Rituals of Greeting and Farewell: Reflections on a Visit to the Royal Court of Norway in 1302

Sammendrag

This article argues that by close reading of passages concerning ritual occasions in medieval chronicles it is possible to gain insight into the construction and communication of power. The case study concerns certain rituals described in Erikskrönikan (the chronicle of Duke Erik), a Swedish rhymed chronicle from the first part of the fourteenth century. An account of reception and farewell rituals at the royal court of Norway in 1302 is described in detail and analyzed through the use of ritual studies. Focus is on the portrayal of actors and actions. The rituals are shown to be important parts in the construction of ideals during a period when courtly and chivalric culture was gradually introduced in medieval Sweden. This article shows that through ritual analysis it is possible to gain insight into, and nuance the perception of, the construction, legitimization and perception of power and authority in Scandinavian society.