Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery
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Creating Holy People and People Places Holy on theCreating Periphery Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery A Study of the Emergence of Cults of Native Saints in the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lund and Uppsala from the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Centuries During the medieval period, the introduction of a new belief system brought profound societal change to Scandinavia. One of the elements of this new religion was the cult of saints. This thesis examines the emergence of new cults of saints native to the region that became the ecclesiastical provinces of Lund and Uppsala in the twelfth century. The study examines theearliest, extant evidence for these cults, in particular that found in liturgical fragments. By analyzing and then comparing the relationship that each native saint’s cult had to the Christianization, the study reveals a mutually beneficial bond between these cults and a newly emerging Christian society. Sara E. EllisSara Nilsson Sara E. Ellis Nilsson Dissertation from the Department of Historical Studies ISBN 978-91-628-9274-6 Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery Dissertation from the Department of Historical Studies Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery A Study of the Emergence of Cults of Native Saints in the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lund and Uppsala from the Eleventh to the Th irteenth Centuries Sara E. Ellis Nilsson med en svensk sammanfattning Avhandling för fi losofi e doktorsexamen i historia Göteborgs universitet, den 20 februari 2015 Institutionen för historiska studier (Department of Historical Studies) ISBN: 978-91-628-9274-6 ISBN: 978-91-628-9275-3 (e-publikation) Distribution: Sara Ellis Nilsson, [email protected] © Sara E. Ellis Nilsson 2015 Cover photographs: Lund Cathedral (Aaron D. Ellis, 2000), Gamla Uppsala Church (Hardy Marcks von Würtemberg, 2009), fragments: Fr 25602 and Fr 25020 (Sara Ellis Nilsson, 2006) Cover layout: Henny Östlund Printed by Ale Tryckteam, Bohus 2015 Typeset by Rich Potter E-publikation: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/37695 iv Abstract Ellis Nilsson, Sara E., 2015: Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery. A Study of the Emergence of Cults of Native Saints in the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Lund and Uppsala from the Eleventh to the Th irteenth Centuries (Att skapa heliga personer och platser i periferin: en studie om uppkomsten av inhemska helgonkulter i de lundensiska och uppsaliensiska kyrkoprovinserna, ca 1000–1300). Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Written in English, with a Swedish summary. Holy people have been venerated in various forms by all religions and ideologies throughout history. Christianity is no exception with the development of the cults of saints beginning shortly after its formation. By the time Christianity reached Scandinavia, saints’ cults had been fully integrated into the Roman administrative structure. Th e new religion brought with it institutions, as well as religious practices. Th is thesis examines the cults of native saints that arose in Scandinavia during the Christianization of the region. It compares the Ecclesiastical Province of Lund, established in 1103, and the Ecclesiastical Province of Uppsala, established in 1164. Th e focus on these two provinces is partly based on their, at times, unequal relationship. Th e study aims to explain the underlying reasons for the establishment of new cults of saints in connection with the development of an ecclesiastical organization. Th e primary source material is comprised of liturgical manuscripts and fragments, iconography and diploma. Due to the relative lack of early medieval sources from Scandinavia, the surviving parchment fragments provide an especially valuable resource for research into Scandinavian medieval society. Th ey can reveal the importance of the cults of saints for those who promoted them. Th e fi rst part of this study presents the native saints whose cults are believed to have been established before the year 1300 and places them in categories developed in previous research. Th e analysis of the geographical spread of cults of native saints in the Lund and Uppsala provinces reveals that the type of saint has no bearing on the spread of the cult. Th e second part examines and compares the rise of cults of native saints and their place in the early liturgy in each bishopric in the two provinces. Th e study concludes that the right conditions and permanent central ecclesiastical institutions were required before new cults could be created, especially on an offi cial level with a feast day and liturgy. Although all cults played a key role in conveying ideology and creating a permanent holy landscape on the Christian periphery, their later use in the legitimization of ecclesiastical and secular institutions diff ered in the two provinces. Keywords: cults of saints, native saints, hagiography, liturgy, parchment fragments, conversion, Christianization, loca sanctorum, Middle Ages, Scandinavia, Micro- Christendom, unilocal, multilocal v Preface and acknowledgements “But – why saints?” One of the fi rst questions that is often asked when someone fi nds out you’re writing a dissertation is, “What’s your topic?” In my case, the second question is nearly always a confused, “Why saints?” Surprisingly enough, the answer has nothing to do with the fact that saints, with all their eccentricities, have always been a part of my life. When I decided to continue my studies at the post-graduate level, I was interested in studying the Viking Age and applied to the Medieval Studies MA programme at the University of York (UK) with that in mind. But, instead of warriors and settlers, I became interested in societal change and the Christianization. My scholarly interest in the medieval cult of saints itself was also awoken at York while studying for Catherine Cubitt. Her module focussed on Anglo-Saxon and Irish saints, which proved fascinating. And, yet, the relative dearth of information in English on Scandinavian saints – or medieval topics in general for that matter – sparked my curiosity and, after learning Swedish, I headed down the rabbit hole. Th at initial interest eventually led me to apply for a doctoral programme in Gothenburg, where it was rumoured that a vibrant community of medievalists had congregated. And so began my doctoral odyssey. Th is journey would not have been possible without the support of colleagues, advisors, family and friends. During my time as a doctoral candidate, I have also been fortunate enough to have attended many small conferences on saints and hagiography which have helped me build my own networks and create valuable contacts. Th e opportunity I have had to be the chair of doctoral student unions and act as a doctoral representative in vii Preface and acknowledgements committees on all levels at the university – from central to departmental – might have extended my time as a PhD-candidate, but it has also given me an invaluable perspective into the university as an organization in particular and academic life in general. My advisors on this project have always been generous with their time and assistance, especially in the last few hectic months before I submitted the fi nal manuscript. Th omas Lindkvist, Anders Fröjmark and Auður Magnusdóttir, thank you for all of your advice and patience in waiting for Th e Final Product. I am eternally grateful. Th e amount of archival research that has gone into this dissertation would not have been possible without the assistance of a number of scholars. Th ose who have been particularly invaluable include Gunilla Björkvall and Jan Brunius at Riksarkivet in Stockholm, and Michael Gelting at Rigsarkivet and Erik Petersen at Det Kongelige Bibliotek in Copenhagen. Th ank you for your patience and willingness to guide an enthusiastic new researcher. A big thank you to all of the senior scholars and doctoral candidates at the Department of History and, subsequently, the Department of Historical Studies. My fellow “doktorander” can always be counted on for countless, unpretentious conversations about life, history and the universe, as well as support, which make coming into work something to look forward to. When I fi rst started at the department, Helene Castenbrandt and Anna Þorgrímsdóttir were especially welcoming and supportive for which I am infi nitely grateful. I would also especially like to acknowledge my roommates through the years – Erika Harlitz Kern, Martin Dackling, Sari Nauman and Johannes Daun – who have always been a wonderful source of support and comradery, while reading texts and discussing issues big and small. Th e many networks that I have made over the years have enriched my research and made it possible to explore new ideas. Th ese scholars include all of the medievalists and hagiography researchers that I know far and wide, especially Christian Krötzl, Christian Oertel, Anna Minara Ciardi, Marika Räsänen, Sari Katajala-Peltomaa, Svend Clausen, Margaret Cormack and many others. Th e doctoral students in the PREMODs network have also provided a forum for important discussion and support. Th ank you! For the past eight years, I have been a long-distance commuter to Gothenburg from south-western Skåne. For the past three years, this would not have been possible without the generosity of several friends and colleagues viii Preface and acknowledgements who have let me couch-surf and provided me with temporary homes away from home. My sincerest thanks to Helene Castenbrandt and Rikard Arnell, Susanne Dodillet and Lars, Sari Nauman and Daniel Arvidsson and Martin Dackling! A big thank you also to my in-laws, Gullwi and Carl-Eric Nilsson, for helping to make a long-distance commuting parent’s life possible. You’ve been more than generous with your time by taking care of your grandchildren when things get hectic, especially in the last few months. Th ank you as well to my parents, Elizabeth and Douglas, my brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Liona, and my niece and nephews, Anna-Marie, Luke and Mark, for all of their support, love and encouragement from half a world away.