Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation
A concise history of medieval Scandinavia

Christianity and European-style monarchy—the cross and the scepter—were introduced to Scandinavia in the tenth century, a development that was to have profound implications for all of Europe. Cross and Scepter is a concise history of the Scandinavian kingdoms from the age of the Vikings to the Reformation, written by Scandinavia's leading medieval historian. Sverre Bagge shows how the rise of the three kingdoms not only changed the face of Scandinavia, but also helped make the territorial state the standard political unit in Western Europe. He describes Scandinavia’s momentous conversion to Christianity and the creation of church and monarchy there, and traces how these events transformed Scandinavian law and justice, military and administrative organization, social structure, political culture, and the division of power among the king, aristocracy, and common people. Bagge sheds important new light on the reception of Christianity and European learning in Scandinavia, and on Scandinavian history writing, philosophy, political thought, and courtly culture. He looks at the reception of European impulses and their adaptation to Scandinavian conditions, and examines the relationship of the three kingdoms to each other and the rest of Europe, paying special attention to the inter-Scandinavian unions and their consequences for the concept of government and the division of power.

Cross and Scepter provides an essential introduction to Scandinavian medieval history for scholars and general readers alike, offering vital new insights into state formation and cultural change in Europe.

1117037548
Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation
A concise history of medieval Scandinavia

Christianity and European-style monarchy—the cross and the scepter—were introduced to Scandinavia in the tenth century, a development that was to have profound implications for all of Europe. Cross and Scepter is a concise history of the Scandinavian kingdoms from the age of the Vikings to the Reformation, written by Scandinavia's leading medieval historian. Sverre Bagge shows how the rise of the three kingdoms not only changed the face of Scandinavia, but also helped make the territorial state the standard political unit in Western Europe. He describes Scandinavia’s momentous conversion to Christianity and the creation of church and monarchy there, and traces how these events transformed Scandinavian law and justice, military and administrative organization, social structure, political culture, and the division of power among the king, aristocracy, and common people. Bagge sheds important new light on the reception of Christianity and European learning in Scandinavia, and on Scandinavian history writing, philosophy, political thought, and courtly culture. He looks at the reception of European impulses and their adaptation to Scandinavian conditions, and examines the relationship of the three kingdoms to each other and the rest of Europe, paying special attention to the inter-Scandinavian unions and their consequences for the concept of government and the division of power.

Cross and Scepter provides an essential introduction to Scandinavian medieval history for scholars and general readers alike, offering vital new insights into state formation and cultural change in Europe.

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Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation

Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation

by Sverre Bagge
Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation

Cross and Scepter: The Rise of the Scandinavian Kingdoms from the Vikings to the Reformation

by Sverre Bagge

Hardcover

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Overview

A concise history of medieval Scandinavia

Christianity and European-style monarchy—the cross and the scepter—were introduced to Scandinavia in the tenth century, a development that was to have profound implications for all of Europe. Cross and Scepter is a concise history of the Scandinavian kingdoms from the age of the Vikings to the Reformation, written by Scandinavia's leading medieval historian. Sverre Bagge shows how the rise of the three kingdoms not only changed the face of Scandinavia, but also helped make the territorial state the standard political unit in Western Europe. He describes Scandinavia’s momentous conversion to Christianity and the creation of church and monarchy there, and traces how these events transformed Scandinavian law and justice, military and administrative organization, social structure, political culture, and the division of power among the king, aristocracy, and common people. Bagge sheds important new light on the reception of Christianity and European learning in Scandinavia, and on Scandinavian history writing, philosophy, political thought, and courtly culture. He looks at the reception of European impulses and their adaptation to Scandinavian conditions, and examines the relationship of the three kingdoms to each other and the rest of Europe, paying special attention to the inter-Scandinavian unions and their consequences for the concept of government and the division of power.

Cross and Scepter provides an essential introduction to Scandinavian medieval history for scholars and general readers alike, offering vital new insights into state formation and cultural change in Europe.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691161501
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 04/06/2014
Pages: 336
Sales rank: 989,053
Product dimensions: 5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Sverre Bagge is professor emeritus of medieval history at the University of Bergen in Norway. His books include Kings, Politics, and the Right Order of the World in German Historiography.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction 1

CHAPTER ONE 9

The Origins of the Scandinavian Kingdoms

Early Scandinavian Society 9

Scandinavian Expansion: The Viking Expeditions 21

The Division of Scandinavia into Three Kingdoms 27

The Continued Division of Scandinavia: Foreign Policy until around 1300 38

CHAPTER TWO 50

The Consolidation of the Scandinavian Kingdoms, c. 1050-1350

The Dynasty and the Royal Office 50

Religion: The Introduction of Christianity 60

The Development of the Ecclesiastical Organization 70

Justice: Royal and Ecclesiastical Legislation and Courts of Law 86

War and the Preparation for War: From

Leding to Professional Forces 107

CHAPTER THREE 119

State Formation, Social Change, and the Division of Power

Social Structure in the High Middle Ages 120

Royal and Ecclesiastical Revenues 124

Towns and Trade 131

Bureaucracy or Feudalism? 139

The Court 152

The Division of Power: Monarchy, Aristocracy, and the Church 157

The State and the People: Nationalism and Loyalty 169

CHAPTER FOUR 174

Royal, Aristocratic, and Ecclesiastical Culture

Scandinavians and European Learning 176

The Rules and the Hearts: Scandinavian Christianity 187

A Scandinavian Saint 196

The Writing of History 203

Political Thought 218

The Courtly Culture 222

CHAPTER FIVE 232

The Later Middle Ages: Agrarian Crisis, Constitutional Conflicts, and Scandinavian Unions

Towards Renewed Scandinavian Integration, 1261-1397 236

The Kalmar Union 248

The Struggle over the Kalmar Union, 1434-1523 250

Why Was the Union Dissolved? 260

State Formation in the Later Middle Ages 268

The Reformation and Its Consequences, 1523-1537 283

CONCLUSION 290

Scandinavian State Formation, 900-1537: Break and Continuity

Literature 293

The Historiography of the Scandinavian Countries 293

The Sources for Scandinavian History 297

References and Guide to Further Reading 301

Index 315

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This book demonstrates the mastery Sverre Bagge has acquired through his immense and innovative work on state formation in Scandinavia. It will have enduring effects on future discussions because it is as peerless at describing and analyzing micro-processes as at integrating and comparing macro-processes from other parts of Europe."—Gerhard Althoff, University of Münster

"A tour de force. Cross and Scepter is a short, readable, and deeply learned introduction to the political and constitutional history of Scandinavia, written by Scandinavia's foremost medieval historian. No one else but Bagge could have achieved this with such apparent ease."—Patrick Geary, author of The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe

"A masterful survey of Scandinavian history in the Middle Ages. Bagge's writing has focus and drive without unduly skating over important details. The scholarship is superb, as one would expect from the leading Scandinavian medieval historian of his generation."—Anders Winroth, author of The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants, and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe

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