Orderic Vitalis: New Perspectives on the Historian and His World
St John’s College, University of Durham
9-11 April 2013
The life and works of Orderic Vitalis (1075-c.1142) are widely regarded as providing some of the most important evidence for our understanding of the history of the Anglo-Norman world. Orderic is known principally for his extensive thirteen-book Historia ecclesiastica (completed 1141); a text which has long been recognised as a treasure trove of factual information and contemporary opinion. The work has been explored at length by some of the most influential Anglo-Norman and French scholars of the last three centuries, and today no survey of contemporary church, political or social history is complete without consultation of Orderic’s narrative. However, while many have used Orderic as a source for enquiry, the Historia‘s sheer size and scope have ensured that many of its major themes remain largely untouched.
The organising committee of the Durham University Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies conference Orderic Vitalis: New Perspectives on the historian and his world invite abstracts from prospective speakers. This event, funded by the Durham University IMRS, will provide a forum for the dissemination of new research into the life and works of the monastic scholar, Orderic Vitalis. With plans already in place to publish a ‘companion’ volume on Orderic, this conference will aim to re-invigorate existing work and open new lines of research around a figure whose legacy has proven vital to scholars of the Anglo-Norman world.
While the conference welcomes papers on a wide scope of topics, we particularly invite abstracts for papers relating to the following areas:
- The manuscript history of Orderic’s Historia ecclesiastica
- Orderic’s scholarly and scribal career away from the Historia ecclesiastica
- Orderic’s travels, administrative activities, and studies away from Saint-Évroul.
- Orderic’s world view and his networks of knowledge-exchange and transfer.
- The ‘rediscovery’ of the Historia ecclesiastica by early modern audiences, and Orderic’s subsequent influence on the development of Anglo-Norman studies.
Prospective speakers are invited to submit abstracts of between 250-300 words, and should also include their contact details (name, affiliation, e-mail address). The deadline for submissions is 1 September 2012. Limited bursaries towards travel costs will be offered to postgraduate speakers. If you wish to apply for one of these, please indicate this when submitting an abstract.
For further information about the conference or to submit an abstract, please email Charlie Rozier, at: c.c.rozier@durham.ac.uk or Dan Roach at: dr229@exeter.ac.uk, or visit: www.dur.ac.uk/imrs/