During the last two decades, the study of ‘cultural memory’ has become something of a trend in the arts and humanities – a development (or ‘turn’) which, however, has not always met with sufficient terminological and methodological transparency. More recent research conducted in the field which has come to be known as Cultural Memory Studies has addressed these insufficiencies, seeking to establish a wider interdisciplinary framework and methodological repertoire for studying the past and its preservation in different sociocultural contexts, while encouraging academic dialogue. Rather than promoting one particular approach, Cultural Memory Studies today offer a platform for scholars to exchange their interests in cultures of memory by drawing on a common vocabulary. Medieval Studies, too, have made their contribution to this development, with scholars exploring the relationships between different forms of memory in the Middle Ages, as well as the discourses on memory established by writers and thinkers of the period. On a broader scale, however, medieval historians have often been wary of applying this framework, and in particular the terminologies offered by Cultural Memory Studies. Their reservation is perhaps partially due to the fact that the terms and concepts used with great confidence by scholars of modernity when reflecting on the tradition of the past are sometimes felt to be misrepresentative of medieval thought (and thus potentially misleading). This is a perfectly legitimate concern, especially when talking about terms such as ‘media’ or ‘mediality’, which, at first glance, might seem to represent concepts alien to the Middle Ages. It is one of the aims of the present study to help overcome such barriers and argue for the more confident participation of Medieval Studies within the field of Cultural Memory Studies.

In this discussion, I will investigate how Orderic Vitalis, while writing his Historia ecclesiastica, conceived of his own role as a historian in terms of being someone actively engaged in, as well as responsible for, the preservation of the past for future generations. Of course, such a focus on Orderic's historical consciousness (Geschichtsbewusstsein) is by no means a novelty, as scholars have published extensively on this topic.