For students of the Middle Ages, the best way to understand the experiences, convictions, and concerns of medieval people is to hear them speak about these in their own words. Unfortunately, access to this kind of primary source material is often limited, since many manuscripts have not yet been edited and fewer still have been translated from medieval Latin or contemporary vernacular languages into modern English. Janet Fairweather's fine translation of the twelfth-century chronicle Liber Eliensis addresses this deficiency by making a historically important and inherently fascinating text available to a much wider audience. Fairweather based her translation on E. O. Blake's Latin edition of the Liber Eliensis printed in the Camden Third Series, volume 92 (London: Royal Historical Society), in 1962. She enhanced the translation further by referring to an extensive range of additional sources, both primary and secondary. Although Fairweather identifies herself as a classical scholar, not as a medievalist, she successfully captures the nuances of twelfth-century English life and culture in her presentation of the material. She excels, in fact, in conveying the voice of the chronicler from Latin into English with clarity and sensitivity.
The volume begins with a thorough introduction to the content and translation challenges of the Liber Eliensis, followed by a precise explanation of the principles and methods employed in this translation. In addition to the three books of the Liber Eliensis, there are three short appendixes and indexes of names and topics at the end of the volume. Appendixes A and B are translations of two short works appended to Blake's edition. The third appendix is a translation of a poem about the life of St. Æthelthryth.
In her introduction Fairweather states the purpose of the Liber Eliensis, which is to record the history of the Christian community in the Isle of Ely from its origins in the seventh century through the twelfth century. The purported author of this history is an anonymous monk from the Benedictine monastery founded by St. Æthelthryth, Queen of Northumbria, in the seventh century. Fairweather alerts readers to the probability that more than one writer, in fact, contributed to the history. As the chronicle unfolds through three books, Fairweather notes a shift from a rather sophisticated redaction of material from various historical sources toward a more simple chronological ordering of material from charters, letters, and miracle stories. These variations in style suggest that at least one writer succeeded the original author, working either under his direct instruction or independently but with the intention of maintaining a continuous and coherent narrative. Most likely the Liber Eliensis was compiled over a period of several years by a group of chroniclers who were committed to the effort to preserve the history of their community but who demonstrated significant differences in historical knowledge, literary vision, and technical skill.
In the first book especially, the author clearly demonstrates his desire, as well as his ability, to preserve for posterity the account of St. Æthelthryth's life, including the miracles ascribed to her both during her life and after her death. In the manner of his mentor, Bede, he describes her determination to establish a religious community for women and men at Ely, the destruction of this community by Danish invaders in the ninth century, and the reestablishment of a community of canons in this sacred place in the tenth century. The second book covers the history of this community from the late tenth through the early twelfth century. The major themes of this book comprise the monastery's accumulation of land through privileges granted by King Edgar, its resistance to William the Conqueror, and its ultimate return to stability under Henry I. The third book records the important transition of Ely from monastic community to episcopal seat, placing the history of Ely in the larger context of English history by reflecting on significant events in the reign of Henry II and ending with an account of the death of Thomas Becket.
Throughout the translation Fairweather shows enormous respect for the chronicler. Whether recounting a miraculous healing, a legal dispute, or an attack on the community, his voice is direct, comprehensible, and informative. Fairweather's critical apparatus preserves for experienced readers all the necessary features of the manuscript tradition without diverting the beginner with editorial distractions. This translation will prove to be an excellent resource for historians at every stage of learning, from undergraduates to advanced scholars. Through her thoughtful and highly accomplished translation, Fairweather opens up for us a remarkable rich period of English history and offers us a rare opportunity to see a part of the medieval world through the eyes of a twelfth-century witness. The work will surely stimulate interest in the history of Isle of Ely itself and, more broadly, in the history of England in the Middle Ages.
