Annales Alamannici
Encyclopedia
The core text of the Annales Alamannici covers the years 709 through to 799. Spread over several Swabia
n monasteries, the annals were continued independently in several places, in the Reichenau Abbey
up to 939 (continued by Hermannus Contractus
), in St. Gallen
up to 926. The St. Gallen
version was continued from 927 to 1059 as the Annales Sangallenses maiores
.
The Annales Almannici are also referred to as the Annals of St. Gall and provide one of the earliest records of Medieval Europe available [1]. They are notable for their short, cursory style and limited narrative. To the modern scholar, they might appear to be incomplete, and for that reason, of limited value. However, in recent years, historians such as Hayden White have argued that the style of the chronicles depict a worldview that is distinctly medieval where "things happen to people rather than one in which people do things." For that reason, they provide insight into the medieval mind and what things the people of the Dark Ages considered important [2].
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n monasteries, the annals were continued independently in several places, in the Reichenau Abbey
Reichenau Island
Reichenau Island lies in Lake Constance in southern Germany, at approximately . It lies between Gnadensee and Untersee, two parts of Lake Constance, almost due west of the city of Konstanz. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway that was completed in 1838...
up to 939 (continued by Hermannus Contractus
Hermannus Contractus
Hermann of Reichenau , also called Hermannus Contractus or Hermannus Augiensis or Herman the Cripple, was an 11th century scholar, composer, music theorist, mathematician, and astronomer. He composed the Marian prayer Alma Redemptoris Mater...
), in St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
up to 926. The St. Gallen
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
version was continued from 927 to 1059 as the Annales Sangallenses maiores
Annales Sangallenses maiores
The Annales Sangallenses maiores are annals compiled in St. Gallen, covering the years 927 through to 1059. They continue the Annales Alamannici, the St. Gallen version of which reaches up to 926....
.
The Annales Almannici are also referred to as the Annals of St. Gall and provide one of the earliest records of Medieval Europe available [1]. They are notable for their short, cursory style and limited narrative. To the modern scholar, they might appear to be incomplete, and for that reason, of limited value. However, in recent years, historians such as Hayden White have argued that the style of the chronicles depict a worldview that is distinctly medieval where "things happen to people rather than one in which people do things." For that reason, they provide insight into the medieval mind and what things the people of the Dark Ages considered important [2].
Sources
- Annales Alamannici, ed. W. Lendi, Untersuchungen zurfruhalemannischen Annalistik. Die Murbacher Annalen. (Freiburg, 1971)