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GUPEA >
Faculty of Arts / Humanistiska fakulteten >
Department of Historical Studies / Institutionen för historiska studier >
Doctoral Theses / Doktorsavhandlingar >
Mandom och mödom: Sexualitet, homosocialitet och aristokratisk identitet på det senmedeltida Island
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http://hdl.handle.net/2077/20277
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| Title: | Mandom och mödom: Sexualitet, homosocialitet och aristokratisk identitet på det senmedeltida Island |
| Authors: | Bagerius, Henric |
| Email: | henric.bagerius@history.gu.se |
| Issue Date: | 2009-05-18 |
| University: | Göteborgs universitet. Humanistiska fakulteten
University of Gothenburg. Faculty of Arts |
| Department: | Department of Historical Studies ; Institutionen för historiska studier |
| Date for public defence: | 2009-06-12 |
| Public defence: | Fredagen den 12 juni 2009, kl. 10.15, Lilla hörsalen, Humanisten, Renströmsgatan 6, Göteborg |
| Examinationsnivå: | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Publication type: | Doctoral thesis |
| Keywords: | sexuality
gender
homosociality
virginity
aristocracy
aristocratic identity
romance
fornaldarsögur
riddarasögur
Iceland
Middle Ages |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to show how political and sexual strategies interacted when the Icelandic elite was reorganized in the late Middle Ages. During the years 1262 through 1264, the Icelanders... more agreed to pay tax to the Norwegian king and thus Iceland evolved into a more organized and hierarchical society. Representing the Norwegian crown, the Icelandic chieftains developed a stronger aristocratic identity. Their mutual understanding grew and so did their sense of being members of a chivalry. Emphasizing certain sexual norms was a way for the elite to define its own group and sexuality functioned as an important component when forming an aristocratic self-image. Through analyses of Icelandic romances and other sources, this dissertation shows that sexuality was frequently used to make distinctions of various kinds. Sexuality served as a marker to distinguish the chivalrous from the common, the human from the monstrous and the masculine from the feminine. In the romances, a homosocial pattern emerges, reflecting changing conceptions of male friendship in the aristocracy. In these narratives, it is the friendship between equal knights that matters. Chivalrous men seek each other's company and the strong bond between them often affect the way they act sexually. A chivalrous knight is able to control his sexual desires and he also considers the consequences of his actions. These characteristics distinguish him from other men in the romances. The heathen, for example, acts without respecting the rules of chivalry. He lacks the ability to reason and his urges cannot be subdued. These traits apply to the berserk as well. Sexuality was also important in distinguishing aristocratic women from other women. In the late Middle Ages, Icelandic aristocrats' interest in virginity increased - partially as a result of a stronger patrilineal way of thinking. However, the aristocratic approach to virginity was tinged with ambivalence. In the romances, there is something both enticing and frightening about the sexuality of young women. The maiden is adored because of her chastity and pure thoughts. On the other hand, her lack of sexual experience makes it difficult for her to control her sexual desires and to resist men. In this regard, the maiden is a source of deep worry. |
| Description: | Vad är mer privat än sexualitet? Och vad kan vara mer politiskt? Sexualiteten har alltid använts för politiska syften, och det finns många exempel på historiska förändringar där politiska och sexuella... more maktstrategier har växelverkat. I Mandom och mödom skildrar Henric Bagerius samspelet mellan politik och sexualitet i det isländska samhället under senmedeltiden. När den politiska makteliten på Island ombildades mot 1200-talets slut och med tiden utvecklade en starkare aristokratisk identitet, förändrades också dess sexuella tankemönster. Att lyfta fram och tydliggöra vissa sexuella normer blev ett sätt att definiera den egna gruppen. Det framgår särskilt av många riddarromaner som skrevs på det senmedeltida Island. De isländska riddarromanerna utgör ett rikt källmaterial för historikern, och de visar hur sexualiteten utnyttjades för att markera gränserna mellan det höviska och det gemena, det mänskliga och det monstruösa, det manliga och det kvinnliga. |
| ISBN: | 978-91-88614-71-1 |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/2077/20277 |
| Appears in Collections: | Doctoral Theses from University of Gothenburg / Doktorsavhandlingar från Göteborgs universitet
Doctoral Theses / Doktorsavhandlingar
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