Tracking Einhard's ‘Life of Charlemagne’ Einharts Vita Karoli. Studien zur Entstehung, Überlieferung und Rezeption . 2 vols. By Matthias M. Tischler. (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Schriften, 48.) Pp. lxx+896+8 plates; vii+898–1828. Hanover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 2001. €140. 3 7752 5448 X; 0080 6951
Janet L. Nelson
‘Habent sua fata libelli’. Had Einhard been able to contemplate the fate of his own libellus 41 pages (in standard modern edition) as revealed in Matthias Tischler's 1,828-page two-volume liber, gamut responses from angst wonderment would surely have included gratitude. In all voluminous historiography on Vita Karoli, no one has paid compliment taking little book seriously Tischler bringing this Heidelberg doctoral thesis 1998, now expanded form, a wider audience. The subtitle indicates three dimensions vast enquiry: immediate context VK's original writing, responded creatively an urgent political situation; evolving life (if books fates, says they also lives) through preservation and transmission extraordinary number manuscripts; afterlife its variegated reception across eight centuries by scribes, scholars patrons. taken cue literary historian Paul Aebischer: ‘la Karoli est un immense continent’. Tischler, improbable continent – vaster than ever realised before with larger prospects cultural riches found hinterland explorer topographer.
The Journal of Ecclesiastical History