Charlemagne, King of Beasts
Paul Edward Dutton
On the cold and freshly cut edge of a new millennium Otto III, that most precocious Ottoman emperors, opened Charlemagne’s tomb, refreshed his Carolingian predecessors body with oil, clothed it in white vestments. Before closing sarcophagus, he wrapped corpse purple cloth decorated elephants.1 knew what we, who have been too influenced by Einhard’s confining categories, forgotten: Charlemagne was also king beasts. He “the lion reigns over all living creatures wild beasts.”2 When encountering hyperbolic praise, as we do Alcuin’s animal boast, should try not to hurry past obvious: here power thought extend both human worlds. Otto’s elephantine winding-sheet said same, if more softly.
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