viiiA compilation that seeks to combine entries from several geographically-based volumes into a single Europe-wide
volume is bound to have slight inconsistencies. The entries are arranged alphabetically according to the spelling of
the name in the source volume, but entries drawn from other volumes may refer to these individuals by somewhat
different names or spellings. There is also some variation in length. Readers should not assume that the length of an
entry represents the importance of a subject, because the source volumes vary in the size of their entries.
Given the thousands of individuals included in the eight encyclopedias, it was necessary to establish some rea-
sonably consistent criteria for selecting the entries included in Key Figures in Medieval Europe. Obviously, word
length could not be the primary criterion. However, within individual encyclopedias length could be used as a rough
gauge of importance, especially within certain categories, such as political fi gures. But such distinctions in length
within a single volume could not be used as an absolute, because of the nature of historical knowledge and available
evidence. We simply know much more about political fi gures (particularly members of the nobility) than we know
about commoners, which means that entries on emperors, kings, and caliphs, for example, will, with a very few
exceptions (e.g., Dante), be longer than entries on musicians, painters, and poets. Similarly, because of the interna-
tional nature of the Christian church and its omnipresence, we often know much more about religious fi gures than
secular ones, even when they were attached to courts and cathedrals. As in the modern world, gender structures also
affected the status of men and women during the Middle Ages, so that the historical record is generally much fuller
when dealing with men than with women.
Therefore, to provide some balance to Key Figures in Medieval Europe and to ensure that it represents the wide
range of cultural practices, as well as political events and religious thought, the selection privileges secular and
artistic fi gures by including several individuals whose entries in the source volumes are relatively short. Since these
individuals often worked outside the corridors of power and left few biographical records, there is little biographical
detail to explore, yet their accomplishments are signifi cant.
The selection of entries, in other words, is ultimately driven by the editorial sense of long-term importance and
infl uence, as well as by what the reader may fi nd interesting about the Middle Ages.HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Key Figures in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia is arranged in an easy-to-use A-to-Z reference format that con-
tains 587 entries. See also end-references and Further Reading suggestions direct the reader to explore the topics
further. To enhance the ease of use, readers will fi nd an alphabetical list of entries and a thematic list of entries
that organizes entries under such categories as artists and architects, authors, merchants and businessmen, musicians,
political leaders, religious fi gures, scientists, travelers, as well as notable women. Also, a list by region organizes
the entries by geographic areas, such as England, France, Germany, Iberia, Italy, Low Countries, and Scandinavia.
Readers will also fi nd a detailed index at the end of the book to help them further navigate the work.INTRODUCTION