Visions of hierarchy and inequality in early Medieval England / Stuart Pracy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pracy, Stuart, author.

Series:

Elements in England in the Early Medieval World Series

Cambridge elements. Elements in England in the early Medieval world 2632-203X

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wulfstan, Archbishop of York, -1023.

Wulfstan, Archbishop of York.

Aristocracy (Social class)--England--History--Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066.

Aristocracy (Social class).

Aristocracy (Social class)--England--History--Norman period, 1066-1154.

Nobility--England--History--Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066.

Nobility.

Nobility--England--History--Norman period, 1066-1154.

England--Social life and customs--To 1066.

England.

England--Social life and customs--1066-1485.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (75 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2024.

Summary:

This Element examines the socio-political hierarchy of England in the tenth and eleventh centuries, focusing upon the plasticity of the boundary between the ranks of ceorl and thegn. Offering a nuanced analysis of terms such as thegn and ceorl in both early medieval texts and modern scholarship, the Element highlights the mechanisms that allowed these non-institutional signifiers to hold such social weight while conferring few tangible benefits. To better describe the relative social positions, the author argues that a compound method is preferable, supporting this proposal via a thorough deconstruction of writings by Archbishop Wulfstan II of York − responsible for many of scholars' ideas about rank in the period − and the examination of sources that evidence a blurring of 'middling' social boundaries across the two centuries under discussion. Together, these strands of interrogation allow for a fuller understanding of how status was constructed in early medieval England.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Jan 2025).

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781009308359

1009308351

9781009308380

1009308386

9781009308342

1009308343