Viking law and order : places and rituals of assembly in the medieval North / Alexandra Sanmark.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sanmark, Alexandra, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vikings--Politics and government.

Vikings.

Political customs and rites--Scandinavia--History--To 1500.

Political customs and rites.

Civilization, Viking.

History.

Politics and government.

Scandinavia.

Physical Description:

xviii, 302 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2017]

Summary:

The Vikings are well-known for their violent raids and pillage, but they also had a well-organised system for political decision-making, legal cases and conflict resolution. These activities took place at outdoor assembly sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland, which were carefully selected for their characteristics and then maintained and rebuilt over time. Whilst not neglecting the violent elements of the Norse people, this book demonstrates that law and assembly formed an integral part of Norse life and identity, to the extent that the assembly institution was brought to all Norse settlements.

Contents:

1 Assembly Research: Past and Present 1

2 Early Germanic and Norse Assembly Organisations 30

3 Introducing the Assembly Sites of Scandinavia 56

4 Elite Rituals at Scandinavian Assemblies 82

5 Assembly Sites in Scandinavia: Activities and Rituals of the Community 117

6 Centralisation of Power: Christianity and Urbanisation 143

7 The Norse in the North Atlantic: Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland 162

8 The Norse in Scotland: Assembly and New Ancestors 194

9 Assemblies in the Longue Durée 241.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474402293

1474402291

OCLC:

1001384279