Genealogies and dynastic awareness in the Hundred Years War. The evidence of A tous nobles qui aiment beaux faits et bonnes histoires

Abstract

A tous nobles is a fifteenth-century genealogical chronicle of the kings of France which survives in more than 60 copies and 21 textual versions, proving its versatility and popularity. Its manuscripts exist in both roll or codex format, and range from plain to luxurious. A tous nobles can be found on its own, or embedded within a universal chronicle. Seventeen of its textual versions are accompanied by a genealogical tree, closely integrated with the text and varying according to each version. The variety of format, layout and content suggest that A tous nobles was constantly being remodelled to suit its audiences. In one extreme case, the contents were rewritten to reflect opinions diametrically opposed to those of authors of all the other versions. A tous nobles was allegedly based on the Grandes Chroniques de France, and its general tenor is favourable to the French royal dynasty in power. However, the authors of A tous nobles did not slavishly follow all the elements of royal ideology contained in the Grandes Chroniques. Moreover, most of them chose to ignore a fundamental issue that had a direct impact on the Hundred Years War, the question of whether women could succeed or transmit rights to the French throne.