Periodization of the reign of the Horfagers in Norway from the Battle of Hafsjord to the era of civil wars

Aleksandr A. Erzhenkov
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Aleksandr A. Erzhenkov: Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba; Educational complex No. 5 in Pushkino

Russian Social and Humanitarian Studies, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 166-186

Abstract: Background. The article is devoted to the reign of the Horfager dynasty in Norway in the period from the Battle of Hafsfjord, traditionally considered the central event in the process of state formation in Norway, to the beginning of the era of civil wars (1130-1140). The problem of the study is the simplified nature of the formed scientific knowledge about the era of the Horfagers and its discrepancy with the political transformations of the period of Norwegian history considered in the study. The relevance of the study is determined by the increased research attention to the history of medieval Norway, as well as maintaining the severity of the scientific debate about the cultural and political influence of its population and rulers on the course of European history. Objective. The purpose of the study is to determine the chronological periods in the history of the Horfager dynasty from the Battle of Hafsfjord to the era of the Civil Wars and to identify their essential characteristics. Materials and methods. The source base of the study is the Scandinavian sagas, primarily the "royal sagas" included in the collection "The Earthly Circle". As for the methodology of the work, it is based on the chronological method; the diachronic and historical-systemic methods defined the chronological framework of the study. In order to identify internal periods and their patterns within this framework, the historical-comparative method was used, and the historical-genetic method was applied to determine the reference points and causes of the emergence and attenuation of specific processes and phenomena. The article also contains a significant number of references to specific individuals and events, which necessitated the use of the ideographic method. Results. As a result of the work done, a periodization of the dynasty's rule in the selected period was compiled based on such characteristics as the legitimacy of the rulers, their authority and influence, as well as the system of succession to the throne. Based on the totality of these characteristics, internal periods were identified: 1) The period of the "true Horfagers". 872(?)-965/970 A period characterized by the legitimate rule of one dynasty, within which the entire power struggle took place, and the absence of claims to the Norwegian throne from other clans, except for the descendants of Harald Horfager.2) The period of the "struggle for power." 965/970–1035 A period characterized by a power struggle in which three forces (the Danish kings, the "successful Vikings" who call themselves the Horfagers, and the Norwegian nobility) fought for power with varying success, relying on the support of bonds, which determined the legitimacy of a ruler.3) The period "from the centralization of royal power to the crisis of the dynasty" 1035-1130. The period of the weakening of the nobility in the field, the strengthening and spread of the power of the king throughout the country, the development of trade and commodity relations, the strengthening of the church, urban planning.

Keywords: Norway; Horfagers; Middle Ages; Battle of Havsfjord; descendants of Harald Horfager; periodization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cxm:russhs:17:1:2025:166-186

DOI: 10.12731/2077-1770-2025-17-1-460

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