Matrimonial politics and core-periphery interactions in twelfth- and early thirteenth-century Scotland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11892007 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Roderick A Mcdonald (0000-0002-6922-3195, Trent University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1995 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 227-247 |
| Publication date | 1995-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Medieval History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0304-4181 • E-ISSN: 1873-1279 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1016/0304-4181(94)00758-t |
| OpenAlex | W2041366841 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 7 |
The medieval kingdom of Scotland was an amalgam of diverse ethnic elements which included Gaels, Britons, Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians and Normans. This paper explores one mechanism which is generally considered to have been of tremendous importance in fostering accommodation and understanding between cultures in medieval society: matrimony. An examination of the marriage alliances of prominent members of the native nobility of eastern Scotland demonstrates that matrimony played a crucial role in binding Scottish families to Anglo-Norman newcomers, to the Normanophile Scottish monarchs, and to one another. However, the marriage alliances of the powerful west-coast princes contrast sharply to those of the eastern nobility and demonstrate how matrimonial alliances also served another purpose: namely, building up and maintaining an alliance of princes in the upland margins of the kingdom who opposed Anglo-Norman ways and the extension of feudalism into these regions. This in turn suggests that there existed a fundamental dichotomy in Scottish society between the feudal kingdom of Scotland and those regions ringing the Irish Sea. Close examination of the matrimonial patterns of the twelfth-century Scottish nobility therefore reinforces some long-held convictions about the fabric of Scottish society, while calling others into question
Alliance · Ancient history · Archaeology · Feudalism · Genealogy · Irish · Kingdom · Middle Ages · Monarchy · Nobility · Political science · Politics · Historical Economic and Social Studies · History · Law · Medieval Literature and History · Scottish History and National Identity
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,05 |
| Citation span | 2006 - 2006 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |