IMC 2018: Sessions
Session 1339: Manipulating Memory: Chronicles as Reconstructions of the Past
Wednesday 4 July 2018, 16.30-18.00
| Organiser: | Kari North, Department of History, University of Toronto, Downtown |
|---|---|
| Moderator/Chair: | Elise Williams, Faculty of the History & Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge |
| Paper 1339-a | Berengaria: The Forgotten Angevin Queen? (Language: English) Index terms: Gender Studies, Historiography - Medieval |
| Paper 1339-b | Distorting the Past: The Kings of Majorca in the Chronicle of Pere the Ceremonious (Language: English) Index terms: Historiography - Medieval, Military History, Politics and Diplomacy |
| Abstract | Chronicles occupy a distinct space in the practice of medieval history. Part historical, part literary, and part political, these sources provide perspective on how their authors and patrons remembered the past - or how they wanted the past to be remembered. Chronicles could be used to further a dynastic reputation, to manipulate the record of past events in order to justify contemporary events, and to influence opinions about historical figures. The political and often reconstructive nature of chronicles offers an interesting platform for deeper questions about the relationship between the past, the present, and the distortion of memory. By examining chronicles in various geographic locations and temporal periods, this session seeks to understand how chronicles could use memory, and could be used as memory, to further contemporary political agendas. |