ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between perceptions of the past and the construction of identity in late medieval France. By considering how chronicles recounted the mythical Trojan origin of the Franks, it demonstrates the significance of regional variations and concerns in the writing of history and identity formation. Exploring interest in the Carolingian emperors as a case study, it illustrates the complexity of underlying concerns with the legitimacy of authority in French society under the Capetian kings. Recasting such concerns in this way challenges some long-standing historical assumptions and casts new light on the long-term shaping of French identity.
