James Fraser
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748612314
- eISBN:
- 9780748672158
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748612314.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
This book examines the transformation of Iron Age northern Britain into a land of Christian kingdoms, long before ‘Scotland’ came into existence. Perched at the edge of the western Roman Empire, ...
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This book examines the transformation of Iron Age northern Britain into a land of Christian kingdoms, long before ‘Scotland’ came into existence. Perched at the edge of the western Roman Empire, northern Britain was not unaffected by the experience, and became swept up in the great tide of processes which gave rise to the early medieval West. Like other places, the country experienced social and ethnic metamorphoses, Christianisation, and colonization by dislocated outsiders, but northern Britain also has its own unique story to tell in the first eight centuries ad. This detailed political history treats these centuries as a single period, with due regard for Scotland's position in the bigger story of late Antique transition. It charts the complex and shadowy processes that saw the familiar Picts, Northumbrians, North Britons and Gaels of early Scottish history become established in the country; the achievements of their foremost political figures; and their ongoing links with the world around them. It is a story which has become much revised through changing trends in scholarly approaches to the challenging evidence, and that transformation too is explained for the benefit of students and general readers.Less
This book examines the transformation of Iron Age northern Britain into a land of Christian kingdoms, long before ‘Scotland’ came into existence. Perched at the edge of the western Roman Empire, northern Britain was not unaffected by the experience, and became swept up in the great tide of processes which gave rise to the early medieval West. Like other places, the country experienced social and ethnic metamorphoses, Christianisation, and colonization by dislocated outsiders, but northern Britain also has its own unique story to tell in the first eight centuries ad. This detailed political history treats these centuries as a single period, with due regard for Scotland's position in the bigger story of late Antique transition. It charts the complex and shadowy processes that saw the familiar Picts, Northumbrians, North Britons and Gaels of early Scottish history become established in the country; the achievements of their foremost political figures; and their ongoing links with the world around them. It is a story which has become much revised through changing trends in scholarly approaches to the challenging evidence, and that transformation too is explained for the benefit of students and general readers.
Alex Woolf
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748612338
- eISBN:
- 9780748672165
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748612338.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
In the 780s, northern Britain was dominated by two great kingdoms: Pictavia, centred in north-eastern Scotland; and Northumbria, which straddled the modern Anglo-Scottish border. Within a hundred ...
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In the 780s, northern Britain was dominated by two great kingdoms: Pictavia, centred in north-eastern Scotland; and Northumbria, which straddled the modern Anglo-Scottish border. Within a hundred years, both of these kingdoms had been thrown into chaos by the onslaught of the Vikings, and within two hundred years they had become distant memories. This book charts the transformation of the political landscape of northern Britain between the eighth and the eleventh centuries. Central to this narrative is the mysterious disappearance of the Picts and their language, and the sudden rise to prominence of the Gaelic-speaking Scots who would replace them as the rulers of the North. The book uses fragmentary sources that survive from this darkest period in Scottish history to guide the reader past the pitfalls which beset the unwary traveller in these dangerous times. Important sources are presented in full, and their value as evidence is thoroughly explored and evaluated.Less
In the 780s, northern Britain was dominated by two great kingdoms: Pictavia, centred in north-eastern Scotland; and Northumbria, which straddled the modern Anglo-Scottish border. Within a hundred years, both of these kingdoms had been thrown into chaos by the onslaught of the Vikings, and within two hundred years they had become distant memories. This book charts the transformation of the political landscape of northern Britain between the eighth and the eleventh centuries. Central to this narrative is the mysterious disappearance of the Picts and their language, and the sudden rise to prominence of the Gaelic-speaking Scots who would replace them as the rulers of the North. The book uses fragmentary sources that survive from this darkest period in Scottish history to guide the reader past the pitfalls which beset the unwary traveller in these dangerous times. Important sources are presented in full, and their value as evidence is thoroughly explored and evaluated.
G W S Barrow
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748620227
- eISBN:
- 9780748672189
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748620227.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
The death of the Scottish king Alexander III on 18 March 1286 plunged his kingdom into uncertainty, as the Scots faced first the prospect of a small child as queen and then, on her death, competing ...
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The death of the Scottish king Alexander III on 18 March 1286 plunged his kingdom into uncertainty, as the Scots faced first the prospect of a small child as queen and then, on her death, competing claims to the throne by distant heirs, descendants of the twelfth-century king David I. Faced with these difficulties, the earls, barons and ecclesiastical leaders of Scotland chose a group of representatives, the ‘Guardians’, to govern the country and act on behalf of the community of the realm. The succession dispute was exploited by Edward I of England, keen to exercise overlordship over the Scots. Resistance by the community of the realm and the Guardians led to war, in which William Wallace played a notable role 1297-1305. This book, which is based on a critical re-evaluation of the surviving evidence, tells the story of how the Scots responded to Edward's attempts at conquest and how, beginning with his daring coronation in 1306, Robert Bruce claimed the throne, fended off attempts by Edward I to capture him, defeated his enemies in Scotland, won over supporters and established his position, defeating Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. The political role of the Scottish aristocracy in Scotland's wars of independence, relations between ‘Celtic’ and ‘Anglo-Norman’, highland and lowland Scotland are key themes in this book; so too is the significant part played by Scottish church leaders in government and also in drafting the documents setting out Scotland's case to an international audience.Less
The death of the Scottish king Alexander III on 18 March 1286 plunged his kingdom into uncertainty, as the Scots faced first the prospect of a small child as queen and then, on her death, competing claims to the throne by distant heirs, descendants of the twelfth-century king David I. Faced with these difficulties, the earls, barons and ecclesiastical leaders of Scotland chose a group of representatives, the ‘Guardians’, to govern the country and act on behalf of the community of the realm. The succession dispute was exploited by Edward I of England, keen to exercise overlordship over the Scots. Resistance by the community of the realm and the Guardians led to war, in which William Wallace played a notable role 1297-1305. This book, which is based on a critical re-evaluation of the surviving evidence, tells the story of how the Scots responded to Edward's attempts at conquest and how, beginning with his daring coronation in 1306, Robert Bruce claimed the throne, fended off attempts by Edward I to capture him, defeated his enemies in Scotland, won over supporters and established his position, defeating Edward II at Bannockburn in 1314. The political role of the Scottish aristocracy in Scotland's wars of independence, relations between ‘Celtic’ and ‘Anglo-Norman’, highland and lowland Scotland are key themes in this book; so too is the significant part played by Scottish church leaders in government and also in drafting the documents setting out Scotland's case to an international audience.
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.
