We are delighted to share the news of Dr Robert Gallagher and Dr Edward Roberts’ new book, The Languages of Early Medieval Charters.
The Languages of Early Medieval Charters, co-edited with Professor Francesca Tinti (University of the Basque Country), is the first major study of the interplay between Latin and Germanic vernaculars in early medieval records. Building on previous work on the uses of the written word in the early Middle Ages, which has dispelled the myth that this was an age of ‘orality’, the contributions in this volume bring to the fore the crucial question of language choice in the documentary cultures of early medieval societies.
Dr Robert Gallagher is a historian of early medieval Britain, particularly Anglo-Saxon England. Much of his current research focuses on uses of the written word, multilingualism, and cultural and political identities in early medieval societies.
Dr Edward Roberts’ primary research is in political, social and cultural change in Western Europe between c.850 and c.1050. His first book, Flodoard of Rheims and the Writing of History in the Tenth Century, was published with Cambridge University Press in 2019.
They are both active members of the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, a multidisciplinary group of researchers focussed on the study of Medieval life, both the everyday and the extraordinary.
Dr Gallagher and Dr Roberts share their thoughts on the publication of their new book, “This book is the product of an interdisciplinary research project we’ve been involved in over the last few years on the role of language in early medieval documents. It brings together exciting new research by scholars from a variety of different backgrounds working on such topics as literacy, historical linguistics, administrative practices, legal cultures and more. We’re delighted that this research can now see the light of day.”