《法兰克人史纪》的写作及其社会秩序诉求

The Writing of the Liber Historiae Francorum and Its Appeal to Social Order

作为墨洛温王朝时期的三部"当朝史书"之一,《法兰克人史纪》(Liber Historiae Francorum)的史学地位有过一个曲折的沉浮历程。尽管曾长期受到冷遇,但如今它已成为墨洛温王朝史研究领域中不可或缺的基本史料之一。关于该书的史学价值,学术界通常关注的是其在法兰克史料链条中的承接角色,而对其写作意蕴的考察则显得不够充分。通过对其文本的梳理可以看出,《史纪》虽然对法兰克民族展开多维度的颂扬,但其根本写作目的应该在于,通过对法兰克历史的追溯,借助"传统"的力量,为现实中的法兰克社会政治格局寻求注解,并希望能够维持这一格局。不过,作者的这一理念终究是一厢情愿。

The historical standing of the The Book of the History of the Franks(Liber Historiae Francorum),one of three contemporary historical records of the Merovingian Dynasty,has experienced some vicissitudes.Long cold-shouldered,it has now become a basic historical source for the study of the period;but in terms of historical value,the academic focus has tended to be on the work’s role in the continuity of Frankish historical sources at the expense of the implications of its composition.Careful scrutiny of its text shows that although it praises the Franks in many respects,its fundamental aim is to enlist the forces of tradition and the historical record in the quest for an explanation of the immediate political situation of Frankish society,alongside the wish to maintain that situation.However,this idea was ultimately no more than wishful thinking.