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Time and History in the Works of William of Malmesbury

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Time and History in the Works of William of Malmesbury 1 Time and History in the Works of William of Malmesbury Caitlin Ellis Naylor Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Department of History and Welsh History Aberystwyth University 2020 Word Count: 81,918 2 Abstract This thesis offers the first systematic and in-depth study of the representation of time in the works of the twelfth-century Anglo-Norman chronicler William of Malmesbury. Time was at the heart of how the past was understood in the medieval period. This shaped how history was recorded and written about. However, until recently, historical writing has been neglected as a source for uncovering medieval notions of time. By examining William of Malmesbury’s representation of time through the narrative structure of his works, his depiction of prophecy, and his deployment of narrative imagery, this thesis will argue that William of Malmesbury’s depiction of time was a significant factor in his works. This thesis identifies that notions of time shaped the content and interpretation of a text. Furthermore, this thesis will argue that by using the notion of time as a tool of historical analysis, we can achieve a deeper comprehension of William of Malmesbury’s writings, and that it is possible to uncover deeper concerns that are otherwise difficult to unearth. 3 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................ 3 Acknowledgements........................................................................................................ 4 List of Abbreviations...................................................................................................... 5 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter One: Reading Time: William of Malmesbury and his Sources..................................................................... 42 Chapter Two: Constructing Time: Chronology and Narrative Structure............................................................................ 87 Chapter Three: Foreseeing Time: Prophecy and the Future................................................................................................ 142 Chapter Four: Imagining Time: Narrative Imagery............................................................................................................ 206 Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 253 Appendix I......................................................................................................................... 263 Appendix II........................................................................................................................ 264 Appendix III....................................................................................................................... 265 Bibliography....................................................................................................................... 267 4 Acknowledgements Completing a PhD is often likened to undertaking a journey. It is a journey that I have not taken alone and I have become indebted to many along the path. Thanks must first go to my supervisors Professor Björn Weiler and Dr Ian Wei for their guidance, preventing me from taking many wrong turns and always offering their support, expertise and patience. Neither did they shy away from challenging me to produce my best work. Thanks must also go to Dr Nigel Rodenhurst for his assistance in catching the typos in my prose, and to Professor Robert Ireland for good-naturedly answering many of my queries about the complexities of medieval Latin. The support from the entire department of History and Welsh History has been phenomenal, especially the support and camaraderie of the PhD community. My friends both inside and outside of the academic community have made my years of PhD a joy. Their friendship was a glimmer of light even during the darkest times: Dan Norris, Raquel Taylor, Joe Thompson, Sarah Beynon, Rhodri Norris, Bethan Jones, Paddy O’Malley, Keziah Garret-Smithson, Theresa Ryley, David Lees, Antoni Grabowski and Charlie Rozier. I would like to thank especially my sisters-in-arms Kiri Kolt and Abby Monk. Our panadd chats were the highlight of my day. I would not be here without the love and support of my family. My grandparents Shirley and Jeffrey Naylor, my brother Mike, and my parents Jason and Diane who have always been there for me. This project would not have been possible without the financial support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council via the South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership. Additional funds were generously given by the Royal Historical Society, University of Leeds, and Aberystwyth University. 5 List of Abbreviations Bede, DNR Bede, De Natura Rerum, PL 90, ed. Jacques Paul Migne (Paris, 1950), cols 187-273. Bede, DT Bede, De Temporibus, ed. Charles W. Jones (Cambridge, MA, 1943) Bede, DTR Bede, De Temporum Ratione, The Reckoning of Time. ed and trans Faith Wallis. Liverpool, 1988. Bede, HE Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica, The Ecclesiastical History, Volume I, Books 1-3, ed. and trans J. E. King (Cambridge, MA, 1930) Bede, ONT Bede, On the Nature of Things, ed and trans Faith Wallis (Liverpool, 2010) Bede, OT Bede, On Times, ed. and trans Faith Wallis (Liverpool, 2010) Eadmer, HRE Eadmer of Canterbury, History of Recent Events in England, eds and trans R. W. Southern and Geoffrey Bosanque (London, 1964) Eadmer, HNA Eadmer of Canterbury, Historia Novorum in Anglia, ed. Martin Rule (Cambridge, 2012) H. Hunt., HA Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum, ed. and trans Diana Greenway (Oxford, 1996) Isidore, DNR Isidore of Seville, De Natura Rerum Liber, ed. Gustavus Beckerm (Amsterdam, 1967) Isidore, ONT Isidore of Seville, On the Nature of Things, ed. and trans. Calvin B. Kendall (Liverpool, 2016) O. Vit., HE Orderic Vitalis, Historia Ecclesiastica, The Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis ed. and trans Marjorie Chibnall (5 vols.; Oxford, 1980-1987) PL Patrologia Cursus Completus, Series Latina, ed. J-P Minge (221 vols.; Paris, 1844-64) 6 W. Malm., AG William of Malmesbury, The Early History of Glastonbury: An Edition, Translation and Study of William of Malmesbury’s De Antiquitate Glastonie Ecclesie, ed. and trans John Scott (Woodbridge, 1981) W. Malm., GP William of Malmesbury, Gesta Pontificum Anglorum, eds and trans R. M. Thomson and M. Winterbottom (2 vols.; Oxford, 2007) W. Malm., GR William of Malmesbury, Gesta Regum Anglorum, eds and trans R. M. T. Mynors, R. M. Thomson and M. Winterbottom (Oxford, 1998) W. Malm., HN William of Malmesbury, Historia Novella, ed. and trans Edmund King (Oxford, 1998) W. Malm., VD William of Malmesbury, Vita Dunstani, in William of Malmesbury’s Saints’ Lives, eds and trans R. M. Thomson and M. Winterbottom (Oxford, 2002) W. Malm., VW William of Malmesbury, Vita Wulfstani, in William of Malmesbury’s Saints’ Lives, eds and trans R. M. Thomson and M. Winterbottom (Oxford, 2002) 7 Introduction This thesis seeks to engage with the representation of time in the historical writing of the twelfth-century chronicler William of Malmesbury. Time was an important consideration for writing history. By its very nature, writing about the past engaged with ideas and concepts about time itself: the relationship between the past, the present, and the future; the sequence and passage of time; the relationship of cause and effect between events that had passed. Emerging scholarship has displayed a growing interest in researching the monastic experience of time in the medieval period.1 This thesis forms part of that emerging scholarship and aims to offer deeper insight into conceptions of time in early twelfth-century England. However, no major study has focused on a close textual reading of an early twelfth-century Anglo-Latin chronicle or piece of historical writing with the aim of uncovering and analysing the representations and conceptions of time present in the text. This is most curious as the literature of the twelfth century contains much that would illustrate how time was represented and understood. This research will focus on the Anglo-Norman era of twelfth-century England for two reasons. Firstly, during this period there was a flourishing of Latin historical writing. Not since Bede had any attempt been made to narrate, outside of Annals, the events of the past. Also, this period saw a wide range of historical works being composed, from long chronicles charting the distant political past, to contemporary history, biography and saints’ 1 An example of this is the research network: ‘Monastic Experience of Time’. I am grateful to Charles C. Rozier and Laura Cleaver for my inclusion and also to other members for their stimulating engagement: Sebastian Falk, Sarah Griffin, Katherine Weikert, Megan McNamee and Giles Gasper. 8 lives. Secondly, this period follows one of the most crucial periods in English history: the Norman Conquest. Whilst many scholars have recognised that the Conquest was seen as a turning-point in English history, none have considered the potential effects of this event on conceptions of time or its representation in narrative.2 Therefore, this thesis will address three central research questions: how did William of Malmesbury represent time in his historical writing, what purpose did those representations serve within the text, and finally
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