The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication
This article explores William of Poitiers’ Gesta Guillelmi for its failed manuscript transmission. In spite of possessing various advantages, literary and social, the work found very few readers and was soon forgotten. It is proposed that the transmission relied on, or consisted of, an untidy autogr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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2024-05-01
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| Series: | Tabularia |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/tabularia/7016 |
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| author | Lauri Leinonen |
| author_facet | Lauri Leinonen |
| author_sort | Lauri Leinonen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores William of Poitiers’ Gesta Guillelmi for its failed manuscript transmission. In spite of possessing various advantages, literary and social, the work found very few readers and was soon forgotten. It is proposed that the transmission relied on, or consisted of, an untidy autograph, lost in the eighteenth century. According to Orderic Vitalis, William did not complete the work due to “unfavourable circumstances”, probably related to the latter’s connection to the Conqueror. The essay contributes to two burgeoning scholarly discussions, on authorial publishing and on why some works failed to find readers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aea99e109713432a930279eb13be0844 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1630-7364 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-05-01 |
| publisher | OpenEdition |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tabularia |
| spelling | doaj-art-aea99e109713432a930279eb13be08442025-01-06T13:08:58ZengOpenEditionTabularia1630-73642024-05-0110.4000/11o20The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed PublicationLauri LeinonenThis article explores William of Poitiers’ Gesta Guillelmi for its failed manuscript transmission. In spite of possessing various advantages, literary and social, the work found very few readers and was soon forgotten. It is proposed that the transmission relied on, or consisted of, an untidy autograph, lost in the eighteenth century. According to Orderic Vitalis, William did not complete the work due to “unfavourable circumstances”, probably related to the latter’s connection to the Conqueror. The essay contributes to two burgeoning scholarly discussions, on authorial publishing and on why some works failed to find readers.https://journals.openedition.org/tabularia/7016historiographyNormandyWilliam the ConquerorWilliam of Poitierspublishingautograph manuscript |
| spellingShingle | Lauri Leinonen The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication Tabularia historiography Normandy William the Conqueror William of Poitiers publishing autograph manuscript |
| title | The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication |
| title_full | The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication |
| title_fullStr | The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication |
| title_short | The Gesta Guillelmi of William of Poitiers: The Dynamics of a Failed Publication |
| title_sort | gesta guillelmi of william of poitiers the dynamics of a failed publication |
| topic | historiography Normandy William the Conqueror William of Poitiers publishing autograph manuscript |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/tabularia/7016 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurileinonen thegestaguillelmiofwilliamofpoitiersthedynamicsofafailedpublication AT laurileinonen gestaguillelmiofwilliamofpoitiersthedynamicsofafailedpublication |