A Companion to the Early Middle Ages

Drawing on 28 original essays, A Companion to the Early Middle Ages takes an inclusive approach to the history of Britain and Ireland from c.500 to c.1100 to overcome artificial distinctions of modern national boundaries. A collaborative history from leading scholars, covering the key debates and issues Surveys the building blocks of political society, and considers whether there were fundamental differences across Britain and Ireland Considers potential factors for change, including the economy, Christianisation, and the Vikings

Drawing on 28 original essays, A Companion to the Early Middle Ages takes an inclusive approach to the history of Britain and Ireland from c.500 to c.1100 to overcome artificial distinctions of modern national boundaries.* A collaborative history from leading scholars, covering the key debates and issues* Surveys the building blocks of political society, and considers whether there were fundamental differences across Britain and Ireland* Considers potential factors for change, including the economy, Christianisation, and the Vikings

List of Maps viiiNotes on Contributors ixList of Abbreviations xiiiMaps xvPart I Introductory Matter 11 Introduction 3Pauline Stafford2 Historiography 9Pauline Stafford3 Sources 23Pauline StaffordPart II Britain and Ireland, c.500-c.750 394 Britain and Ireland, c.500 41Barbara Yorke5 Economy 57Howard B. Clarke6 Kings and Kingship 76Barbara Yorke7 Communities and Kinship 91David E. Thornton8 Social Structure 107Thomas M. Charles-Edwards9 Britain, Ireland, and Europe, c.500-c.750 126Paul Fouracre10 Conversions to Christianity 143Huw Pryce11 Church Organization and Pastoral Care 160Thomas Pickles12 Latin Learning and Christian Art 177Martin J. RyanPart III Britain and Ireland in the Long Ninth Century, c.750-c.900 19313 Viking Raids and Conquest 195Dawn Hadley14 Scandinavian Settlement 212Dawn Hadley15 Britain, Ireland, and Europe, c.750-c.900 231Janet L. NelsonPart IV Britain and Ireland, C.900-c.1100 24916 Scotland 251Alex Woolf17 Ireland, c.900-c.1000 268Edel Bhreathnach18 Ireland, c.1000-c.1100 285Seán Duffy19 Northumbria 303William M. Aird20 Southumbria 322Charles Insley21 Wales and West Britain 341John Reuben Davies22 Britain, Ireland, and Europe, c.900-c.1100 358Simon MacLean23 The Institutional Church 376Catherine Cubitt24 Pastoral Care and Religious Belief 395Catherine Cubitt25 Nobility 414Julia Crick26 Settlement and Social Differentiation 432Sally Crawford27 Localities 446David E. Thornton28 Queens and Queenship 459Pauline StaffordBibliography 477Index 524