Gift-Giving and the Seventh-Century Frankish Church in Merovingian Hagiography: The case of the <i>Vita Eligii</i>
Eduard Visintini
Abstract This paper argues for the combination of political and socio-economic analysis in study early medieval gift-giving, specifically context late Merovingian Church. Gift-giving this period is often viewed through a historiographical tradition strongly influenced by anthropological scholarship, which rarely considers any reasoning behind act – particularly case ecclesiastical institutions actors. associates itself with recent growing answer to position, Ian Wood’s re-working Appadurai Breckenridge’s “Temple Societies” theory. It studies political, social, economic repercussions gift-giving Life Saint Eligius, seventh-century craftsman, member court, subsequently bishop see Noyon, North-Eastern Francia. The analyses vita threefold way: Firstly, it looks at connection between patronage saint’s relationship court. Secondly, potential effects on described throughout text, societies around them. Thirdly, interprets these aspects light expansion Church, its institutions, eastern Gaul.
Millennium