Anglo-Saxon Kingship and Political Power
Rex gratia Dei
Author(s) Kathrin McCann
Language: English
Series: Religion and Culture in the Middle Ages
- October 2018 · 272 pages ·234x156mm
- · Hardback - 9781786832924
- · eBook - pdf - 9781786832931
- · eBook - epub - 9781786832948
About The Book
Works on Anglo-Saxon kingship often take as their starting point the line from Beowulf: ‘that was a good king’. This monograph, however, explores what it means to be a king, and how kings defined their own kingship in opposition to other powers. Kings derived their royal power from a divine source, which led to conflicts between the interpreters of the divine will (the episcopate) and the individual wielding power (the king). Demonstrating how Anglo-Saxon kings were able to manipulate political ideologies to increase their own authority, this book explores the unique way in which Anglo-Saxon kings understood the source and nature of their power, and of their own authority.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Timeline of Events
Introduction
Early Anglo-Saxon Politics
Diploma Politicum
The Anglo-Saxon Regina Gratia Dei
Reformers and Rulers
Rituals of King-Making
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Anglo-Saxon Kings
Appendix 2: Anglo-Saxon Archbishops
Appendix 3: Charter Elements
Table 1: Royal Styles
Table 2: Frequency of Legitimation Formulas
Table 3: Variants of Legitimation Formulas
Table 4: Historical Context
Table 5: Consecration Vocabulary in Charters
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary texts
Secondary texts
Websites