Rethinking the Carolingian Reforms

The Carolingian period (c. 750-900) has traditionally been described as one of 'reform' or 'renaissance', where cultural and intellectual changes were imposed from above in a programme of correctio. This view leans heavily on prescriptive texts issued by kings and their entourages, foregrounding royal initiative and the cultural products of a small intellectual elite. However, attention to understudied texts and manuscripts of the period reveals a vibrant striving for moral improvement and positive change at all levels of society. This expressed itself in a variety of ways for different individuals and communities, whose personal relationships could be just as influential as top-down prescription. The often anonymous creators and copyists in a huge range of centres emerge as active participants in shaping and re-shaping the ideals of their world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1526149559
• ISBN13: 9781526149558
• Release Date: April 2023
• Publisher: Manchester University Press
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 1.07 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"