Chapter 4 - Europe, Christianity, or Something Completely Different? Impressions from the Central Middle Ages

Summary

While it is not surprising that the notion of Europe became part of the vocabulary of medieval authors—after all, it was a central element of the geographical knowledge and the mythological lore they inherited from Greek and Roman Antiquity—the fact that it was used in contexts that transcended the ancient traditions is noticeable. Although early medieval sources rarely contain any kind of overtly “political” connotation, Europe was integrated into discourses that must be considered as religious, and it also served as an instrument to perceive, describe, and interpret the surrounding world.

Without becoming central for the description and analysis of societies and their organization, Europe continued to be used in a relatively broad range of situations, including contexts that come close to what modern readers might perceive to be political. A first apogee of this development is usually identified with the Carolingians between the mid-eighth and the early tenth centuries, and more specifically with the dominant figure of Charlemagne: modern authors after 1945 often repeated that he was called “Father of Europe” (pater Europae) by his contemporaries.The first section of this chapter will demonstrate that this is not entirely false, but not wholly true either. Still, the use of the notion of Europe in the Carolingian period seems significant.

Nostalgic from the Outset—Remembering Charlemagne

Most modern historians of the medieval notion of Europe agree that the Carolingian period witnessed a first peak in the use of the term. The most prominent example certainly is the famous Paderborn Epic, which describes the encounter between Charlemagne and Pope Leo III at Paderborn in 799. Attacked and mutilated by his rivals in Rome, Leo fled to the king of the Franks to ask for his support, and Charlemagne's ensuing campaign to Italy culminated in his coronation as Roman emperor on Christmas 800. In the Paderborn Epic, the preceding events are described in detail and with lavish laudatory terms. The poet describes his king as “precious light” (cara lux—certainly a pun on Carolus) and refers to Europe in several instances. Charlemagne thus becomes the “lighthouse that illuminates Europe with his light” (Europae quo celsa pharus cum luce coruscat), the “venerable apex of Europe” (Europae venerandus apex) and finally, in the most famous phrase, the “Father of Europe” (pater Europae) (BE 138).