Tuesday, May 17, 2011

In royal absence: The making of an Icelandic aristocracy, 1271–1387

As Iceland became part of the Norwegian kingship 1262–1264, a new power structure in the shape of an Icelandic aristocracy appointed by the king of Norway was established. This development is discussed in a doctoral thesis in History from the University of Gothenburg that sheds light on a period in the Icelandic history that previously has not received its due attention.

’The 14th century has never received a great deal of attention in Icelandic history writing. This is surprising since this period is at least as important as the considerably more frequently discussed so-called Free State period (around 930–1262/64) when Iceland was autonomous, especially considering the country’s state formation process,’ says the author of the thesis Sigríður Beck.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net