Pepin, the Frankish unifier, who established the Carolingian dynasty, used holy oil to legitimise his rule by connecting himself to old Jewish kings like Solomon and David. His better known successor, Charlemagne, famously had the pope place the crown on his head, thus crating a connection to the Roman empire.Considering the ties with the continent, it is very probable this inspired old Saxon kings. And the tradition was obviously continued after the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, king of Normandy, in 1066.

The Frankish precedent

Although we commonly refer to the coronation as one big event there are actually 2:<ul><li>The actual coronation, meaning the placement of the crown on the head of the king. This symbolises political and military power, similar to the anticent roman title</li><li>The anointment, using holy oil. This private ceremony symbolises spiritual authority as the Holy Spirit is said to flow into the ruler.</li></ul>

One event, 2 rituals

The British coronation is fabulously ancient, as historian Tom Holland puts it. The tradition can be traced back thousands of years as a fusion of:<ul><li>pagan tradition: Arthur being guided by Merlin, represented by bishops</li><li>old roman imperial tradition of using a diadem as a symbol of political dominion</li><li>ancient Jewish ritual of anointment with holy oil through which the Holy Spirit flows into the rules</li></ul>The British coronation is probably the longest surviving ritual right now and it serves as a window into the past.

The Coronation - a fabulously ancient tradition

The crown was not a tradition in the old Saxony. It is believed to come from the old Roman emperors, from the 3rd century onwards, who used a diadem as a Sun inspired symbol. For hundreds of years, during the Republic and even early Empire, romans had a disdain for kings. But the crown was immortalised as a ritual through coins and paintings.

The symbol of the crown

Edgar, the grand-son of Æthelstan (which is considered the first British king) was the first to be crowned. It happened in 973 AD, 4 years after becoming king as a way to symbolise the unity of the newly created nation:<ul><li>The coronation happened in Bath, where the Roman ruins connected Edgar to the late Roman emperors.</li><li>The title he used was Emperator, again as linkage to the Roman era</li><li>Instead of being lifted on a shield by warriors the procession is led by a bishop</li></ul>

The first coronation

Putting the British coronation in context, as Charles becomes the new king of England. 

The roots of the coronation ritual are fabulously ancient: certain elements of the ceremony are vestiges from the later Roman Empire, others have their origins in the Old Testament and ancient Egypt. The liturgy used can be traced back to the 10th century, and the very idea of kings taking part in rituals comes from Charlemagne. In light of the first British coronation in more than half a century taking place this weekend, Tom and Dominic explore the historical and sacral roots of the coronation ritual.*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:Tom and Dominic are going on an international tour in 2023 and performing in Dublin, Washington D.C. and New York! Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.comTwitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

history

History

The roots of the coronation ritual are fabulously ancient: certain elements of the ceremony are vestiges from the later Roman Empire, others have their origins in the Old Testament and ancient Egypt. The liturgy used can be traced back to the 10th century, and the very idea of kings taking part in rituals comes from Charlemagne.  In light of the first British coronation in more than half a century taking place this weekend, Tom and Dominic explore the historical and sacral roots of the coronation ritual. *The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*: Tom and Dominic are going on an international tour in 2023 and performing in Dublin, Washington D.C. and New York!  Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com Twitter:  @TheRestHistory   @holland_tom   @dcsandbrook  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook are interrogating the past, and attempting to de-tangle the present.   They question the nature of Greatness, why the West no longer has civil wars and whether Richard Nixon was more like Caligula or Claudius.     They're distilling the entirety of human history, or, as much as they can fit into about fifty minutes.   Join The Rest Is History Club (www.restishistorypod.com) for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows and access to an exclusive chatroom community.   Here are some of our favourite episodes to get you started:   WATERGATE/NIXON apple.co/3JrVl5h  ALEXANDER THE GREAT apple.co/3Q4FaNk  HARDCORE HISTORY'S DAN CARLIN apple.co/3vqkGa3  PUTIN & RUSSIA apple.co/3zMtLfX