St. Magnus of Orkney ― A Scandinavian Martyr-Cult in Context

Earl Magnus of Orkney was born about 1075 and executed in 1116/17 on the orders of his cousin and co-ruler Hakon Palsson. Antonsson (Medieval studies, U. of Bergen) places his hagiography and cult within a Scandinavian and where appropriate wider European context. Among the factors he explores are the rise of more centralized rule in Nordic domains and the parallel rise in cults of princely martyrs, similar cults across Nordic lands, and the transformation of the Church from a missionary body to a more organized institution with close ties to secular authority. The study is revised from his 2000 doctoral dissertation at the University of St. Andrews. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Haki Antonsson, Ph.D. (2000) in Mediaeval History, University of St Andrews, is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Bergen. His main field of interest is European influence on Scandinavia ca. 1000 - ca. 1300, a topic on which he has published a number of articles.