Medieval Christianity in the North: New Studies ed. by Kirsi Salonen, Kurt Villads Jensen, and Torstein Jorgensen (review)

This selection of ten multidisciplinary papers aims to present a response to the commonplace belief that the peoples of pre-Christian Scandinavia were little more than uncivilised savages. Through the discussion and analysis of the introduction of new European and Christian ideas and their incorporation into Nordic cultures, and demonstrating how, in turn, Nordic cultures influenced a new and unique northern Christianity from pagan times through to the Reformation, the volume successfully demonstrates that this stereotype is far from true.

The first half of the book focuses on conversion and its consequences, and the essays in it cover a wide range of current scholarly research. It starts with Else Mundal’s article on the survival of pagan deities and mythological figures after Christianisation, concentrating mainly on Norway and Iceland. It continues through to Stefan Brink’s discussion of the phases of conversion. Lars Bisgaard’s paper on the use of beer and wine in baptisms and the Eucharist will appeal to readers with an interest in the evolution of unique regional Christian practices.

The second half is dedicated to the consolidation of the Christian religion and its ecclesiastical structures. Notable chapters include Claes Gejrot’s argument that the canonisation of St Birgitta demonstrates a Swedish influence on the rest of Europe, and Kirsi Salonen’s paper that discusses how the traditional Scandinavian idea of marriage as an economic arrangement influenced its role as a religious institution in the north.

Naturally, the volume cannot cover all aspects of Christianity in the Nordic region, and equally a short notice cannot cover all of the chapters and research included within it. All articles included in the book are worth reading by anyone with an interest in Scandinavian history from the Viking era through to the Reformation, and equally by readers interested in the more general process of Christianisation and the history of European Christianity. The contributions definitely succeed in their intention to present Scandinavia as an area that was as Christian as any other region in Europe. At the same time, they also show that the region possessed uniquely Nordic characteristics after its adoption of the Christian religion.