Ce livre est la version révisée et abrégée de la thèse de doctorat de l’auteure, effectuée dans le cadre du projet « Emotionalität in der Literatur des Mittelalters » à l’Université libre de Berlin. Bien que le mot n’apparaisse qu’en sous-titre, l’objet principal de ce livre est avant tout la colère des rois. En effet, l’auteure s’intéresse à la manière dont cette émotion est exprimée dans quatre textes de genres différents : un texte théorique, le Policratus de Jean de Salisbury; (...) un texte hi... (shrink)

Many scholars working on the Old French ‘Song of Roland’ (from about 1100) and its Middle High German adaptation (from about 1170) have commented on the inconsistencies of the main character, the emperor Charlemagne. On the one hand, he is strong and active; on the other, he sinks into passivity and weakness. In this context, the ruler's emotions have often been seen as signs of his helplessness and, therefore, his humanity. By analyzing Charlemagne's grief and anger more closely, this article (...) aims to elaborate a different interpretation. Firstly, it shows that the contradictory depiction of the ruler's emotions is part of a strategy which brings Charlemagne into line with Christ. Thus, Charlemagne's emotions – even those apparently underlining his weakness – ultimately legitimize his position as a ruler. Secondly, there is another significant finding: Charlemagne's emotions do not simply represent the “human” part of his character, as has been suggested, but are themselves important means of power. (shrink)