Medieval History

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Internet Medieval Sourcebook

Selected Sources: Early Germanic States

Contents

• Romanized (Christian) Goths
  • Ostrogoths
  • Visgoths
  • Lombards
• Non-Christian Germans
  • Franks
  • Anglo-Saxons
• Germanic Culture

• WEB  Project Wulfila, The Gothic Bible online. [At wulfila.be]
• Auxentius on Wulfila: Translation, [At Upenn], Also available in Latin.
• [Geary 6] Jordanes: History of the Goths, full text [At Calgary]
• Ostrogoths
  • [Tierney 10] Theodoric (r.493-526): Selected Letters.
  • Jordanes: Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths
• Visigoths
  • Law of The Visigoths: Succession to Inheritance, c. 475
  • Sidonius Apollinaris: Theodoric of the Visigoths, c. 460 
  • Professions of Faith Extracted from Jews on Baptism, Visigothic and Byzantine
  • Fourth Council of Toledo: Division of the Tithe in Spain, 633
  • The Jews of Spain and the Visigothic Code, 654-681  
  • The Visigothic Code (Forum iudicum) ed. and trans. by S.P. Scott (Print edition: Boston Book Company, 1910)  [At Libro]
• Lombards
  • The Lombard Law of Rothari: Succession of Legitimate and Natural Sons, c. 643

• Franks
  • The Ripuarian Law: Inheritance of Allodial Land, c. 450
  • [Geary 8] Tomb of Childeric, modern archeological report, copyrighted
  • [Tierney 11, Geary 11] Gregory of Tours (539-594): On Clovis and the Vase at Soissons, from History of the Franks, Book II. These are different selections than in Tierney. Geary has much longer selection from Books II and IX, from a copyrighted translation, but see next item. See also Catholic Encyclopedia: The Franks
  • The Conversion of Clovis: Two Accounts, 496
    by The Chronicle of St. Denis, and Gregory of Tours.
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): The Conversion of Clovis, from History of the Franks, Book II..
  • Fifth Council of Orleans: Concerning Freedmen, 549
  • Gregory of Tours: Enslaving Noble Families, 511
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Church Exemption from Taxation, c. 570
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Exemption of Tours from Poll Tax, c. 585
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Exemption of the Church in Clermont from Royal Taxes, c. 590
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): History of the Franks, 6th century.
    Complete text of Earnest Brehaut's 1916 abridged translation.
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Harsh Treatment of Serfs and Slaves, c. 575
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Opposition to Royal Taxation, c. 575-580
  • [Geary 10] Remigius of Reims and Avitus: Letters to Clovis, copyrighted
  • Gregory of Tours (539-594): Life of St. Gall, from Lives of the Fathers, (539-594).
  • [Tierney 14, Geary 9] Law of the Salian Franks
  • Dado of Rouen: The Life of Eligius , 588-660 CE, trans, Jo Ann McNamara.
  • St. Eligius: Redemption of Slaves, c. 630
  • Tolls on the Rhône, c. 630
  • Dagobert, King of the Franks: Grant of an Estate to Monks of St. Denis, 635
• Anglo-Saxons
  • Gildas (c.504-570): The Ruin of Britain, c. 540.
  • Gildas (c.504-570): Works, full text
  • Nennius: History of the Britons, 8th cent. on King Arthur.
  • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Translation: J. Ingram, OMACL Text 17.

• [Tierney 15] Formulas Concerning Ordeals.
• Ordeal of Boiling Water, 12th or 13th Century.
• The Story of Burnt Njal ("Njal's Saga"), OMACL full text. See Medieval Sourcebook: Full Texts Page for more sagas.