A tribute from King Otto I of Germany to his late English queen, Edith, has been re-dated following new research by a historian from the University of Exeter.
For over a century, scholars believed the document, which donates a significant estate in Fallersleben to the Church for the “salvation of the soul” of Queen Edith, was written in A.D. 942. However, this posed a historical inconsistency, as Edith—daughter of King Edward the Elder and granddaughter of Alfred the Great—was still alive at that time.
Professor Levi Roach, an expert in medieval Western European history, has re-examined the document and found compelling evidence that it was written in A.D. 950, four years after Queen Edith’s sudden death. His findings were published in the German journal Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
“Dating documents in the Middle Ages presents challenges to historians because they were not yet done according to the Gregorian calendar as is widely used today,” Professor Roach explained. “When I began to examine this piece, I had a ‘Eureka moment’ because within minutes, it was clear that modern scholars had mis-dated it, and it was, in effect, a tribute to the king’s late wife and their surviving son.”
The document, drafted by a high-level notary during Otto’s rule, had long perplexed historians. It bears a purported date of 966, which had led many early scholars to suspect forgery. However, 19th-century Prussian historian Theodor Sickel re-dated it to 942. Professor Roach’s analysis now challenges that conclusion, finding similarities with another document written by the same notary in Magdeburg and dated to 950.
“It is by no means a standard royal document,” said Professor Roach. “The passage on the salvation of souls, with its strong emphasis on caring for the ruler’s first wife and their son Liudolf, is clearly out of the ordinary and was already noticed by 20th-century historians, who thought that it might hint at some form of undocumented crisis or illness, such as Edith suffering a miscarriage.”
Queen Edith married Otto, the son and heir to King Henry the Fowler, in 929/30 as part of an alliance between their Saxon kingdoms. Edith was crowned queen in 936 after Otto succeeded to the throne. The couple had two children before her sudden death in 946. Despite remarrying and the succession line changing, Otto was buried beside Edith in Magdeburg Cathedral when he died.
It me. (And @monumenta.bsky.social.)
news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-h…
[image or embed]
— Levi Roach (@proflroach.bsky.social) November 25, 2024 at 4:20 PM
Professor Roach’s work highlights typographic and punctuation consistencies between the Fallersleben document and another by the same notary, both of which point to 950. “It is almost inconceivable that one notary could have made the exact same mistake eight years apart; and therefore, in all likelihood, he drafted them at the same time – in the year 950,” he said.
“First and foremost, this redating deepens our understanding of this important but difficult to interpret document, which can now be counted among a series issued after 946 for the eternal memory of Edith,” Professor Roach added. “Above all, it provides further insight into the relationship between Otto and Edith. Although they were married for a much shorter period than Otto was with his second wife, it is next to Edith that he would be buried. This was clearly a love that lasted through the ages.”
The article, “Zur Ausstellung und Datierung von D O I. 50 – Magdeburg, 5. Oktober 950?” by Levi Roach, appears in Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters Namens der Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
Top Image: Photo courtesy State Archives of Saxony-Anhalt
A tribute from King Otto I of Germany to his late English queen, Edith, has been re-dated following new research by a historian from the University of Exeter.
For over a century, scholars believed the document, which donates a significant estate in Fallersleben to the Church for the “salvation of the soul” of Queen Edith, was written in A.D. 942. However, this posed a historical inconsistency, as Edith—daughter of King Edward the Elder and granddaughter of Alfred the Great—was still alive at that time.
Professor Levi Roach, an expert in medieval Western European history, has re-examined the document and found compelling evidence that it was written in A.D. 950, four years after Queen Edith’s sudden death. His findings were published in the German journal Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
“Dating documents in the Middle Ages presents challenges to historians because they were not yet done according to the Gregorian calendar as is widely used today,” Professor Roach explained. “When I began to examine this piece, I had a ‘Eureka moment’ because within minutes, it was clear that modern scholars had mis-dated it, and it was, in effect, a tribute to the king’s late wife and their surviving son.”
The document, drafted by a high-level notary during Otto’s rule, had long perplexed historians. It bears a purported date of 966, which had led many early scholars to suspect forgery. However, 19th-century Prussian historian Theodor Sickel re-dated it to 942. Professor Roach’s analysis now challenges that conclusion, finding similarities with another document written by the same notary in Magdeburg and dated to 950.
“It is by no means a standard royal document,” said Professor Roach. “The passage on the salvation of souls, with its strong emphasis on caring for the ruler’s first wife and their son Liudolf, is clearly out of the ordinary and was already noticed by 20th-century historians, who thought that it might hint at some form of undocumented crisis or illness, such as Edith suffering a miscarriage.”
Queen Edith married Otto, the son and heir to King Henry the Fowler, in 929/30 as part of an alliance between their Saxon kingdoms. Edith was crowned queen in 936 after Otto succeeded to the throne. The couple had two children before her sudden death in 946. Despite remarrying and the succession line changing, Otto was buried beside Edith in Magdeburg Cathedral when he died.
Professor Roach’s work highlights typographic and punctuation consistencies between the Fallersleben document and another by the same notary, both of which point to 950. “It is almost inconceivable that one notary could have made the exact same mistake eight years apart; and therefore, in all likelihood, he drafted them at the same time – in the year 950,” he said.
“First and foremost, this redating deepens our understanding of this important but difficult to interpret document, which can now be counted among a series issued after 946 for the eternal memory of Edith,” Professor Roach added. “Above all, it provides further insight into the relationship between Otto and Edith. Although they were married for a much shorter period than Otto was with his second wife, it is next to Edith that he would be buried. This was clearly a love that lasted through the ages.”
The article, “Zur Ausstellung und Datierung von D O I. 50 – Magdeburg, 5. Oktober 950?” by Levi Roach, appears in Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters Namens der Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
Top Image: Photo courtesy State Archives of Saxony-Anhalt
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