Rethinking the Carolingian Reforms

This book sets out to challenge current interpretations of Carolingian culture, and especially its perceived correctio (correction), reform or renaissance. When we consider authors who operated outside the direct sphere of influence of the court, a much more dynamic image of Carolingian culture comes into view. -- .

---

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. -- .