The successful coup of Arnulf of Carinthia in 887 resulted in a new political world in the former Carolingian Empire. For the first time since 751, non‐Carolingian rulers appeared in West Francia, Italy, and Upper Burgundy. Historians have seen this as a moment when the power and mythology of Carolingian dynastic supremacy lost its lustre. Yet charters from the remaining Carolingian ruler, Arnulf, reveal that Carolingian pedigree continued to matter. This article argues that Arnulf’s charters created a tailored version of the dynastic past to present himself as the rightful ruler through processes of elision and addition.
Jonathan Dell Isola (2026) studied this question.