Anna Wallette
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264522
- eISBN:
- 9780191734724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0007
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. ...
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During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. Politics throughout the whole of Scandinavia was based on strong personal relations. This was not a society of uncontrolled violence, but, alongside the development of church and kingdom, the attitude towards a legal type of violence changed. The Icelandic sagas are preoccupied with networks; the alliance patterns described can shed light on the relations between both biological and social kin. This chapter describes competing loyalties through marriage, fostering, friendship, and pledges of support. Kin and marriage systems are the main organization form for people. The discussion also considers alliances and the need for strong bonds with both family and friends at a time when the political and social order was changing.Less
During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. Politics throughout the whole of Scandinavia was based on strong personal relations. This was not a society of uncontrolled violence, but, alongside the development of church and kingdom, the attitude towards a legal type of violence changed. The Icelandic sagas are preoccupied with networks; the alliance patterns described can shed light on the relations between both biological and social kin. This chapter describes competing loyalties through marriage, fostering, friendship, and pledges of support. Kin and marriage systems are the main organization form for people. The discussion also considers alliances and the need for strong bonds with both family and friends at a time when the political and social order was changing.
James Graham-Campbell and Michael Ryan (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264508
- eISBN:
- 9780191734120
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264508.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
Although there has been much recent interest in the interaction of England and Ireland in the Viking Age, the links between the Anglo-Saxons and the Irish in the period before 800 have been much less ...
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Although there has been much recent interest in the interaction of England and Ireland in the Viking Age, the links between the Anglo-Saxons and the Irish in the period before 800 have been much less studied. This book provides an interdisciplinary assessment of these connections. The chapters range widely in their scope. Seven chapters look at issues of language and literature, legal traditions, and ecclesiastical history; a further ten consider the evidence of material culture, through art history and archaeology. This overview of the field of Anglo-Saxon/Irish relations will be of use to people interested in early medieval studies.Less
Although there has been much recent interest in the interaction of England and Ireland in the Viking Age, the links between the Anglo-Saxons and the Irish in the period before 800 have been much less studied. This book provides an interdisciplinary assessment of these connections. The chapters range widely in their scope. Seven chapters look at issues of language and literature, legal traditions, and ecclesiastical history; a further ten consider the evidence of material culture, through art history and archaeology. This overview of the field of Anglo-Saxon/Irish relations will be of use to people interested in early medieval studies.
Alex Woolf
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748612338
- eISBN:
- 9780748672165
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748612338.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This chapter discusses the history of the coming of the Vikings. It covers kings and kingdoms in 793; Scandinavian attacks on Northumbria; conditions in Scandinavia in the late eighth century; Norway ...
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This chapter discusses the history of the coming of the Vikings. It covers kings and kingdoms in 793; Scandinavian attacks on Northumbria; conditions in Scandinavia in the late eighth century; Norway in the Viking Age, causes of the Viking Age; the Vikings in Scotland; and the dynasty of Wrguist (789–839).Less
This chapter discusses the history of the coming of the Vikings. It covers kings and kingdoms in 793; Scandinavian attacks on Northumbria; conditions in Scandinavia in the late eighth century; Norway in the Viking Age, causes of the Viking Age; the Vikings in Scotland; and the dynasty of Wrguist (789–839).
Alexandra Sanmark
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781474402293
- eISBN:
- 9781474435260
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474402293.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their ...
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Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their violence and pillage, but they also had a well-organised system for political decision-making, legal cases and conflict resolution. Using archaeological evidence, written sources and place-names, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of their legal system and assembly sites, showing that this formed an integral part of Norse culture and identity, to the extent that the assembly institution was brought to all Norse settlements.
Assembly sites are analysed through surveys and case studies across Scandinavia, Scotland and the North Atlantic region. Alexandra Sanmark moves the view of assembly sites away from a functional one to an understanding of the symbolic meaning of these highly ritualised sites, and shows how they were constructed to signify power through monuments and natural features. This original and stimulating study is set not only in the context of the Viking and Norse periods, but also in the wider continental histories of place, assembly and the rhetoric of power.Less
Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their violence and pillage, but they also had a well-organised system for political decision-making, legal cases and conflict resolution. Using archaeological evidence, written sources and place-names, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of their legal system and assembly sites, showing that this formed an integral part of Norse culture and identity, to the extent that the assembly institution was brought to all Norse settlements.
Assembly sites are analysed through surveys and case studies across Scandinavia, Scotland and the North Atlantic region. Alexandra Sanmark moves the view of assembly sites away from a functional one to an understanding of the symbolic meaning of these highly ritualised sites, and shows how they were constructed to signify power through monuments and natural features. This original and stimulating study is set not only in the context of the Viking and Norse periods, but also in the wider continental histories of place, assembly and the rhetoric of power.
Jón Vidar Sigurdsson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781501705779
- eISBN:
- 9781501708480
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501705779.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
Friendship was the most important social bond in Iceland and Norway during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages. Far more significantly than kinship ties, it defined relations between chieftains, ...
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Friendship was the most important social bond in Iceland and Norway during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages. Far more significantly than kinship ties, it defined relations between chieftains, and between chieftains and householders. This book explores the various ways in which friendship tied Icelandic and Norwegian societies together, its role in power struggles and ending conflicts, and how it shaped religious beliefs and practices both before and after the introduction of Christianity. The book details how loyalties between friends were established and maintained. The key elements of Viking friendship, it shows, were protection and generosity, which was most often expressed through gift giving and feasting. In a society without institutions that could guarantee support and security, these were crucial means of structuring mutual assistance. As a political force, friendship was essential in the decentralized Free State period in Iceland's history (from its settlement about 800 until it came under Norwegian control in the years 1262–1264) as local chieftains vied for power and peace. In Norway, where authority was more centralized, kings attempted to use friendship to secure the loyalty of their subjects. The strong reciprocal demands of Viking friendship also informed the relationship that individuals had both with the Old Norse gods and, after 1000, with Christianity's God and saints. Addressing such other aspects as the possibility of friendship between women and the relationship between friendship and kinship, the book concludes by tracing the decline of friendship as the fundamental social bond in Iceland as a consequence of Norwegian rule.Less
Friendship was the most important social bond in Iceland and Norway during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages. Far more significantly than kinship ties, it defined relations between chieftains, and between chieftains and householders. This book explores the various ways in which friendship tied Icelandic and Norwegian societies together, its role in power struggles and ending conflicts, and how it shaped religious beliefs and practices both before and after the introduction of Christianity. The book details how loyalties between friends were established and maintained. The key elements of Viking friendship, it shows, were protection and generosity, which was most often expressed through gift giving and feasting. In a society without institutions that could guarantee support and security, these were crucial means of structuring mutual assistance. As a political force, friendship was essential in the decentralized Free State period in Iceland's history (from its settlement about 800 until it came under Norwegian control in the years 1262–1264) as local chieftains vied for power and peace. In Norway, where authority was more centralized, kings attempted to use friendship to secure the loyalty of their subjects. The strong reciprocal demands of Viking friendship also informed the relationship that individuals had both with the Old Norse gods and, after 1000, with Christianity's God and saints. Addressing such other aspects as the possibility of friendship between women and the relationship between friendship and kinship, the book concludes by tracing the decline of friendship as the fundamental social bond in Iceland as a consequence of Norwegian rule.
James E. Fraser
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748612314
- eISBN:
- 9780748672158
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748612314.003.0015
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
The achievement represented by the tenacious reigns of Onuist and Eadberct is conveniently demonstrated by the convulsions experienced by their realms in the run-up to the Viking Age. Successful ...
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The achievement represented by the tenacious reigns of Onuist and Eadberct is conveniently demonstrated by the convulsions experienced by their realms in the run-up to the Viking Age. Successful expansionist regimes of the early Middle Ages tended to experience difficulty maintaining themselves, once the possibility of further expansion waned. Since 685 the Northumbrians had become squeezed between Mercian and Pictish superpowers, and internal troubles afflicted every Northumbrian king after Aldfrith. Eadberct was no exception, but coped well enough to contemplate expanding his frontiers; yet there would be no Ecgwulfing hegemony.Less
The achievement represented by the tenacious reigns of Onuist and Eadberct is conveniently demonstrated by the convulsions experienced by their realms in the run-up to the Viking Age. Successful expansionist regimes of the early Middle Ages tended to experience difficulty maintaining themselves, once the possibility of further expansion waned. Since 685 the Northumbrians had become squeezed between Mercian and Pictish superpowers, and internal troubles afflicted every Northumbrian king after Aldfrith. Eadberct was no exception, but coped well enough to contemplate expanding his frontiers; yet there would be no Ecgwulfing hegemony.
Jón Viðar Sigurðsson
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781501705779
- eISBN:
- 9781501708480
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501705779.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This introductory chapter provides an overview of friendship. Friendship exists in a state of constant flux, being shaped by and shaping other personal relationships. Thus, it cannot be studied in ...
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This introductory chapter provides an overview of friendship. Friendship exists in a state of constant flux, being shaped by and shaping other personal relationships. Thus, it cannot be studied in isolation of other social relations. Until about 1970, the idea of a strong kin group was central to the discussion of Norwegian and Icelandic society in the Viking Age and the high Middle Ages. The view was that a patriarchal kin-based organization united the social, judicial, political, and religious facets of society. The kin group possessed land in common and probably took care of the “individual kin-group member's need for protection, his lawful rights and his religious needs.” Over time there has been a shift in the debate in Iceland and Norway, from a focus on the kin-based society and the political institutions described in the law codes, toward the political culture and the role friendship played.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of friendship. Friendship exists in a state of constant flux, being shaped by and shaping other personal relationships. Thus, it cannot be studied in isolation of other social relations. Until about 1970, the idea of a strong kin group was central to the discussion of Norwegian and Icelandic society in the Viking Age and the high Middle Ages. The view was that a patriarchal kin-based organization united the social, judicial, political, and religious facets of society. The kin group possessed land in common and probably took care of the “individual kin-group member's need for protection, his lawful rights and his religious needs.” Over time there has been a shift in the debate in Iceland and Norway, from a focus on the kin-based society and the political institutions described in the law codes, toward the political culture and the role friendship played.
Alexandra Sanmark
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781474402293
- eISBN:
- 9781474435260
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474402293.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
Chapter 2 examines the function of assemblies in Vikingage society and provides a detailed analysis of the assembly institution in Scandinavia and how this fitted into earlier Germanic assembly ...
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Chapter 2 examines the function of assemblies in Vikingage society and provides a detailed analysis of the assembly institution in Scandinavia and how this fitted into earlier Germanic assembly systems in Mainland Europe. This is important as the thing organisation is at times seen as an isolated phenomenon related to Norse society only. It is shown that many of the traits present in Vikingage society are found in early medieval sources from Frankia and Saxony. This chapter also investigates which groups in society could actively participate in assembly-meetings, demonstrating that the elite was the most influential. The traditional male-female binary division of ‘included’ men and ‘excluded’ women is, moreover, shown to be invalid.Less
Chapter 2 examines the function of assemblies in Vikingage society and provides a detailed analysis of the assembly institution in Scandinavia and how this fitted into earlier Germanic assembly systems in Mainland Europe. This is important as the thing organisation is at times seen as an isolated phenomenon related to Norse society only. It is shown that many of the traits present in Vikingage society are found in early medieval sources from Frankia and Saxony. This chapter also investigates which groups in society could actively participate in assembly-meetings, demonstrating that the elite was the most influential. The traditional male-female binary division of ‘included’ men and ‘excluded’ women is, moreover, shown to be invalid.
Erin Michelle Goeres
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198745747
- eISBN:
- 9780191808173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198745747.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Anglo-Saxon / Old English Literature, Poetry
This chapter introduces the book and provides background on modern and medieval theories of social memory. It discusses the work of scholars such as Maurice Halbwachs, Paul Connerton, and Pierre Nora ...
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This chapter introduces the book and provides background on modern and medieval theories of social memory. It discusses the work of scholars such as Maurice Halbwachs, Paul Connerton, and Pierre Nora and considers the relevance of their theories to the medieval context. The chapter then compares their views to medieval theories of memory, particularly those of Snorri Sturluson. It then discusses the role of the skald at the early medieval court and the relationship between skaldic poetry and social remembrance. It also discusses forms of poetic commemoration in Viking-Age Scandinavia and presents the main arguments of the book, concluding with an overview of each of the following chapters.Less
This chapter introduces the book and provides background on modern and medieval theories of social memory. It discusses the work of scholars such as Maurice Halbwachs, Paul Connerton, and Pierre Nora and considers the relevance of their theories to the medieval context. The chapter then compares their views to medieval theories of memory, particularly those of Snorri Sturluson. It then discusses the role of the skald at the early medieval court and the relationship between skaldic poetry and social remembrance. It also discusses forms of poetic commemoration in Viking-Age Scandinavia and presents the main arguments of the book, concluding with an overview of each of the following chapters.
Timothy Bolton
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780300208337
- eISBN:
- 9780300226256
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300208337.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This introductory chapter discusses the significance of analyzing the life story of Cnut, one of the most fascinating of the pre-Conquest kings of England. His life offers several new ways of ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the significance of analyzing the life story of Cnut, one of the most fascinating of the pre-Conquest kings of England. His life offers several new ways of examining late Anglo-Saxon England in addition to areas of neighbouring Scandinavia, as well as of questioning the established norms of how an English monarch could and should behave in the eleventh century. His regime spread beyond the British Isles and spanned multiple geographical boundaries in northern Europe. In ruling these nations, Cnut had to cross substantial cultural and linguistic boundaries, and appeal to local elites in each region in entirely different ways. The resulting regimes would profoundly change the societies of England and Denmark, and ultimately contribute significantly to the end of the Viking Age in Scandinavia.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the significance of analyzing the life story of Cnut, one of the most fascinating of the pre-Conquest kings of England. His life offers several new ways of examining late Anglo-Saxon England in addition to areas of neighbouring Scandinavia, as well as of questioning the established norms of how an English monarch could and should behave in the eleventh century. His regime spread beyond the British Isles and spanned multiple geographical boundaries in northern Europe. In ruling these nations, Cnut had to cross substantial cultural and linguistic boundaries, and appeal to local elites in each region in entirely different ways. The resulting regimes would profoundly change the societies of England and Denmark, and ultimately contribute significantly to the end of the Viking Age in Scandinavia.
Erin Michelle Goeres
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198745747
- eISBN:
- 9780191808173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198745747.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, Anglo-Saxon / Old English Literature, Poetry
This chapter reiterates the main arguments that have been raised in the book. It notes that a wide range of commemorative texts may be found within the corpus of Viking-Age skaldic verse. Although ...
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This chapter reiterates the main arguments that have been raised in the book. It notes that a wide range of commemorative texts may be found within the corpus of Viking-Age skaldic verse. Although the function of praise-poetry is often characterized as the simple exchange of reputation for honour, it is concluded that commemorative texts could fulfil a variety of functions, including the legitimation of power, the re-establishment of social and political order, and resistance to the new king’s reign. It is further noted that the role of commemoration changed with the Christianization of Scandinavia as poetic texts also came to function as hagiography and advice to princes. It is argued that skaldic commemoration was intimately linked to expressions of political and social identity.Less
This chapter reiterates the main arguments that have been raised in the book. It notes that a wide range of commemorative texts may be found within the corpus of Viking-Age skaldic verse. Although the function of praise-poetry is often characterized as the simple exchange of reputation for honour, it is concluded that commemorative texts could fulfil a variety of functions, including the legitimation of power, the re-establishment of social and political order, and resistance to the new king’s reign. It is further noted that the role of commemoration changed with the Christianization of Scandinavia as poetic texts also came to function as hagiography and advice to princes. It is argued that skaldic commemoration was intimately linked to expressions of political and social identity.
