Penitential discipline and Public Wars in the Middle Ages

Extract

Before dealing with the Battle of Soissons itself and its effects on penitential discipline, the author discusses its historical background and setting. The end of the Ninth and the beginning of the Tenth Century saw the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire. The French Royal house in particular was submitted to two destructive forces. The first of these were the predatory raids of the Norsemen on the lands held for the King. In order to put an end to these activities, Charles the Simple ceded in 911 a whole province of his kingdom, later to be known as Normandy, thus recognizing an occupation which had already taken place, in return for which the Normans undertook to embrace Christianity. This point is of importance in view of the behaviour of these recent converts at the Battle of Soissons some twelve years later.