Crisis in Flanders, 1127-28 - The Murder of Charles the Good
Was the murder of the Count of Flanders by his own vassals divine retribution for past errors, or simply another stage in the development of a state? The chronicle of Galbert of Bruges gives a day-by-day account of the dramatic events following the assassination.
On March 2nd, 1127, Count Charles of Flanders was murdered by his own vassals while he was kneeling in prayer in the castle church at Bruges. The assassination sparked off a crisis which lasted for over a year, ending only when Thierry of Alsace secured the County in the summer of 1128. Charles' murder and its grim aftermath are important not only for the history of medieval Flanders, but also for what they tell us about social and political conditions throughout western Europe in the early twelfth century. Fortunately, they gave rise to a detailed narrative of the entire crisis by a notary of Bruges called Galbert. His account, which has been neglected in Britain despite a very fine translation, is one of the most fascinating medieval histories.
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