Autobiographical threads in Silesian historiography

Abstract

The starting point for the discussion about autobiographical threads included in works of Silesian historiography in the Middle Ages was a reflection on issues connected with some medieval authors hiding their identity, as a result of their modesty, humility or conventions which excluded the possibility of signing some types of texts. The article addresses strategies of self-presentation employed by the authors of historiographic works and methods of their identification. Authors frequently tended to write in the third person singular, which was to provide objectivity and excluded emotional involvement in described events. However, in the narrative heat of the moment, the author sometimes adopted the first person singular whereby disclosing his identity. Another method by which the author could reveal his identity was his conscious involvement in the narration of single autobiographic accounts (i.e. annals), which were not connected with the main body of the work. It sometimes happened that the author disclosed only part of his biography describing his official participation in various events and omitting to refer to his private involvement. Sporadically, the authors of Silesian origin provided autobiographic information outside their works. Such records took the form of scattered annalistic notes in codices which belonged to the authors or were used by them. The last way of identifying the author is the analysis of information characterizing the author’s background such as the community of a monastery or collegiate church. Conclusions made on this basis are oft en hypothetical and controversial.