Nordic Elites in Transformation, c. 1050-1250, Volume III: Legitimacy and Glory

This book explores the practical and symbolic resources of legitimacy that medieval Scandinavia's elites used to establish, justify, and reproduce their social and political standing between the end of the Viking Age and the rise of kingdoms in the thirteenth century. It covers a wide range of cultural practices and historical sources, including hagiography, historiography, spaces and palaces, literature, and international connections. The volume is divided into three sections: the first looks at the sacral, legal, and acclamatory means through which privilege was conferred onto kings and ruling families; the second explores the spaces such as aristocratic halls, palaces, and churches in which the social elevation of elites took place; and the third explores the traditional and novel means of domestic distinction and international cultural capital which different orders of elites wrought to assure their dominance and set themselves apart.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 07 October 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the multifaceted resources employed by the elites of medieval Scandinavia to solidify, defend, and perpetuate their social and political status between the end of the Viking Age and the emergence of kingdoms in the thirteenth century. Spanning geographically across the Scandinavian realms and Free State Iceland, the chapters explore a diverse range of cultural practices and historical sources, including hagiography, historiography, spaces and palaces, literature, and international connections. These resources were wielded by rulers, magnates, and ecclesiastics as means to compete for status, secure exclusive privileges, and bestow a halo of glory upon themselves.

The book is organized into three distinct sections. The first section examines the sacred, legal, and acclamatory mechanisms through which privilege was bestowed upon kings and ruling families. The second section explores the physical spaces, such as aristocratic halls, palaces, and churches, where the social elevation of elites occurred. The third section delves into the traditional and innovative methods employed by different orders of elites, including knights, powerful clerics, ruling families, and more, to assert their dominance and differentiate themselves from their peers and subjects.

In a concluding chapter, the book compares the use of symbolic capital in the North to broader European contexts, shedding light on the unique strategies employed by the medieval Scandinavians to maintain their power and influence. This insightful work provides a valuable contribution to the study of medieval Scandinavia, offering a comprehensive exploration of the practical and symbolic resources employed by the elites to establish, justify, and reproduce their social and political standing.

Weight: 624g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367562816