William of Poitiers
Encyclopedia
William of Poitiers was a Norman
chronicle
r most famous for his eulogistic account of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror), called the Gesta Guillelmi II ducis Normannorum.
, near Pont-Audemer
to an influential Norman family, Orderic Vitalis
gives a short biography of him in his Historia ecclesiastica. Originally William trained as a soldier, which provided a much greater insight into the details of war than the typical medieval clerical writer. William studied at the renowned school of Saint Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers and was said by Orderic to have returned to Normandy 'more learned than all his friends and neighbours'. William was given positions of great ecclesiastical authority, first becoming chaplain to Duke William and then and archdeacon of Lisieux
. Towards the end of his life, William faded into obscurity and was said to have retired to a religious house in order to concentrate on his prose. Surprisingly for a pro-conqueror text, William's Gesta Guillelmi was an apparent failure in Norman England with no known copied manuscripts produced, this has led to some scholars theorizing that William ended his days in political disgrace Compelling links can be made between William of Poitiers and Duke William's rebellious son Robert, this could explain why Orderic stated that William was unable to finish his history as he was 'prevented by unfavourable circumstances', however this remains speculation.
The Gesta Guillelmi is the earliest extended biography of any Duke of Normandy, and is undoubtedly an invaluable source for the events surrounding the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as well as the battle itself. William of Poiters was extremely well equipped to write the Gesta Guillelmi. His position as chaplain to Duke William meant that he was ‘in the know’ in the Norman Court, and as such had access to many official documents. Moreover, having been trained as a knight in his youth, William of Poitiers had an excellent understanding of military campaigns and as such could report on them with authority.
Today, there are not surviving manuscripts of the ‘History’. André Duchesne published an edition in 1619, and the, now lost, manuscript he used was missing both the beginning and end. The work as it now exists covers the period from 1047 to 1068 - though it starts, mid-sentence (it also finishes mid-sentence), with retrospective material concerning affairs in England after Cnut's death (1035). Orderic Vitalis says that it originally finished in 1071.
The Gesta Guillelmi has emerged as the most valuable source for the Battle of Hastings. William of Poitiers’s account is based on first hand oral evidence, and given his understanding of the practical side of fighting; reports can be interpreted as accurate portrayals.
The 'History' is, effectively, a panegyric to William the Conqueror, but, despite this, it is an extremely important source of material relating to the Norman invasion of England.
R. Allen Brown writes:
"Within the panegyric there is a wealth of facts and details... most derived from personal knowledge and personal contacts, compiled and intelligently put together by a man uniquely qualified as both clerk and knight, closely connected with the court...One may add that William of Poitiers must have known his hero from their joint youth up, and stress that as both former knight and former chaplain of the duke he is able to bring us closer to the heart of Normandy in the mid-eleventh century than any other writer of that age or later."
However, Antonia Gransden in ‘Historical writing in England c.550 to c.1307’ argues that because William of Poitiers as a panegyrist, looking to praise the Conqueror at every opportunity, William of Poitiers ‘suppressed, distorted and probably invented facts...tediously elaborated his hero’s praises.’ She goes on to say that because he as in service to William the Conqueror, William of Poitiers produced a ‘biased, unreliable account of events, and unrealistic portraits of the two principle protagonists.’
Moreover, Orderic Vitalis, who uses the Gesta Guillelmi as his principal source in creating his ‘Ecclesiastical History’, chooses to omit or contradict altogether some of the passages in the Guesta Guillelmi. This is particularly true in William of Poitiers’s praise of King William for his mercy to the conquered English. Having been brought up in England from 1075–1085, Orderic knew of the injustice and suffering caused by the ravaging of William’s armies.
However, William of Poitiers was very well educated and well informed. As such the Gesta Guillelmi cannot be dismissed as a useless source. On the contrary, most of the panegyrical passages are easy to isolate, and there is a lot of material that William of Poitiers had no interest in misrepresenting.
As William of Poitiers primarily details the life of Duke William there are few insights into how Anglo-Saxon society looked and functioned prior 1066. However, on greater inspection some passages allude to certain features of Anglo-Saxon England. For example, William of Poitiers states that a Danish raiding party returned from England with ‘great booty’. Furthermore, Harold is said to have had ‘abundant treasure with which to tempt dukes’. (ii. 4) This shows that Anglo Saxon England was an appealing target to would be invaders, and goes some way in explaining the numerous attacks it suffered throughout the 11th century.
William of Poitiers states that the English ‘all showed love of their country’, demonstrating that by 1066 the Anglo Saxons already had an established national identity that could be exploited by those in positions of power.
Norman Society
William of Poitiers presents a detailed picture of Norman France prior to 1066, as the first part of the history narrates the various rebellions William faced in his early reign. The Gesta Guillemi indicates how fractured Normandy was as a kingdom, with local lords constantly attempting to expand their power. Moreover, this highlights the difference between the Norman and Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, with England remaining a remarkably coherent political unit (whilst there were rebellious northern earls they didn’t engage in open civil war) in comparison with the continental realms.
The domestic turbulence that Duke William was forced to confront enabled him to more effectively deal with his nobility, for example despite revolting against Duke William, the Gesta Guillemi states that Guy of Burgundy was allowed to remain in his court. This shows that Duke William was more in favour of co-operation to consolidate his rule and the experience of dealing with threats to his authority meant that he was able to handle and undermine Anglo-Saxon resistance.
William of Poitiers shows that castles were an important part of Norman society, and gives the impression that they could be a double edged sword. An effective King could use them as a strategic royal power base that could stamp authority on the fringes of a kingdom; however they could also be used as a rallying point for resistance by ambitious nobles, and William of Poitiers tells us that Duke William was forced to siege many fortifications in the early years of his reign. This leads to the conclusion that Norman France was more feudalistic than Anglo-Saxon England, and after the conquest Britain was less unique in its appearance compared with the rest of Western Europe.
Medieval Literary Tradition
As a eulogising text, William of Poitiers’s history seeks to praise William on almost every page by constantly highlighting William’s admirable qualities, for example William of Poitiers said the Duke ‘excelled in intelligence, assiduity, and strength'. For William of Poitiers it was of upmost importance for William to embody the perfect ideals of knighthood and this is best illustrated by the fabulous but improbable stories that are scattered through his history, for example he states that William, with 50 of his knights, fought and bested and force of 1000. This represents a clear exaggeration which shows how the concept of the knight had permeated into 11th century medieval culture.
Also evident in the Gesta Guillelmi is the importance of the Roman and Greco tradition to the medieval literary apparatus. William of Poitiers constantly relates Duke William’s exploits to those of the Greek and Roman world, for example there is a lengthy comparison between William and Caesar’s conquest of Britain.. Not only was this done to flatter Duke William but also to show off William of Poitiers own literary knowledge and indicates that a classical education was a fundamental part of medieval education.
The Battle of Hastings
The Gesta Guillelmi provides the traditional narrative of the battle Hastings. William of Poitiers gives detailed descriptions of the composition of both the Norman and Anglo Saxon armies. Furthermore, he describes the 'feigned flight' manoeuvre which has become embedded in the popular consciousness. The outcome of Hastings, as presented by William, was by no means inevitable and he makes it clear that the battle was one of the key turning points in English history.
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Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
r most famous for his eulogistic account of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror), called the Gesta Guillelmi II ducis Normannorum.
Life
He was born in Les PréauxLes Préaux
Les Préaux is a commune in the Eure department and Haute-Normandie region of France.-Population:-References:*...
, near Pont-Audemer
Pont-Audemer
Pont-Audemer is a commune in the Eure department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Population:-Sights:The commune was spared substantial damage to its historic buildings during the Battle of Normandy. Nowadays the half-timbered buildings and the canals running between them are a...
to an influential Norman family, Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis was an English chronicler of Norman ancestry who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. The modern biographer of Henry I of England, C...
gives a short biography of him in his Historia ecclesiastica. Originally William trained as a soldier, which provided a much greater insight into the details of war than the typical medieval clerical writer. William studied at the renowned school of Saint Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers and was said by Orderic to have returned to Normandy 'more learned than all his friends and neighbours'. William was given positions of great ecclesiastical authority, first becoming chaplain to Duke William and then and archdeacon of Lisieux
Lisieux
Lisieux is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland...
. Towards the end of his life, William faded into obscurity and was said to have retired to a religious house in order to concentrate on his prose. Surprisingly for a pro-conqueror text, William's Gesta Guillelmi was an apparent failure in Norman England with no known copied manuscripts produced, this has led to some scholars theorizing that William ended his days in political disgrace Compelling links can be made between William of Poitiers and Duke William's rebellious son Robert, this could explain why Orderic stated that William was unable to finish his history as he was 'prevented by unfavourable circumstances', however this remains speculation.
Gesta Guillelmi
William of Poitiers planned the Gesta Guillelmi after 1066 to show how King William prepared for, and achieved the Conquest of England; and to justify his succession to the English throne. Although he may have begun writing at any time after the conquest had taken place, evidence suggests that the bulk of the writing took place after 1071, and was concluded around 1077.The Gesta Guillelmi is the earliest extended biography of any Duke of Normandy, and is undoubtedly an invaluable source for the events surrounding the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as well as the battle itself. William of Poiters was extremely well equipped to write the Gesta Guillelmi. His position as chaplain to Duke William meant that he was ‘in the know’ in the Norman Court, and as such had access to many official documents. Moreover, having been trained as a knight in his youth, William of Poitiers had an excellent understanding of military campaigns and as such could report on them with authority.
Today, there are not surviving manuscripts of the ‘History’. André Duchesne published an edition in 1619, and the, now lost, manuscript he used was missing both the beginning and end. The work as it now exists covers the period from 1047 to 1068 - though it starts, mid-sentence (it also finishes mid-sentence), with retrospective material concerning affairs in England after Cnut's death (1035). Orderic Vitalis says that it originally finished in 1071.
The Gesta Guillelmi has emerged as the most valuable source for the Battle of Hastings. William of Poitiers’s account is based on first hand oral evidence, and given his understanding of the practical side of fighting; reports can be interpreted as accurate portrayals.
The 'History' is, effectively, a panegyric to William the Conqueror, but, despite this, it is an extremely important source of material relating to the Norman invasion of England.
R. Allen Brown writes:
"Within the panegyric there is a wealth of facts and details... most derived from personal knowledge and personal contacts, compiled and intelligently put together by a man uniquely qualified as both clerk and knight, closely connected with the court...One may add that William of Poitiers must have known his hero from their joint youth up, and stress that as both former knight and former chaplain of the duke he is able to bring us closer to the heart of Normandy in the mid-eleventh century than any other writer of that age or later."
Critiques of the Gesta Guillelmi
William of Poitiers undoubtedly had considerable ability as an historian. He grasped, and mentions in the Gesta Guillelmi that the duty of a historian is to remain within the ‘bounds of the truth.’However, Antonia Gransden in ‘Historical writing in England c.550 to c.1307’ argues that because William of Poitiers as a panegyrist, looking to praise the Conqueror at every opportunity, William of Poitiers ‘suppressed, distorted and probably invented facts...tediously elaborated his hero’s praises.’ She goes on to say that because he as in service to William the Conqueror, William of Poitiers produced a ‘biased, unreliable account of events, and unrealistic portraits of the two principle protagonists.’
Moreover, Orderic Vitalis, who uses the Gesta Guillelmi as his principal source in creating his ‘Ecclesiastical History’, chooses to omit or contradict altogether some of the passages in the Guesta Guillelmi. This is particularly true in William of Poitiers’s praise of King William for his mercy to the conquered English. Having been brought up in England from 1075–1085, Orderic knew of the injustice and suffering caused by the ravaging of William’s armies.
However, William of Poitiers was very well educated and well informed. As such the Gesta Guillelmi cannot be dismissed as a useless source. On the contrary, most of the panegyrical passages are easy to isolate, and there is a lot of material that William of Poitiers had no interest in misrepresenting.
What it tells us
Anglo/Saxon SocietyAs William of Poitiers primarily details the life of Duke William there are few insights into how Anglo-Saxon society looked and functioned prior 1066. However, on greater inspection some passages allude to certain features of Anglo-Saxon England. For example, William of Poitiers states that a Danish raiding party returned from England with ‘great booty’. Furthermore, Harold is said to have had ‘abundant treasure with which to tempt dukes’. (ii. 4) This shows that Anglo Saxon England was an appealing target to would be invaders, and goes some way in explaining the numerous attacks it suffered throughout the 11th century.
William of Poitiers states that the English ‘all showed love of their country’, demonstrating that by 1066 the Anglo Saxons already had an established national identity that could be exploited by those in positions of power.
Norman Society
William of Poitiers presents a detailed picture of Norman France prior to 1066, as the first part of the history narrates the various rebellions William faced in his early reign. The Gesta Guillemi indicates how fractured Normandy was as a kingdom, with local lords constantly attempting to expand their power. Moreover, this highlights the difference between the Norman and Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, with England remaining a remarkably coherent political unit (whilst there were rebellious northern earls they didn’t engage in open civil war) in comparison with the continental realms.
The domestic turbulence that Duke William was forced to confront enabled him to more effectively deal with his nobility, for example despite revolting against Duke William, the Gesta Guillemi states that Guy of Burgundy was allowed to remain in his court. This shows that Duke William was more in favour of co-operation to consolidate his rule and the experience of dealing with threats to his authority meant that he was able to handle and undermine Anglo-Saxon resistance.
William of Poitiers shows that castles were an important part of Norman society, and gives the impression that they could be a double edged sword. An effective King could use them as a strategic royal power base that could stamp authority on the fringes of a kingdom; however they could also be used as a rallying point for resistance by ambitious nobles, and William of Poitiers tells us that Duke William was forced to siege many fortifications in the early years of his reign. This leads to the conclusion that Norman France was more feudalistic than Anglo-Saxon England, and after the conquest Britain was less unique in its appearance compared with the rest of Western Europe.
Medieval Literary Tradition
As a eulogising text, William of Poitiers’s history seeks to praise William on almost every page by constantly highlighting William’s admirable qualities, for example William of Poitiers said the Duke ‘excelled in intelligence, assiduity, and strength'. For William of Poitiers it was of upmost importance for William to embody the perfect ideals of knighthood and this is best illustrated by the fabulous but improbable stories that are scattered through his history, for example he states that William, with 50 of his knights, fought and bested and force of 1000. This represents a clear exaggeration which shows how the concept of the knight had permeated into 11th century medieval culture.
Also evident in the Gesta Guillelmi is the importance of the Roman and Greco tradition to the medieval literary apparatus. William of Poitiers constantly relates Duke William’s exploits to those of the Greek and Roman world, for example there is a lengthy comparison between William and Caesar’s conquest of Britain.. Not only was this done to flatter Duke William but also to show off William of Poitiers own literary knowledge and indicates that a classical education was a fundamental part of medieval education.
The Battle of Hastings
The Gesta Guillelmi provides the traditional narrative of the battle Hastings. William of Poitiers gives detailed descriptions of the composition of both the Norman and Anglo Saxon armies. Furthermore, he describes the 'feigned flight' manoeuvre which has become embedded in the popular consciousness. The outcome of Hastings, as presented by William, was by no means inevitable and he makes it clear that the battle was one of the key turning points in English history.
Primary sources
- William of Poitiers, Gesta Guillelmi, ed. and tr. Modern edition, with English translation and commentary. Earlier editions include:
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}
}
- Orderic Vitalis, Historia ecclesiastica, ed. and tr.