Lars Hermanson | University of Gothenburg (original) (raw)

Books by Lars Hermanson

Prior to the high Middle Ages, the Baltic Rim was largely terra incognita-but by the late Middle ... more Prior to the high Middle Ages, the Baltic Rim was largely terra incognita-but by the late Middle Ages, it was home to diverse small and large communities. But the Baltic Rim was not simply the place those people lived-it was also an imagined space through which they defined themselves and their identities. This book traces the transformation of the Baltic Rim in this period through a focus on the self-image of a number of communities: urban and regional, cultic, missionary, legal, and political. Contributors look at the ways these communities defined themselves in relationship to other groups, how they constructed their identities and customs, and what held them together or tore them apart.

THE BOOK IS OPEN ACCESS, AVAILABLE through JSTOR services.

This multidisciplinary volume draws together contributions from history, archaeology, and the his... more This multidisciplinary volume draws together contributions from history, archaeology, and the history of religion to offer an in-depth examination of political ritual and its performative and transformative potential across Continental Europe and Scandinavia. Covering the period between c. 650 and 1350, this work takes a theoretical, textual, and practical approach to the study of political ritual, and explores the connections between, and changing functions of, key rituals such as assemblies, feasts, and religious confrontations between pagans and Christians.

Taking as a central premise the fact that rituals were not only successful political instruments used to create and maintain order, but were also a hazardous game in which intended strategies could fail, the papers within this volume demonstrate that the outcomes of feasts or court meetings were often highly unpredictable, and a friendly atmosphere could quickly change into a violent clash. By emphasising the conflict-ridden and unpredictable nature of ritual acts, the articles add crucial insights into the meanings, (ab)uses, and interpretations of performances in the Middle Ages. In doing so, they demonstrate that rituals, far from being mere representations of power, also constituted an important mechanism through which the political and religious order could be challenged and transformed.

Papers by Lars Hermanson

The Historian, 2018

Among the many fine contributions of Maimonidean scholarship, this new monograph stands out for i... more Among the many fine contributions of Maimonidean scholarship, this new monograph stands out for its fresh approach and promises to make a lasting impact on the field. In keeping with a growing scholarly trend, Mark Cohen's book situates Maimonides's work within the context of Egyptian and Mediterranean societies. But unlike those studies that examine Maimonides's writings within the framework of Arab thought or Islamic law, Maimonides and the Merchants focuses on the intersection of law and reality in the Mishneh Torah, arguing that Maimonides subtly yet substantively updated the Jewish legal apparatus in order to accommodate economic norms current among medieval Mediterranean traders, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Cohen draws from a wealth of Genizah documents, Gaonic responsa, and Islamic legal texts to illustrate the nature of the mercantile system that prevailed from at least the tenth century, known in some Gaonic sources as the "custom of the merchants" (hukm al-tujjâr). A key element of this system, generally known in Arabic as qirâd, was defined by its partnership structure, according to which a "passive" partner supplied the primary capital for the joint venture while an "active" partner supplied the labor in the form of travel and trade. The Arab qirâd bore some resemblance to a commercial partnership known in the Talmud as isqa, yet the qirâd differed in that only the silent partner bore any risk for financial loss. This was a distinct advantage in attracting active partners in a commercial network dominated by long-distance trade and, as such, was adopted by most Jewish traders between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, notwithstanding its deviation from Talmudic law. Another perceived advantage to this system was its relatively informal character, allowing partners to make arrangements on the basis of trust and business ties, without requiring contracts to formalize these far-flung and often fluctuating relationships. Both the system of Mediterranean trade and Maimonides's first-hand knowledge of it are well documented and have been known to scholars for decades. Yet Cohen is the first to leverage these historical data in order to examine how they served as a catalyst for legal change. He frames his study with the theoretical question posed by Alan Watson, as to whether legal codes may serve to update the law by closing the gap between conservative legal systems and shifting involvement in conversations about public health, medicine, and scientific motherhood that have been extensively demonstrated in the Arabic press of the era.

Imagined Communities on the Baltic Rim, 2016

Map 1, p. 89. Anundshög: the wooden monument, watercourse, and wetland area were combined to full... more Map 1, p. 89. Anundshög: the wooden monument, watercourse, and wetland area were combined to fully enclose the site. Map 2, p. 92. Gamla uppsala.

Imagined Communities on the Baltic Rim

Historisk Tidsskrift, 2003

Historisk Tidsskrift, 2003

Denna artikel behandlar med utgangspunkt i anfallet pa Kungahalla ar 1135, de sociopolitiska forh... more Denna artikel behandlar med utgangspunkt i anfallet pa Kungahalla ar 1135, de sociopolitiska forhalladena inom nordeuropas elitskikt, 1123-1135.

Ett annat 1100-tal. Individ, kollektiv och kulturella monster i medeltidens Danmark : “Makten, in... more Ett annat 1100-tal. Individ, kollektiv och kulturella monster i medeltidens Danmark : “Makten, individen och kollektivet. Ett alternativt perspektiv pa det danska 1100-talets politiska historia”,

Prior to the high Middle Ages, the Baltic Rim was largely terra incognita-but by the late Middle ... more Prior to the high Middle Ages, the Baltic Rim was largely terra incognita-but by the late Middle Ages, it was home to diverse small and large communities. But the Baltic Rim was not simply the place those people lived-it was also an imagined space through which they defined themselves and their identities. This book traces the transformation of the Baltic Rim in this period through a focus on the self-image of a number of communities: urban and regional, cultic, missionary, legal, and political. Contributors look at the ways these communities defined themselves in relationship to other groups, how they constructed their identities and customs, and what held them together or tore them apart.

THE BOOK IS OPEN ACCESS, AVAILABLE through JSTOR services.

This multidisciplinary volume draws together contributions from history, archaeology, and the his... more This multidisciplinary volume draws together contributions from history, archaeology, and the history of religion to offer an in-depth examination of political ritual and its performative and transformative potential across Continental Europe and Scandinavia. Covering the period between c. 650 and 1350, this work takes a theoretical, textual, and practical approach to the study of political ritual, and explores the connections between, and changing functions of, key rituals such as assemblies, feasts, and religious confrontations between pagans and Christians.

Taking as a central premise the fact that rituals were not only successful political instruments used to create and maintain order, but were also a hazardous game in which intended strategies could fail, the papers within this volume demonstrate that the outcomes of feasts or court meetings were often highly unpredictable, and a friendly atmosphere could quickly change into a violent clash. By emphasising the conflict-ridden and unpredictable nature of ritual acts, the articles add crucial insights into the meanings, (ab)uses, and interpretations of performances in the Middle Ages. In doing so, they demonstrate that rituals, far from being mere representations of power, also constituted an important mechanism through which the political and religious order could be challenged and transformed.

The Historian, 2018

Among the many fine contributions of Maimonidean scholarship, this new monograph stands out for i... more Among the many fine contributions of Maimonidean scholarship, this new monograph stands out for its fresh approach and promises to make a lasting impact on the field. In keeping with a growing scholarly trend, Mark Cohen's book situates Maimonides's work within the context of Egyptian and Mediterranean societies. But unlike those studies that examine Maimonides's writings within the framework of Arab thought or Islamic law, Maimonides and the Merchants focuses on the intersection of law and reality in the Mishneh Torah, arguing that Maimonides subtly yet substantively updated the Jewish legal apparatus in order to accommodate economic norms current among medieval Mediterranean traders, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Cohen draws from a wealth of Genizah documents, Gaonic responsa, and Islamic legal texts to illustrate the nature of the mercantile system that prevailed from at least the tenth century, known in some Gaonic sources as the "custom of the merchants" (hukm al-tujjâr). A key element of this system, generally known in Arabic as qirâd, was defined by its partnership structure, according to which a "passive" partner supplied the primary capital for the joint venture while an "active" partner supplied the labor in the form of travel and trade. The Arab qirâd bore some resemblance to a commercial partnership known in the Talmud as isqa, yet the qirâd differed in that only the silent partner bore any risk for financial loss. This was a distinct advantage in attracting active partners in a commercial network dominated by long-distance trade and, as such, was adopted by most Jewish traders between the tenth and thirteenth centuries, notwithstanding its deviation from Talmudic law. Another perceived advantage to this system was its relatively informal character, allowing partners to make arrangements on the basis of trust and business ties, without requiring contracts to formalize these far-flung and often fluctuating relationships. Both the system of Mediterranean trade and Maimonides's first-hand knowledge of it are well documented and have been known to scholars for decades. Yet Cohen is the first to leverage these historical data in order to examine how they served as a catalyst for legal change. He frames his study with the theoretical question posed by Alan Watson, as to whether legal codes may serve to update the law by closing the gap between conservative legal systems and shifting involvement in conversations about public health, medicine, and scientific motherhood that have been extensively demonstrated in the Arabic press of the era.

Imagined Communities on the Baltic Rim, 2016

Map 1, p. 89. Anundshög: the wooden monument, watercourse, and wetland area were combined to full... more Map 1, p. 89. Anundshög: the wooden monument, watercourse, and wetland area were combined to fully enclose the site. Map 2, p. 92. Gamla uppsala.

Imagined Communities on the Baltic Rim

Historisk Tidsskrift, 2003

Historisk Tidsskrift, 2003

Denna artikel behandlar med utgangspunkt i anfallet pa Kungahalla ar 1135, de sociopolitiska forh... more Denna artikel behandlar med utgangspunkt i anfallet pa Kungahalla ar 1135, de sociopolitiska forhalladena inom nordeuropas elitskikt, 1123-1135.

Ett annat 1100-tal. Individ, kollektiv och kulturella monster i medeltidens Danmark : “Makten, in... more Ett annat 1100-tal. Individ, kollektiv och kulturella monster i medeltidens Danmark : “Makten, individen och kollektivet. Ett alternativt perspektiv pa det danska 1100-talets politiska historia”,

Historisk Tidsskrift, 2004

Decolonizing The Viking Age 1 och Death Rituals in South-East Scandinavia AD 800–1000. Decolonizi... more Decolonizing The Viking Age 1 och Death Rituals in South-East Scandinavia AD 800–1000. Decolonizing the Viking Age