This book provides an analysis of the ideology of power in Norway and Iceland as reflected in sources written during the period 1150-1250. The main focus is explaining the way that Kings' power in Norway, and that of chieftains in Iceland, was idealised in important texts from the 12th and 13th centuries ('Sverris saga', 'Konungs skuggsjá', 'Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar', 'Íslendingabók', 'Egils saga', 'Laxdæla saga' and 'Þórdar saga kakala'). The originality of this work consists in the fact that it is the first monograph to comparatively analyse the ideology of power in Iceland, looking specifically at representations of king(s) and chieftains during the Civil Wars period, and compare the findings to those pertaining to Norway.
Author(s): Costel Coroban
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: XII+214
List of Maps and Tables ix
Preface / Silviu Miloiu x
Introduction 1
Chapter One. Theoretical Premises 7
1.1. Methodology, Medieval studies 7
1.2. Historiographical Observations on the Subject 9
1.3. Remarks on Political Theory and its Historiography 16
1.4. Ideology 21
1.5. Political Power 22
1.6. Ideology and Power 24
Chapter Two. Kingship in Norway 30
2.1. Introduction 30
2.2. Ideal Royalty in 'Sverris saga' 33
2.2.1. King Sverrir and 'den borgerkrigstiden' 34
2.2.2. Sverrir and Saint Óláfr 36
2.2.3. Sverrir – 'dux militum' 39
2.2.4. A King’s Luck 42
2.2.5. Sverrir the Orator 47
2.2.6. Sverrir the Upholder of Tradition 56
2.3. 'Konungs skuggsjá' – The King’s Mirror 58
2.3.1. Context: The consolidated Norwegian monarchy 62
2.3.2. The Pious King 64
2.3.3. Royal vs. Episcopal Power 72
2.3.4. 'Rex Justus' – The Ideal of Monarchy 77
2.3.5. Wisdom makes Justice 80
2.4. Hakón Hakónarson – King and Knight? 84
2.4.1. Introducing the Source 85
2.4.2. King Hákon Hákonarson 87
2.4.3. Patron of the Letters 89
2.4.4. Monarch and Knight-Erudite 94
2.5. Networks of Power in High Medieval Norway 101
2.6. Conclusion: The Norwegian Model 107
Chapter Three. Avatars of Power in High Medieval Iceland 110
3.1. Introduction 110
3.2. A Survey of 'Þjóðveldið Ísland': the Icelandic Commonwealth (c. 930-1262) 112
3.3. 'Íslendingabók' 120
3.3.1. Overview 120
3.3.2. Bishops and Chieftains 123
3.3.3. Lineage(s) of Power 126
3.4. 'Egils saga Skallagrímssonar' 138
3.4.1. Preliminaries 139
3.4.2. Comparative view of 'forn siðr' – the Old Way in Kingship 141
3.4.3. The King as Outsider 148
3.5. 'Laxdæla saga' 154
3.5.1. Peculiarities 154
3.5.2. Icons of Kings 156
3.5.3. Icons of Icelanders 161
3.6. 'Þórðar saga kakala' 169
3.6.1. A New Context 170
3.6.2. Chieftains as Kings 'in nuce' 171
3.6.3. Deconstructing Kingship 177
3.7. Conclusion: the Icelandic Model 181
Chapter Four. Conclusions 185
Bibliography 192
Index of Names 214
