The Conversion of Scandinavia

Description

In this book a MacArthur Award-winning scholar argues for a radically new interpretation of the conversion of Scandinavia from paganism to Christianity in the early Middle Ages. Overturning the received narrative of Europe's military and religious conquest and colonization of the region, Anders Winroth contends that rather than acting as passive recipients, Scandinavians converted to Christianity because it was in individual chieftains' political, economic, and cultural interests to do so. Through a painstaking analysis and historical reconstruction of both archeological and literary sources, and drawing on scholarly work that has been unavailable in English, Winroth opens up new avenues for studying European ascendency and the expansion of Christianity in the medieval period. Contents Acknowledgments Note on Names and Translations Maps Introduction: Europe, Scandinavia, and Hallfred the Skald 1. The Dynamic Eighth Century: Scandinavia Comes of Age 2. The Raids of the Vikings 3. The Power of Gifts 4. Carving Out Power 5. Weland, Ulfberht, and Other Artisans 6. The Lure of the Exotic 7. Networks of Trade 8. The Story of Conversion 9. Writing Conversion 10. The Gift of Christianity 11. Kings of God’s Grace 12. Scandinavia in European History Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index