The Penitential State

In 833 emperor Louis the Pious Charlemagne''s son submitted to a public penance in the wake of a rebellion by his three elder sons. This penance amounted to a deposition for Louis was to atone for his sins for the rest of his life. However only half a year later he was back on the throne again. In this evaluation of Louis'' reign Mayke de Jong argues that his penance was the outcome of a political discourse and practice in which the accountability of the Frankish ruler to God played an increasingly central role. However heated their debates this was a moral high ground Louis shared with churchmen and secular magnates. Through a profound re-reading of texts by contemporary authors who reflected on legitimate authority in times of crisis this book reveals a world in which political crime was defined as sin and royal authority was enhanced by atonement.