<p>The Chronica regni Gothorum is the first Latin national history of Sweden. Completed after 1471 by a canon of Uppsala, Ericus Olai, it testifies to the articulation at the Swedish arch see of the dominant political issues of the day: the status of the Swedish realm in the union with Denmark-Norway, and the relations between the king, aristocracy and ecclesiastical leadership. This thesis analyses the discourse on authority in the Chronica. It investigates the normative basis of Ericus’s treatment of contemporary political issues as a source for the social-political outlooks of Sweden’s ecclesiastical power elite, a group not previously studied in this respect. In particular, it argues for the importance of two prescriptive assumptions on social order, which lie at the heart of the authority discourse in the Chronica: God divided the world into self-governing peoples and realms, and He instituted the lay and clerical orders as parallel hierarchies of societal authority.</p><p>The thesis situates the production of the Chronica within the educational concerns of the Uppsala institution. It scrutinizes the commonplaces – derived from various fields of knowledge – through which Ericus articulated his dualist and nationalist assumptions. The realization of these notions in his historical account is examined in sections of the text where matters of importance for the Uppsala church are evident. Special attention is paid to Ericus’s account of the royal martyr, St Erik, the so-called Engelbrekt rebellion, and the contemporary strife between the Uppsala church and the kings. The thesis ends with a study of the reception of the Chronica in the 1520s, a time when the Reformation and the consolidation of a strong national monarchy in Sweden brought the authority issues addressed by Ericus to conclusion.</p>

The Chronica regni Gothorum is the first Latin national history of Sweden. Completed after 1471 by a canon of Uppsala, Ericus Olai, it testifies to the articulation at the Swedish arch see of the dominant political issues of the day: the status of the Swedish realm in the union with Denmark-Norway, and the relations between the king, aristocracy and ecclesiastical leadership. This thesis analyses the discourse on authority in the Chronica. It investigates the normative basis of Ericus’s treatment of contemporary political issues as a source for the social-political outlooks of Sweden’s ecclesiastical power elite, a group not previously studied in this respect. In particular, it argues for the importance of two prescriptive assumptions on social order, which lie at the heart of the authority discourse in the Chronica: God divided the world into self-governing peoples and realms, and He instituted the lay and clerical orders as parallel hierarchies of societal authority. The thesis situates the production of the Chronica within the educational concerns of the Uppsala institution. It scrutinizes the commonplaces – derived from various fields of knowledge – through which Ericus articulated his dualist and nationalist assumptions. The realization of these notions in his historical account is examined in sections of the text where matters of importance for the Uppsala church are evident. Special attention is paid to Ericus’s account of the royal martyr, St Erik, the so-called Engelbrekt rebellion, and the contemporary strife between the Uppsala church and the kings. The thesis ends with a study of the reception of the Chronica in the 1520s, a time when the Reformation and the consolidation of a strong national monarchy in Sweden brought the authority issues addressed by Ericus to conclusion.

This paper endeavors to examine the mechanisms by which the crown of France was able to subsume the region of Languedoc in the wake of the Albigensian Crusade in the thirteenth century. The systematic use of Catholic doctrine and an inquisition run by the Dominican Order of Preachers allowed France to dominate the populace of the region and destroy any indigenous social, economic, and political structures.

Västergarn is one of the smallest parishes on the island of Gotland. It’s a place of rich history and has been subject to numerous excavations throughout the years. The University of Gotland has conducted seminar excavations at Västergarn between the years of 2005-2012. During these excavations a lot of horse related finds have been found. By studying these finds archaeologist can learn a lot about the horses and the people who once lived in Västergarn. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on the urban and rural horse in Västergarn. How big were the horses? Were the horses used for riding or farming? What can the finds tell us about the people who lived in Västergarn and their view on horse handling?

Den här uppsatsens syfte har varit att kartlägga skillnader i representation av individer med dvärgväxt, från antikens Egypten fram till renässansen. Forskning har gjorts på detta utanför Sverige, men de fyra svenska människorna med dvärgväxt har inte tillfogats och jämförts med det utländska materialet innan denna uppsats. Metoden har varit en litterär jämförelse där andra författare har analyserats. De förhistoriska och historiska litterära verken som dessa författare undersökt har bland annat innefattat egyptiska papyrus, grekisk och romersk lagstiftning och medeltida dokument. Konst från dessa tider har också undersökts. Resultatet av uppsatsen har varit att uppfattningen av dvärgväxt har undergått stor variation genom förhistorien och historien. Ju längre tillbaka vi går desto högre tolerans finner vi. Dvärgar var populära i Egypten på ett sätt som återkommer i medeltidens och renässansens Europa, då hovdvärgar är på modet. Hur det har sett ut i Skandinavien är svårt att säga trots de mänskliga kvarlevorna som påträffats av individer med dvärgväxt. I uppsatsen tas även myter och folklore om dvärgar upp för att måla en djupare förståelsebild av acceptansen i samhället och hur legender kan antingen hjälpa eller stjälpa i sammanhanget.

Gründung und Gestalt der historischen Bibliotheken im heutigen Freistaat Sachsen liegen fast ausnahmslos im Dunkel der Geschichte. Umso erfreulicher ist es, wenn – wie jüngst mit dem Beitrag von Tom Graber, Christoph Mackert und Martina Schattkowsky in der letzten Ausgabe von BIS geschehen – von Forschungsergebnissen berichtet werden kann, die unser Bild von der deutschen Bibliothekslandschaft in Spätmittelalter und Früher Neuzeit erhellen (Tom Graber, Christoph Mackert, Martina Schattkowsky: Die Klosterbibliothek von Altzelle, in: BIS 2 (2009) 2, S. 124 – 126). Die Autoren hatten am Beispiel der Bibliothek des Klosters Altzelle die Auswirkungen des Humanismus auf das Büchereiwesen um 1500 im mitteldeutschen Raum dargelegt. Sie berichteten, wie Abt Martin von Lochau, offenbar vom humanistischen Bildungsideal geleitet, die Gründung einer der gelehrten Welt zugänglichen, als „bibliotheca publica“ bezeichneten Büchersammlung forcierte.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boise State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-77).

Die Reihe ›Saxofodina‹ wird in lockerer Folge »Fundstücke zur Literatur- und Kulturgeschichte Sachsens in Mittelalter und Früher Neuzeit« präsentieren. Die Stücke sollen quellennah präsentiert, die Lektüre durch Übersetzung und Kommentar erleichtert werden. Der Reihentitel lehnt sich an die ›Celifodina‹ oder ›Himmlische Fundgrube‹ an. Ausgangspunkt dieses Traktats war das aufblühende Montanwesen auf dem Schneeberg, das den Augustinerprediger Johann von Paltz 1492 zu einer Reihe von Predigten animierte. Die daraus entwickelte ›Celifodina‹ sollte eines der erfolgreichsten Werke spätmittelalterlicher Frömmigkeitstheologie werden. »Fundstücke« referiert zum einen auf gänzlich Verborgenes, erstmals ans Licht Gefördertes, zum andern aber auch auf seit langer Zeit Verschüttetes, das hier in neuer Form aufs Neue ausgestellt werden soll. Dazu gehören Neufunde aus Archiven und Bibliotheken Sachsens, aber auch Funde, die Sachsen betreffen; weiterhin Editionen und Kommentare, aber auch Hilfs- und Findemittel zur sächsischen Literatur- und Kulturgeschichte der Vormoderne. Wir hoffen, mit dieser Reihe an die vor bald einem Dreivierteljahrhundert weitgehend eingestellten Förderarbeiten im Stollen der sächsischen Literatur- und Kulturgeschichte der Vormoderne anschließen zu können.

Our perception of the Holy Grail is, for the most part, the result of orthodox views that have dominated literary interpretation. However, the first appearance of the Holy Grail in literature does not conform to the orthodox rules and traditions. In fact, the narrative of Perceval is filled with evidence that points to a very different form of Christianity, one that would have been considered heretical at the time that Chrétien de Troyes was writing it. The twelfth century in France is often called the "Golden Age" of heresies. As Manichaeism and Bogolism swept through the country, they gave birth to a new heresy, that of Catharism. A defining factor shared by these three heresies is dualism, a belief in two gods, one being good and the other evil. These beliefs can all be traced to early Christianity and to groups who believed that they were the true followers of Christ. This study seeks to look at evidence of these beliefs in Perceval, while showing at the same time the implausibility of an orthodox interpretation. Research for this study extends to the beginnings of Christianity, more specifically to Gnostic beliefs. It also looks at other religious influences in France in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, and at the Cathars. It examines what little we know about Chrétien de Troyes and the likelihood that he was influenced by heretical beliefs. In conclusion, it offers a new perspective on the Grail narrative and the mystery that surrounds Chrétien's famously unfinished work. Through exploration of knowledge, the treatment of women, and the famous "grail" scene, we demonstrate the prevalence of Gnostic influences, and how these influences were likely to occur at the time. Although the true essence of the Grail may always remain a mystery, this study offers an "unorthodox" outlook on what has become a predominantly "orthodox" symbol.

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