"Longing in vain to climb into the ducal bed": gossip and rumor in Orderic Vitalis' Ecclesiastical History

Abstract

For twelfth century Christians talk was an important tool and potential snare. The monastic chronicler Orderic Vitalis viewed talk as a potentially powerful tool and the EH reflected his belief that a sensible person, particularly a person whose duties required the maintenance of a good reputation, learned to effectively manage the information available. Chapter 1 surveyed important work in the talk studies field that analyzes gossip and rumor, Chapter 2 discussed Orderic Vitalis' background, the historical approach of his sources and his own historical approach, Chapter 3 applied theoretical work on talk to the EH, Chapter 4 analyzed the performance of information management, and Chapter 5 addressed possible gender issues.