128:. Charlemagne encourages these soldiers of the church to never neglect the study of letters in order to correctly uncover the meanings of Scripture. Those who teach letters are chosen for this because of their ability in learning and instructing others. Charlemagne's view on teaching shows his concerns about the education of monks and priests at the time and advocated the need for better understanding of the original source, the Bible. At the end of the letter Charlemagne wishes for the wide spread of this letter to all the monasteries and into the hands of fellow-bishops.
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the servants of truth. Charlemagne refers to the mind and the tongue to be uneducated on account of the neglect of study and therefore unable to express the truth in letters. Charlemagne worries that the lack of literate skills in monks and priests at the time may lead to a lack of understanding of the Holy
Scriptures. Errors of understanding are a greater danger than errors of speech because misunderstanding of the Holy Scriptures can result in divine punishment, such as
166:. The letter was written at a time that saw the organization and transformation of the Frankish Kingdom into a large Christian state. The new Christian culture within the Carolingian realm was acquired with relative ease because late-antique Christian writers suggested various ways to integrate secular arts into Christian education. Charlemagne wanted to control and oversee a strong relationship between the states of learning and the Christian faith.
186:, the suspected author of the letter, expressed views on the intrinsic Christian value of the liberal arts that were not widely accepted by many. However, Alcuin influenced some of the most sophisticated Carolingian thinkers of the first half of the 9th century. The original letter by Charlemagne was likely written to Baugulf, but the text would reach Baugulf at a later time after the written date.
180:, is a statement of the king's religious faith and obligations. After the expansion of the Carolingian realm, Charlemagne recognized the need for reform to promote the correct use of Latin language and correct understanding of Christian faith and text. This was a way to enhance Frankish identity. Literacy was required and rewarded during Charlemagne's reign.
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not have been written at a time when Alcuin was already at St Martin's at Tours. More specifically, the letter addressing
Baugulf is most likely written between June of 794, the period between the Synod of Frankfurt, and 796, Alcuin's arrival as abbot of St Martain at Tours. Another possible date of the Letter was as early as 784/5.
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contained in this letter suggest 794 as the earliest possible year when this letter to
Baugulf was written. The letter is also paralleled by a letter written by Alcuin to Fulda after 800. Because of Alcuin's letter to Fulda from Tours at a later date, this would mean that ’De litteris colendis’ could
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In the letter, Charlemagne expresses his views on knowledge and conduct, stating that because knowledge precedes conduct, people must study about the goals he wishes to accomplish without making any errors. Errors should be shunned by men and avoided at all cost so that these chosen people can become
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The oldest existing copy of this letter comes from the 8th century. Another version dates back to the 11th century. The older of the two surviving manuscripts are located at
Wuerzburg and offer the original text addressed to Abbot Baugulf. The more recent manuscript (Metz, bibl mun forth. o nr 226,..
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This letter was presumably written by Alcuin of York, not by
Charlemagne himself. Alcuin was Charlemagne's teacher in rhetoric, logic, and astronomy. Alcuin wrote several theological and philosophical treatises. The director of the palace school at Aachen at the time was encouraged by Charlemagne to
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Many historians make the assumption that the letter was sent directly to an unknown archbishop based on the mentions of the co-bishops, but the abbot could very well be the actual recipient of this letter. The letter belongs to the tradition of Anglo-Saxon humanism. The request at the end of the
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was one of many intellectuals invited by
Charlemagne to implement the king's program of education reform. Alcuin was appointed to take over the direction of the palace school. Alcuin's program is reflected by his established program at St. Martin of Tours, where Alcuin put emphasis on writing,
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In the letter, Charlemagne expresses his concern about the literacy of monks and priests, many of whom were illiterate or only partially literate. Charlemagne expresses concern that their poor literacy may lead them to make errors or interpret the bible and scriptures incorrectly.
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Luitpold
Wallach: Charlemagne and Alcuin's De litteris colendis. In: Alcuin and Charlemagne. Studies in Carolingian History and Literature. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1959, pp. 202ff. ( Cornell Studies in Classical Philology 32, ZDB-ID 844700-7
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Edmund E. Stengel : Deed Book of the monastery of Fulda. band 1, subband 2 ., the time of Abbot
Baugulf NG Elwert, Marburg, 1956, pp. 246–254, No. 166 ( Publications of the Historical Commission of Hesse and Waldeck 10, 1, 2), (authoritative
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The ability to read and write was not very common in the
Frankish Kingdom during the late 8th century, and Charlemagne wanted to create an education system to provide training for future administrators in both sacred and secular realms.
101:, a script to standardize the Latin alphabet to be recognized by literate classes from one region to another. The letter was argued to contain literary elements that were Alcuinisms, indicating Alcuin's heavy influence.
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The wisdom for understanding the Holy
Scriptures might be much less than it rightly ought to be. And we all know well that, although errors of speech are dangerous, far more dangerous are errors of the understanding.
81:'s policy with the papacy and viewed himself as its protector. Charlemagne's admiration for learning led to his interest in scholarship. He encouraged his children to be well-educated and studied under
77:, also known as Charles I. Charlemagne became the King of the Franks in 768 and the King of Italy in 774. He would later become the Emperor of the Carolingian Empire. Charlemagne carried on his father
32:, probably written sometime in the late 780s to 800s (decade), although the exact date is still debatable. The letter is a very important witness to the Carolingian educational reforms during the
154:'s views on education displayed in this letter, among many works, encourage Carolingian schoolmasters to seize the opportunity to teach many ancient works, books such as Martianus Capella's
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Luitpold Wallach. “Charlemagne's De litteris colendis and Alcuin: A Diplomatic-Historical Study”. Speculum, vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1951), pp. 228-305. Medieval Academy of America
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is the earliest, and one of the most important, sources promoting the advance of educational reforms throughout Charlemagne's Empire. It was followed by the more detailed
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Nils Holger Petersen, Claus ClĂĽver, Nicilas Bell. Signs of Change: Transformation of Christian Traditions and Their Representation in the Arts, 1000-2000. New York, 2004
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SAEC XI, burned in 1945), whose text is preserved by older editions, is the revised version offered for Angilram, who was charged with further dissemination.
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reading, and grammar; elements the Epistola de litteris colendis heavily advocated. The existence of the palace school has been called into question.
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Walter Berschin : Biography and Epoch in the Latin Middle Ages. Volume 3: Carolingian biography. 750-920 AD. Anton Hiersemann, Stuttgart, 1991,
93:. Charlemagne's greatest weakness however, according to Einhard was his inability to write. Even his ability to read has been called into question.
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is the second Carolingian document to urge the formation of schools. The scope of teaching advocated suggests a broader view than that in the
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Susan Forscher Weiss, Russell E, Cynthia J. Cyrus. Music Education in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Indiana University Press, 2010
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Thomas Martin: Remarks on the Epistola de litteris colendis. In: . Archive for diplomatics 31, 1985, ISSN 0066-6297, pp. 227–272.
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Charles M. Atkinson. The Critical Nexus: Tone-System, Mode, and Notation in Early Medieval Music. Oxford University Press, 2009
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McKitterick, Rosamond. Charlemagne : The Formation of a European Identity. Cambridge University Press. 2008
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