Interwoven Texts: The Cartularies of Angoumois

Studies of medieval Angoumois have relied extensively on the local ecclesiastical cartularies produced in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Ignoring when the cartularies were compiled and their original function, scholars have largely taken their content at face value. This has led to numerous errors of fact and interpretation. This dissertation rectifies the gap in scholarship by analyzing the ecclesiastical cartularies of Angoumois as integral works, as well as particular documents within them. Their production is placed into context within a history of the ecclesiastical institutions of the diocese of Angoulême and its environs. Recent research on cartularies in other regions has demonstrated that they were not just created for preservation and organization, but this thesis provides new insight into their purpose. Four cartularies form the core of this study. The cartulary of the cathedral church of Angoulême was started soon after the bishop of Angoulême died in exile during the papal schism of the 1130s; charters signed as originals were later added, demonstrating its use as a symbol of stabilization. The monastery of Saint-Cybard’s cartulary, created after it regained its independence from Saint-Jean-d’Angély in 1161, was a memorial object that was manipulated to fit the monks’ conception of their history. The cartulary of the abbey of Saint-Amant-de-Boixe, produced just after the institution was placed under Saint-Géraud d’Aurillac in 1197, shows the vehemence with which the monks had fought against subservience and served as a reminder of their past independence. Bishop Robert’s cartulary may have been started in 1259 to help him address a conflict with the count of Angoulême and was then used as a personal and practical book. Crises, therefore, often provided the impetus for the creation of Angoumois’ cartularies. After their initial compilation, they continued to be useful by acting as symbolic objects and practical tools that could vary greatly depending on the community that produced them. Because the content of a cartulary was malleable, it is essential to understand both the events that caused them to be written and their purpose in order to use the documents within them to study the region’s history.Ph.D