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Basic Research Tools for Medieval History


Posted by Karen L Green <[email protected]> on the Mediev-l Internet maillist.

Introduction

Here it is - the syllabus bibliography from my first-year research seminar, courtesy of Dr. Michael Stoller.

When this list was given to us it had no publication information. I thought of going through our card catalogue and giving the data for the editions I used, but I quickly abandoned that option for the infinitely lazier and more comfy alternative of looking them up in RLIN. Please keep in mind that some of these works come in many editions and that what is listed is not necessarily the only option.

This is not, of course, a definitive list. It was meant to introduce us to different genres of resource material, and the entries represent examples of those genres. The existence of the more obvious lacunae of hagiographical and canon law materials is due to the nature of Columbia's first-year seminars.


PRINTED GUIDES TO MEDIEVAL STUDIES

Two extremely helpful books that can give much more information are:

Powell, James M.. Medieval Studies, 2nd edition. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1992.

Caenegem, R.C. van. Guide to the Sources of Medieval History,. Amsterdam, New York: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978.

 

BASIC TOOLS

Dekkers, E. Clavis patrum latinorum, . Steenbrugis: in abbatia Sancti Petri, 1961; and Geerard, Maurice. Clavis patrum graecorum, . Turnhout: Brepols, 1974- . Indexes of patristic authors, keyed to Migne's Patrology.

Gams, P.B. Series episcoporum Ecclesia Catholica, . Ratisbonae: G.S. Manz, 1873.

Eubel, C. Hierarchia catholica medii aevi. Monasterii, sumptibus et typis Librariae Regensbergianae, 1913-1935. The Gams for the late middle ages; post-1198.

Jaffe, Ph. Regesta pontificum Romanorum, . Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlaganstalt, 1956. Register of papal letters from Peter to Alexander III.

Potthast, A. Bibliotheca historica medii aevi: Wegweiser durch die Geschichtswerke des europaischen Mittelalters bis 1500, . Berlin: W.Weber, 1896. An index to medieval writers, alphabetized by author. Lists mss., editions and translations.

Repertorium fontium historiae medii aevi, . Romae: Instituto storico Italiano, 1978 - . An updating of Potthast (above). Far more detailed, but still incomplete - only goes to K.

Sawicki, J. Bibliographia synodorum particularium, . Monumenta iuris canonici. Series C, subsidia; vol. 2. E Civitate Vaticana: S. Congregatio de Seminariis et Studiorum Universitatibus, 1967

 

DIPLOMATICS & PALEOGRAPHY

Cappelli, A. Cronologia, cronografia e calendario perpetuo...., .Milano: Hoepli, 1930.

Cappelli, A. Lexicon abbreviaturarum...., . Milano: Hoepli, 1973.

Chevalier, C.U. Repertoire des sources historiques du moyen age.Bibliographie, . Paris: Societe bibliographique, 1877-1903.

Cottineau, L.H. & G. Poras. Repertoire topo-bibliographique des abbayes et prieures, . Macon: Protat Freres, 1935-1970.

Erben, W., L. Schmitz-Kallenberg & O. Redlich, Urkundenlehre, . Munchen: R. Oldenbourg, 1907-1911. Vol. 1 is a general introduction and vol. 3 treats private documents. Vol. 2 never appeared.

Giry, A. Manuel de diplomatique, . Paris: Hachette, 1894.

Graesse, J.G., F. Benedict, H. Plechl. Orbis latinus: Lexicon lateinischer geographischer Namen, . Braunschweig: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1971. A dictionary of Latin place names and their vernacular equivalents. Try to find the 3-volume set, not the single volume abridgement.

Molinier, A. Les sources de l'histoire de France. Des origines aux guerres d'Italie, . Paris: A. Picard, 1901-1906.

Fawtier, R. Les sources de l'histoire de France des origines a fin a la fin du XVe siecle, . Paris: Editions A. et J. Picard, 1971- .

Manitius, M. Geschichte der lateinischen Literatur des Mittelalters, .Munchen: Beck, 1911-1913.

Wattenbach, W. Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen im Mittelalter, . Weimar: H. Bohlaus Nachfolger, 1952-1973. This bibliography has been redone in parts by W. Levison (Vorzeit u. Karolinger, ), R. Holtzmann (Deutsche Kaiserzeit, , Die Zeit der Sachsen u. Salier , Das Zeitalter des ottonischen Staates, , Das Zeitalters des Investiturs).

 

GREAT NATIONAL AND OTHER SOURCE COLLECTIONS

(Background: See David Knowles, Great Historical Enterprises, and/or R.C. Van Caenagem, Guide to the Sources of Medieval History, .)

Migne, J.P. Patrologiae cursus completus...., Series Latina & Series Graeca.

Monumenta Germaniae Historica Subseries: Scriptores, Leges, Diplomata, Antiquitates, Deutsches Mittelalter & Quellen zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters, Scriptores in usu scholarum, Schriften, as well as the MGH journals: Deutsches Archiv, Archiv and Neues Archiv. (If you're as lucky as we are, all the MGH elements will be in one place so that you can appreciate its enormity.)

Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores, (Rolls Series) - The British contribution to the PL/MGH appraoach to source gathering, controlled by the head of the Public Rolls Office. For those working in English history, see also the collections developed by the Camden Society, the Royal Historical Society and the Pipe Roll Society, among others.

Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France, . M. Bouquet, ed., vols 1- 13. Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, vols. 14-24. Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Receuil des historiens de la France, . Subseries: Documents financiers, Obituaires, Pouilles. Also see: Chartes et diplomes relatifs a l'histoire de France, .

Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Receuil des historiens des croisades, . Subseries: Lois, Historiens occidentaux, Historiens grecs, Historiens orientaux, Documents armeniens.

Gallia christiana, . Begun by the Assemblee du Clerge, continued by the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. A unique collection of sources on the French church.

Comite des Travaux historiques et scientifiques. Collection de documents inedits sur l'histoire de France, .

Muratori, L. A. Rerum italicorum scriptores, . An updating of Muratori, in progress, is being produced by G. Carducci & V. Fiorini. Istituto storico italiano. Fonti per la storia d'Italia, .

For information on how to navigate the chronicles in many of the above- mentioned sources, see M. McCormick, Les annales du haut moyen age, (=Typologie des sources du Moyen Age occidental, fasc. 14).

 

LETTERS AND LETTER COLLECTIONS

MGH, Epistolae selecta; Libelli de lite; Deutches Mittelalter 1.

Jaffe, Ph. Codex Udalrici, . Bibliotheca rerum germanicarum 5. Berlin: 1864-1873; Aalen: Scientia Verlag, 1964.

Rolls Series 67(5) to 67(7) - Materials for the history of Thomas Becket.,

 

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGISLATIVE RECORDS

MGH Leges.

Laur, P. & C. Samaran. Les originaux des Merovingiens, .

Van de Kieft, C. & J.F. Niermeijer. Elenchus fontium historiae urbanae, . Leiden: E.J.Brill, 1967 - .

Picot, G. Documents relatifs aux etats generaux et assemblies reunis sous Philippe le Bel, . Paris: Imprimerie nationale, 1901.

Deutsche Reichstagakten, . Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1867 - .

Beugnot, A.A. Les olim ou registres des arrets rendus par la Cour du Roi, . Paris: Imprimerie royale, 1839-1848.

Duvernoy, J. Le Registre d'Inquisition de Jacques Fournier, eveque de Pamiers (1318-1325), .

 

AGRARIAN RECORDS

Guerard, B. Polyptique de l'abbe Irminon ou denombrement des manses, des serfs et des revenus de l'abbaye de Saint-Germaine-des-Pres sous le regne de Charlemagne, .

Lognon, A. Polyptique de l'abbaye de Saint-Germaine-des-Pres, redige au temps de l'abbe Irminon, . Geneve: Megariotis Reprints, 1978.

Also see: E.A. Kosminsky, "The Hundred Rolls of 1279-80 as a source for English agrarian history" in Economic History Review 3, .

 

FISCAL RECORDS

Morris, John, ed. & trans. Domesday Book, . 38 vols. Chichester: Phillimore, 1975 - .

Fabre, P. & L. Duchesne. Liber censuum romanae ecclesiae, .

 

LISTS OF PERSONS

MGH Necrologiae Germaniae, .

Piper, P. Liber Confraternitatum Sancti Galli, Augiensis, Fabariensis, .

Recueil des historiens de la France, Series Obituaires, .

Liber feodorum. The Book of Fees commonly called Testa de Nevill, .Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus Reprint, 1971.

The Rolls of the Freemen of the Borough of Lancaster, . Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 1935-1938.

 

RECORDS OF ACCOUNTS

Rationes decimarum Italiae nei secoli XIII e XIV, (= Studi e testi 58, 60, 69, 84, 96-98, 112-113, 128, 148, 161-162).

The Publications of the Pipe Roll Society, .

Labarge, M.W. A Baronial Household of the Thirteenth Century, . London: Harvester Press, 1980.

Farr, M.W. Accounts and Surveys of the Wiltshire Lands of Adam de Stratton, (=Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Records Branch 15; Devizes: 1959)

Recueil des historiens de la France, Documents financiers, .

 

MANUSCRIPT AND ARCHIVAL RESOURCES

Kristeller, Paul O. Latin Manuscripts Books before 1600: A List of the Printed Catalogues and Unpublished Inventories of Extant Collections, . Munchen: MGH, 1993.

Mazzatinti, G., et al. Inventari dei manoscritti delle biblioteche d'Italia, . Firenze: L.S.Olschki, 1890- .

Catalogue general des manuscrits des bibliotheques publiques des departements, .

List of Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Museum...., . London: Trustees of the Museum.

Codices Vaticani Latini, . Romae: typis polyglottis Vaticanis, 1902 - .



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