Boleslavus non solum aurem correctoribus non adhibuit […] – War Gallus Anonymus dem polnischen Fürsten Bolesław III. Schiefmund wirklich vorbehaltlos positiv eingestellt?
Boleslavus Non Solum Aurem Correctoribus Non Adhibuit […] – Was Gallus Anonymus Really Unreserved Positive Towards the Polish Prince Bolesław III Wrymouth?

Summary/Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the first Polish chronicle by Gall Anonim, in which – asthe article argues contrary to previous scientific opinions – the image of the Polish princeBolesław III Wrymouth (1085–1138) is not unambiguously positive, but is also full of criticaltones. However, according to the characteristics of this genre (medieval historiography), thechronicler who came most likely from Western Europe, did not express his criticism directly.The article analyses – according to own designed methods in order to measure a ruler’simage in historiography and methods of literature science (narratology) – single fragments of the text as well as the dedication letters and epilogues of the chronicle from the point ofview of criticism ‘hidden’ in them. In addition, the article shows clearly that the chronicleis not coherently written, and its form developed gradually, because – probably due to dissatisfactionin the highest circles of the Polish prince’s court (the court of Bolesław III) – inthe third book Gall significantly modified his way of presenting the ruler and abandoned critical remarks, which can be spotted often in the second book. Finally the article juxtaposes the analysed critical fragments from Gall’s work with text fragments of the second Polish chronicle written by Vincent Kadlubek, thus demonstrating that all Gall’s criticaltones were later either removed or at least mitigated by Vincent. The analysis carried outallows to conclude that the first Polish chronicle by Gall could have been perceived already by the contemporary and late medieval reader as criticism of Bolesław. Otherwise, Vincent would not have had to modify and smooth the passages of Gall on which his story was based.

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