Nobility and Family in Medieval France: A Review Essay
Thomas N. Bisson
It is just fifty years since, on the eve of Second World War, two scholars consummate talents set forth ideas about social elites in Middle Ages that have influenced historical discussion ever since. Marc Bloch conceived nobility as a great creation eleventh and twelfth centuries, juristic transformation meritocracies formerly lacking attributes blood patrimonial inheritance. Qui noblesse, wrote Bloch, dit quartiers [heraldic pedigrees]. En l'espece, les n'importaient point, parce qu'il n'y avait pas de noblesse. This maturely challenging opinion differed radically from young Gerd Tellenbach, who argued not only Frankish counts dukes ninth century constituted but also they formed distinctively imperial elite, Reichsaristokratie with possessions connections throughout Carolingian Empire. ' These inherently contradictory views were never debated their merits. They obiter dicta historians engaged other, divergent tasks. Tellenbach was trying to redo political history post-Carolingian Germany; Europe. What might happened if had survived war difficult say. But it curious lesson fates
French Historical Studies