Kings and aristocratic elites: communicating power and status in medieval Norway

Abstract

The article investigates the decisive developments of interactions between the Norwegian crown and the aristocratic elites in twelfth and thirteenth century Norway. It reflects on how the issues of social dignity, pre-eminence and legitimacy were negotiated in a constantly changing communicative environment of the time: from direct interpersonal performance based on charisma, gestures and speeches executed in public rituals, to indirect communication using the written word in the context of the royal court. The study highlights how the tenets of power distinction and corporate identity within the Norwegian aristocratic elite reproduced and adapted to new communication vectors.