Royalty and Ritual

Medieval kings and kingship, and the rituals that define them, continue to captivate both scholars and the wider public. This interdisciplinary volume offers a Europe-wide perspective on early medieval kingship, with a particular focus on Scotland. What types of royal sites existed in the early medieval period in Scotland, and how did they vary regionally? Can we trace these sites in placenames? What rituals and other activities were associated with these sites, and what purposes did they serve? These and other questions are explored in the papers gathered together in this interdisciplinary volume. Drawing together experts in archaeology, history, placenames, folklore, poetry, and art history, the volume unpacks the story of early medieval kingship in Scotland against a European backdrop and across multiple scales, from multi-site regions and the mobile exercise of kingship, to single-site landscapes, analysis of significant objects, and the memorialisation of stories through tradition. Framed by recent archaeological excavations in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England, and Scandinavia, this book presents a rich and innovative approach to the study of kingship in the early medieval period.