Looking beyond charters and contracts: child slavery in the narrative sources of the early Middle Ages

This article traces the presence of enslaved children in early medieval narrative sources, especially hagiographies, and looks into the relationship between their historicity and their literary functions. While topoi such as the ransoming or redemption of slaves are acknowledged, this article argues that despite these motifs, narrative sources offer unique details about early medieval child slavery, as the authors embedded their stories in plausible scenarios. The most significant findings include the possible education and subsequent ordination of (former) child slaves, and the corroboration of children being sold alone, as many charters and contracts also attest.