Nora Berend Livres

This 2007 text is a comparative, analysis of one of the most fundamental stages in the formation of Europe. Leading scholars explore the role of the spread of Christianity and the formation of new principalities in the birth of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Bohemia, Hungary, Poland and Rus' around the year 1000. Drawing on history, archaeology and art history, and emphasizing problems related to the sources and historiographical debates, they demonstrate the complex interdependence between the processes of religious and political change, covering conditions prior to the introduction of Christianity, the adoption of Christianity, and the development of the rulers' power. Regional patterns emerge, highlighting both the similarities in ruler-sponsored cases of Christianization, and differences in the consolidation of power and in institutions introduced by Christianity. The essays reveal how local societies adopted Christianity; medieval ideas of what constituted the dividing line between Christians and non-Christians; and the connections between Christianity and power.

Exploring the economic, social, legal, and religious dynamics of three minorities in medieval Hungary, this study reveals how their status was influenced by a complex interplay of factors beyond Christian doctrine. It highlights the legal and social systems, economic opportunities, and the tensions between monarchy and clergy. Additionally, the book examines the frontier with the nomadic world, shedding light on its impact on interactions between Christians and non-Christians, as well as its influence on Christian ideology.

Set in eleventh-century Spain, the narrative follows Rodrigo Diaz, a dynamic figure marked by ambition and brutality. As a military leader and mercenary, he navigates complex loyalties, serving Christian kings while battling against Christian princes and engaging in violent conflicts with Muslims. His journey leads him to establish an independent principality, showcasing his relentless pursuit of power and autonomy amidst a turbulent historical backdrop.

This groundbreaking comparative history of the early centuries of Bohemia, Hungary and Poland sets the development of each polity in the context of the central European region as a whole. Focusing on the origins of the realms and their development in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the book concludes with the thirteenth century when significant changes in social and economic structures occurred. The book presents a series of thematic chapters on every aspect of the early history of the region covering political, religious, economic, social and cultural developments, including an investigation of origin myths that questions traditional national narratives. It also explores the ways in which west European patterns were appropriated and adapted through the local initiatives of rulers, nobles and ecclesiastics in central Europe. An ideal introduction to the essential themes in medieval central European history, the book sheds important new light on regional similarities and differences.