Stories of the Death of Kings: Retelling the Demise and Burial of William I, William II and Henry I
Date
2011
Authors
Plumtree, James
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Southern African Society for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (SASMARS)
Abstract
This paper examines the accounts that describe the death and burial of three successive kings: William the Conqueror, William Rufus, and Henry I. The manner in which the monarch died, and the later treatment of his corpse, provided the opportunity for authors to critique the deceased`s reign and present their assessment of his legacy. The conflicting accounts show how authorial biases owing to theological affiliations shaped the expressed view, affecting which details were recorded and which were omitted, and how biblical, historical, and literary allusions were employed to shape historical events into a religious exemplum.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Stories of the Death of Kings: Retelling the Demise and Burial of William I, William II and Henry I,1017-3455,The Southern African Society for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.