. He began a grammar of his native language. He gave the months names in his own tongue, in place of the Latin and barbarous names by which they were formerly known among the Franks. He likewise designated the winds by twelve appropriate names; there were hardly more than four distinctive ones in use before. He called January, Wintarmanoth; February, Hornung; March, Lentzinmanoth; April, Ostarmanoth; May, Winnemanoth; June, Brachmanoth; July, Heuvimanoth; August, Aranmanoth; September, Witumanoth; October, Windumemanoth; Novemher, Herbistmanoth; December, Heilagmanoth. He styled the winds as follows; Subsolanus, Ostroniwint; Eurus, Ostsundroni-, Euroauster, Sundostroni; Auster, Sundroni; Austro-Africus, Sundwestroni; Africus, Westsundroni; Zephyrus, Westroni; Caurus, Westnordroni; Circius, Nordwestroni; Septentrio, Nordroni; Aquilo, Nordostroni; Vulturnus, Ostnordroni.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_calendar

Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni, 28: Emperor!

On Christmas day in the year 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor by Pope Leo iii. The first emperor since Romulus Augustus had been abdicated in 476. Why and under which circumstances he had been crowned is still a matter of debate. In the following section of Einhard’s Vita Karoli Magni, it is suggested that it came as a complete surprise for Charlemagne, but this is rather questionable, not to say very unlikely. It is more likely that, as the Byzantine Empire was at that time ruled by Empress Irene of Athens, Charlemagne saw a legal opportunity to seize the crown of emperor. Legally the Byzantine Empire was the heir of the Roman Empire, but according to some interpretations a woman could not be sole ruler. Einhard claims that Charlemagne was completely unaware of the coronation under preparation and that he refused repeatedly to be crowned. As it happens he entered the church at Christmas and was taken by surprise and suddenly found himself emperor. I have watched enough detectives to suspect that this so-called surprise was fabricated, as he did not want to upset the Byzantine court too much…

 In the summer of 800 Charlemagne went to Rome to protect Pope Leo iii, who was highly unpopular amongst the aristocracy and was charged with adultery and treason. They even went so far – according to Einhard – to blind him and cut his tongue off. Fortunately other legendary sources tell us that the poor man was healed by a miracle.

To overcome the grudge of Empress Irene, Charlemagne made her a marriage proposal. His fourth (or fifth)  and last wife Liutgard had died in 800 and he had not married again but lived with his concubine Regina. Irene had sought closer contacts with the Frankish empire before she became empress and even proposed a marriage between her son and a daughter of Charlemagne, so the idea of a marriage was not that absurd. At first she accepted, but due to all kinds of intrigues at the Byzantine court, she was compelled to withdraw. Byzantine history: never a dull moment!

Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni, chapter 28:

Ultimi adventus sui non solum hae fuere causae, verum etiam quod Romani Leonem pontificem multis affectum iniuriis, erutis scilicet oculis linguaque amputata, fidem regis implorare conpulerunt. Idcirco Romam veniens propter reparandum, qui nimis conturbatus erat, ecclesiae statum ibi totum hiemis tempus extraxit. Quo tempore imperatoris et augusti nomen accepit. Quod primo in tantum aversatus est, ut adfirmaret se eo die, quamvis praecipua festivitas esset, ecclesiam non intraturum, si pontificis consilium praescire potuisset. Invidiam tamen suscepti nominis, Romanis imperatoribus super hoc indignantibus, magna tulit patientia. Vicitque eorum contumaciam magnanimitate, qua eis procul dubio longe praestantior erat, mittendo ad eos crebras legationes et in epistolis fratres eos appellando.

hae causae: in the previous chapter it is told that Charlemagne had made a vow to pray at Rome venerated and venerate the churches there. This was his fourth and final visit to Rome.

Romani Leonem…fidem regis implorare conpulerunt: the Romans forced (compello)Leo to ask for the protection of the king

reparandum ecclesiae statum, qui

tempus extraxit: he spent the time

aversor aversatus sum: to refuse repeatedly (frequentative of averto)

eo die: Christmas

praecipuus: most important

Invidiam tamen suscepti nominis…tulit: he bore the hate the accepted title

Romanis imperatoribus super hoc indignantibus: as the byzantine emperors were indigent about that

contumacia: contumacy, grudge

qua eis procul dubio longe praestantior erat: in which he was undoubtedly (procul dubio  = sine dubio) for more superior than they

crebras legationes:  frequent embassies

Translation by A.J. Grant (1922)

HOW CHARLES BECAME EMPEROR

28. But such were not the only objects of his last

visit ; for the Romans had grievously outraged Pope

Leo, had torn out his eyes and cut off his tongue, and

thus forced him to throw himself upon the protection

of the King. He, therefore came to Rome to restore

the condition of the church, which was terribly dis-

turbed, and spent the whole of the winter there. It

was then that he received the title of Emperor and

Augustus, which he so disliked at first that he

affirmed that he would not have entered the church

on that day — though it was the chief festival of the

church — if he could have foreseen the design of the

Pope. But when he had taken the title he bore very

quietly the hostility that it caused and the indignation

of the Roman emperors. He conquered their ill-

feeling by his magnanimity, in which, doubtless, he

far excelled them, and sent frequent embassies to them,

and called them his brothers.

Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni: Charlemagne is a modest eater.

Charlemagne (747/748 – 814) is without doubt the most outstanding ruler of the early middle ages. Under his guidance school reforms took place in the Frankish empire and scholars from all over Europe were attracted to his court for establishing a centre of learning. This is even more remarkable as Charlemagne somehow never managed to write, though he could read.  After his death, Einhard wrote a biography about him, which became widely popular and is about the only source there for the private life of Charlemagne.

Einhard (c. 775 – March 14, 840, also known as Eginhard) had a humble background, but had the fortune to have attended the cloister school at Fulda, where he proved himself to be an excellent student. He got a position at the court, where he was responsible for building projects.

In the following chapter he tells about the eating and drinking habits of Charlemagne. Charlemagne was a modest eater and even a more modest drinker, but when Einhard tells that daily meal consisted of four dishes plus roast meat, I wonder what a lavish meal must have been. The three glasses of wine too at dinner might alarm the modern healthy living and detox mafia…

Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni 1.24 (first part):

In cibo et potu temperans, sed in potu temperantior, quippe qui ebrietatem in qualicumque homine, nedum in se ac suis, plurimum abhominabatur. Cibo enim non adeo abstinere puterat, ut saepe quereretur noxia corpori suo esse ieiunia. Convivabatur rarissime, et hoc praecipuis tantum festivitatibus, tunc tamen cum magno hominum numero. Caena cotidiana quaternis tantum ferculis praebebatur, praeter assam, quam venatores veribus inferre solebant, qua ille libentius quam ullo alio cibo vescebatur. Inter caenandum aut aliquod acroama aut lectorem audiebat. Legebantur ei historiae et antiquorum res gestae. Delectabatur et libris sancti Augustini, praecipueque his qui de civitate Dei praetitulati sunt. Vini et omnis potus adeo parcus in bibendo erat, ut super caenam raro plus quam ter biberet.

cibus: food

potus –us (m.): drink

quippe qui: because

ebriatas –atis (f.): drunkenness

nedum: let alone  

ac suis: i.e. his household

abhominor abhominatus sum: to detest

queror questus sum: to complain

noxia ieiunia esse: fasting (ieiunia) to be harmful

convivor convivatus sum: to organize a banquette

praecipuus: special

caena = cena: meal

praebeo praebui praebitum: to offer, supply

ferculum: means of carrying, dish

assa: roast meat (in Classical Latin assum.)

venator –oris (m.): hunter

veru verus (n.): spit

vescor: to eat

acraoma: piece of music (Greek loanword )

delector (+ abl.): to delight in (in Classical Latin the active is used.)

praecipue: especially

De Civitate Dei: This work, written by Augustine after the sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in 410, concentrates on the difference between this world and the spiritual world of God. It has a loose structure and is not one of the most coherent books ever written, so I wonder if Charlemagne could grasp it.

super caenum:  during dinner

parcus bibendo: moderate in the drinking of

Translation:

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/einhard.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einhard

 

Charlemagne and Charles V (1500- 1555) depicted together in the first printed edition of the Vita Karoli Magni (Cologne 1521).