Power and Ceremony in European History: Rituals, Practices and Representative Bodies since the Late Middle Ages

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From oaths and hand-kissing to coronations and baptisms, Power and Ceremony in European History considers the governing practices, courtly rituals, and expressions of power prevalent in Europe and the Ottoman Empire from the medieval age to the modern era. Bringing together political and art historical approaches to the study of power, this book reveals how ceremonies and rituals - far from simply being ostentatious displays of wealth - served as a primary means of communication between different participants in political and courtly life. It explores how ceremonial culture changed over time and in different regions to provide readers with a nuanced comparative understanding of rituals and ceremonies since the middle ages, showing how such performances were integral to the evolution of the state in Europe. This collection of essays is of immense value to both historians and art historians interested in representations of power and the political culture of Europe from 1450 onwards.

Reviews

Power and Ceremony in European History is highly recommended as a series of case studies demonstrating the richness of the ritual approach to European politics and power. Researchers and students will find a wealth of examples of how sociological and anthropological analyses can elucidate the meaning and significance of the frequent power performances that animated premodern monarchies. * Canadian Journal of History / Annales canadiennes d'histoire *
This wide-ranging collection of essays explores the significance of many different kinds of ceremony, both in everyday life and during major occasions like coronations and royal funerals, in early modern courts throughout Europe, from the Ottoman Empire to Scandinavia and Britain. It makes a welcome contribution to the field of court studies. * R. Malcolm Smuts, Professor Emeritus of History, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA *
A fascinating, must-read addition to the bibliography on court studies... Anna Kalinowska and Jonathan Spangler have assembled a rich array of essays with an impressive geographical and chronological range, introduced by a text which for all its brevity sets a standard in the field. Any court historian grappling with the notions of ceremonial and ritual, their interaction with space and material objects, and their use as a form of communication at the (early) modern courts, will discover inspiring case studies in this collection. * Krista De Jonge, Professor of History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture, Leuven (Arenberg), Netherlands *

Author Bio

Anna Kalinowska is Senior Researcher in the Institute of History at Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland. Jonathan Spangler is Senior Lecturer in History at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is the author of The Society of Princes (2009) and editor of The Court Historian. Pawel Tyszka is Head of Historical Research at The Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland.