Laudes Regiae - first performed in England in 1066

One of the reasons I re-transcribed and re-translated the Carmen was the conviction that there was much more information in the text than had been previously understood.  Even so, it can still surprise me with new insights after two years.

This morning I chased down a stray clue and found myself listening in rapture to the Laudes Regiae - the praise of kings - which was first sung in England to accompany William the Conqueror as he walked in procession to St Peter's Church in Westminster for his consecration as king of England on Christmas Day in 1066.  Just wonderful!

Laudes Regiae - praise for the king

The lines from the Carmen leave no doubt that as a conquering king William wanted his Christian authority to rule by right of conquest in battle as well as holy writ from Rome proclaimed by all.  I've had to add a new footnote as appears below:

^805.         Taliter aecclesiam laudes modulando requirit •

In this manner, to the singing of the Laudes Regiae,[133] the king sought the church

^806.         Rex et regalem ducitur ad cathedram •

And was conducted to the royal throne.

^807.         Laudibus expletis turba reticente canora •

The melodious Laudes complete, the crowd kept quiet.

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[133] The Laudes Regiae, also known as Christus vincit, praises victory and honor and derived from the tradition of chanting to Roman generals, consuls or emperors who entered Rome in triumph after great battle.  Charlemagne adapted the tradition for his reign, using Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat for his personal motto.  The Laudes Regiae had become a traditional accompaniment to Frankish royal consecrations by 1066.  The oldest surviving manuscript of the Laudes Regiae in England was written for Queen Matilda’s consecration in 1068. 

To Battle and Beyond! Finding Pevenesel and Hastinga ceastra

I gave a presentation to the Battle and District Historical Society on 16th October titled "Rethinking the Geography of the Norman Conquest".  In it I developed the theory that the Brede Valley had evolved over centuries from the site of Caesar's landings in 55 and 54 BC, to the prosperous Roman colony in Britain described by Tacitus and Bede, to the place where Aelle and the Saxons levelled the great Roman fortress of Andredcaster and slaughtered all its inhabitants in 477 AD, to the Anglo-French possession styled Portus Hastingas et Peuenisel endowed by King Offa to the Abbey of Saint-Denis in 790 AD and later by King Aethelred II to the Norman Fecamp Abbey in 1015 AD, confirmed by King Cnut in 1017 AD and again between 1028 and 1032 AD.

Wealthy Pevenesel was sacked and looted by the exiled Godwin in 1051 and 1052 AD, and after his restoration to power all the Anglo-French were killed, enslaved or exiled.  Earl Harold refused to return the port to Fecamp Abbey when petitioned by Abbot John in 1054 AD after Godwin's death, despite the support of King Edward.

Naturally I also suggested that great and ancient estuarine port a mere 30 miles from Normandy was the secure sandy harbour where the Normans landed their fleet in 1066 and built their encampments and fortifications while waiting the approach of King Harold and the English.  The landing place was styled Hastenge ceastra in scene 45 of the Bayeux Tapestry and Hastinge portus castris at line 597 of the Carmen, earlier described at line 575 as the castra marina.

Not only did the talk go well, but it seems to have caused something of a local stir.  I am getting emails from householders and dog walkers all looking at the Brede Valley with new eyes to discover its secrets.

The following day I went myself to Icklesham to walk the footpaths and trace the geography to the lines of the Carmen.  It fits perfectly to several of the geographic references.  I stood on Hog Hill near the summit and imagined Harold's remains being laid there under a cairn of stones, just over 948 years ago, as described in lines 591-92.  

By order of the duke, here King Harold lies at peace,

That he may keep watch over sea and strand.

The pieces of the puzzle continue to fall into place, and perhaps soon there will be a better organised effort to gather the evidence and tell the story of 1066.