The Viking Age as a Period of Religious Transformation: The Christianization of Norway from AD 560–1150/1200

Description

This volume is the first to delve into Norway's history of Christianization since 1973 when Fridtjov Birkeli published his book on the topic. For the first time in over thirty years, Dr Nordeide illuminates the change from non-Christian to Christian rituals by analysing archaeological resources from c. AD 560 to c. 1150/1200. This book both asserts and challenges previous hypotheses of the chronology of Christianization, as well as offering fascinating new versions of the Norway's eventual conversion. As well as asserting that local history leads Norway along chronological lines typical of its peripheral location, the author argues that in some ways, Norway's history of Christianity is best located within the history of central European regions even more than has ever been suggested before. Preface vii List of Abbreviations xi List of Illustrations xiii Part I: Scholarship on the Christianization of Norway 1. Scholarship on the Christianization of Norway: An Introduction 3 2. Religion: Action and Belief 35 3. The Christianization Process: An Overview 57 Part II: Analytical Results 4. The Christianization Process from a Regional Perspective 91 5. A Perspective Across Norway 235 Part III: Cult(ural) Change: From Norse to Christian Cult 6. Interpreting the Evidence: The Process of Christianization in Norway 287 7. Conclusion 319 Appendix 327 Glossary of Terms 365 Bibliography 367 Index 387