Hosting the king: hospitality and the royal <i>iter</i> in tenth-century England
Levi Roach
Traditional studies of royal itinerancy have depended on locating the king’s progress through his kingdom(s) as precisely possible and it should therefore not surprise that iter regis in pre-conquest England has received relatively little attention, since Anglo-Saxon diplomas only rarely record their date place issue, making establishment itinerary all but impossible. However, more recent studies, particularly by German scholars, moved away from earlier attention to concrete details focus effects a method rulership, viewing central part ritual. This study argues if we investigate tenth-century this standpoint, can throw new light onto subject. Contemporary sources reveal France Germany was great importance, with symbolic acts feasting gift-giving accompanying visits. The given these ritualised contemporary suggests, moreover, kingship possessed an important ‘charismatic’ quality, which deserves further investigation.
Journal of Medieval History