Cover not available
Part of
Latin Literatures of Medieval and Early Modern Times in Europe and Beyond: A millennium heritage
Edited by Francesco Stella
[Comparative History of Literatures in European Languages XXXIV] 2024
► pp. 523–539

Chapter 32
Between history and fiction

| Universität Wien
This piece explores some of the devices used by Medieval historiographers to assure their audience of the veracity of the contents of their narratives. It outlines central Medieval concepts of truth, lies, and fiction, the marvelous and the wondrous, and the standards for historicity and for credibility. The article highlights the pains the authors took to ensure that the readers placed their belief in what was told to them. This leads to a final question. Could the same strategies that were employed to establish a contract of veridiction be employed to establish a much more limited form of narrative truth, the suspension of disbelief? As is shown, these strategies are found in some truly incredible texts.
Keywords: fiction, history, modes of reading, authenticating devices
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • The rhetorical triad and the level of content
  • Medieval realism
  • Authenticating devices
  • Signs of fictionality (?)
  • Conclusion
  • Further reading
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 2 July 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/chlel.xxxiv.32wes
References (46)
References
Agapitos, Panagiotis, and Lars Boje Mortensen (eds). 2012. Medieval Narratives Between History and Fiction: From the Centre to the Periphery of Europe, C. 1100 – 1400. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press.Google Scholar
Ashe, Laura. 2015. Early Fiction in England: From Geoffrey of Monmouth to Chaucer. London: Penguin Books.Google Scholar
Banks, S. E., and J. W. Binns. 2002. Otia Imperialia : Recreation for an Emperor. Oxford: Clarendon Press.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Baumgartner, Emmanuèle (ed). 1997. Entre fiction et histoire : Troie et Rome au Moyen Âge. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne Nouvelle.Google Scholar
Béranger, Jean. 1948. “Le Refus Du Pouvoir: Recherches Sur L’aspect Idéologique Du Principat.” Museum Helveticum 5: 178–96.Google Scholar
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. 1834. Biographia Literaria: Or Biographical Sketches of My Literary Life and Opinions. New York: Leavit, Lord and Co.Google Scholar
Dombart, Bernhard, and Alfons Kalb (eds). 1993. Sancti Aurelii Augustini episcopi de civitate dei. 5th edition. Stuttgart: Teubner.Google Scholar
Feddern, Stefan. 2018. Der Antike Fiktionalitätsdiskurs. Göttinger Forum für Altertumswissenschaft 8. Berlin: De Gruyter.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Flint, Valerie I. J. 2012. “The Historia Regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth: Parody and Its Purpose. A Suggestion.” Speculum 54: 447–468.Google Scholar
Fraipont, Joseph (ed). 1958. Sancti Aurelii Augustini Quaestionum in Heptateuchum libri VII, Locutionum in Heptateuchum libri VII, de Octo Quaestionibus ex Vetere Testamento. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar
Genette, Gérard. 1991. Fiction et diction. Collection poétique. Paris: Éd. du Seuil.Google Scholar
Green, D. H. 2002. The Beginnings of Medieval Romance : Fact and Fiction, 1150–1220. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Greenway, Diana (ed). 1996. Henry, Archdeacon of Huntingdon: Historia Anglorum. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Greimas, Algirdas Julien. 1966. Sémantique structurale : Recherche de méthode. Langue et langage. Paris: Larousse.Google Scholar
Haug, Walter. 1985. Literaturtheorie im Deutschen Mittelalter: von den Anfängen bis zum Ende des 13. Jahrhunderts: Eine Einführung. Germanistische Einführungen. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft.Google Scholar
Hilka, Alfons (ed). 1913. Historia septem sapientium II. Johannis de Alta Silva Dolopathos. Heidelberg: Winter.Google Scholar
Holder-Egger, Oswald. 1911. Einhardi Vita Karoli Magni. MGH SS rer. Germ. vol 25. Hannover/Leipzig: Hahn.Google Scholar
Hofmeister, Adolf (ed). 1912. Ottonis Episcopi Frisingensis Chronica sive Historia de duabus Civitatibus. MGH SS. rer. Germ. vol. 45. Hannover/Leipzig: Hahn.Google Scholar
Krusch, Bruno (ed). 1885. Gregorii Episcopi Turonensis Miracula et Opera Minora. MGH SS rer. Merov. vol 1.2. Hannover: Hahn.Google Scholar
Knapp, Fritz Peter. 2005. Historie und Fiktion in der mittelalterlichen Gattungspoetik: Zehn neue Studien und ein Vorwort. Heidelberg: Winter.Google Scholar
Lapidge, Michael (ed). 2005. Bède le Vénérable: Histoire ecclésiastique du peuple Anglais. Paris: Cerf.Google Scholar
Le Goff, Jacques. 1985. L’ imaginaire médiéval: Essais. Bibliothèque des histoires. Paris: Gallimard.Google Scholar
Liebermann, Felix and Reinhold Paul. 1885. Ex Rerum Anglicarum Scriptoribus Saeculi XII–XIII. MGH SS (in Folio) vol. 27. Hannover: Hahn.Google Scholar
Lifshitz, Felice. 1994. “Beyond Positivism and Genre: ‘Hagiographical’ Texts as Historical Narrative.” Viator 25: 95–114.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, Wallace Martin (ed). 1911. Isidori Hispalensis episcopi Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX. London/New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Loo, Tom van de (ed). 2006. Conradi de Mure Fabularius. Turnhout: Brepols.Google Scholar
Lutz, Cora E. (ed). 1962–1965. Remigii Autissiodorensis Commentum in Martianum Capellam. 2 vols. Leiden: Brill.Google Scholar
Marx, Friedrich (ed). 1923. Incerti auctoris de ratione dicendi ad C. Herennium libri IV. Stuttgart: Teubner.Google Scholar
Migne, Jean-Paul (ed). 1852. Hincmari Rhemensis Episcopi Opera Omnia. Paris: Migne.Google Scholar
Meister, Ferdinand (ed). 1873. Dares Phrygius. Leipzig: Teubner.
Mommsen, Theodor (ed). 1882. Iordanis Romana et Getica. MGH Auct. ant. vol. 5.1. Berlin: Weidmann.Google Scholar
Mutzenbecher, Almut (ed.). Augustinus, De diversis quaestionibus LXXXIII, Turnhout: Brepols 1975.Google Scholar
Orlemanski, Julie. 2019. “Who Has Fiction? Modernity, Fictionality, and the Middle Ages.” New literary history 50.2: 145–170.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pertz, Georg Heinrich. 1864. Scriptores. MGH SS (in Folio) vol. 6. Hannover: Hahn.Google Scholar
Praet, Stijn. 2018. “A Monk’s Tale : A Monk’s Tale : Framing the Fictional in John of Alta Silva’s ‘Dolopathos.” Narratologie und mittelalterliches Erzählen = Narratology and Medieval Narration: Author, Narrator, Perspective, Time and Space, ed. Eva von Contzen and Florian Kragl, 81–99. Berlin: De Gruyter.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rady, Martyn, János M. Bak and László Veszprémy (ed). 2010. Anonymus and Master Roger. Budapest/New York: CEU Press.Google Scholar
Rand, Edward Kennard. 1928. Founders of the Middle Ages. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Radermacher, Ludwig (ed). 1959. M. Fabii Quintiliani Institutionis oratoriae libri XII. Pars 2 libros VII–XII continens. Stuttgart: Teubner.Google Scholar
Raderbacher, Ludwig (ed). 1971. M. Fabii Quintiliani Institutionis oratoriae libri XII. Pars 1 libros I–VI continens. Stuttgart: Teubner.Google Scholar
Schröder, Werner (ed). 1978. Wolfram von Eschenbach: Willehalm. Berlin/New York: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Strecker, Karl (ed). 1935. Ecbasis Cuiusdam Captivi per Tropologiam. MGH SS. rer. Germ. vol 24. Hannover: Hahn.Google Scholar
(ed). 1937. Die lateinischen Dichter des deutschen Mittelalters. Die Ottonenzeit. MGH Poetae vol. 5.1–2. Leipzig: Hiersemann.Google Scholar
Ströbel, Eduard (ed). 1915. Marci Tulli Ciceronis Rhetorici Libri Duo qui vocantur de Inventione. Stuttgart: Teubner.Google Scholar
Weinrich, Harald. 1966. Linguistik der Lüge: Kann Sprache die Gedanken verbergen? Heidelberg: Schneider.Google Scholar
Willis, James (ed). 1983. Martianus Capella: De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii. Leipzig: Teubner.Google Scholar
Zipfel, Frank. 2014. “Fiktionssignale.” In Fiktionalität, edited by Tobias Klauk and Tilmann Köppe, 97–124. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.DOI logoGoogle Scholar