Proposal a) Bloodshed and the legitimation of war: Fontenoy 841 – Unstrut 1075 – Hastings 1066
The battles of Fontenoy, Unstrut and Hastings were considered spectacular by their contemporaries, and not only due to their political significance. The ensuing legitimation discourse has long been the focus of research and analysis, with reference to their respective political and cultural contexts and also with regard to the transition and development of the cultural, social and technological conditions of war. The importance awarded in each discourse to the legitimation for such, even in contemporary opinion, inordinate bloodshed will be analysed comparatively. In what way was the natural utilisation of battle as God's judgement challenged, relativised, supplemented or negated by the inordinate quality and quantity of blood shed eg. by relatives in the case of Fontenoy?