Petty kingdoms of NorwayThe petty kingdoms of Norway (Bokmål: smårike) were the entities from which the later Kingdom of Norway was founded. Before the unification of Norway in 872 and during the period of fragmentation after King Harald Fairhair's death, Norway was divided in several small kingdoms. Some could have been as small as a cluster of villages, and others comprised several of today's counties.
Old NorseNorth Germanic languageOld Norse was a North Germanic language spoken in Scandinavia and in Norse settlements during the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages (approximately the 8th–14th centuries).
EarlEarl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of earl never developed; instead, countess is used. The title originates in the Old English word eorl, meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form jarl. After the Norman Conquest, it became the equivalent of the continental count.
Birger BrosaBirger Brosa (Old Norse: Birgir Brósa; died 9 January 1202) was the jarl of Sweden from 1174 to 1202.HersirA hersir was a local Vikingmilitary commander of a hundred (a county subdivision), of about 100 men, and owed allegiance to a jarl or king. They were also aspiring landowners, and, like the middle class in many feudal societies, supported the kings in their centralization of power. Originally, the term Hersir referred to a wealthy farmer who owned land and had the status of a leader.
PrinceA prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. Prince is also a title of nobility (often highest), often , in some Europeanstates. The female equivalent is a princess. The English word derives, via the French wordprince, from the Latin noun prīnceps, from primus (first) and caput (head), meaning "the first, foremost, the chief, most distinguished, noble ruler, prince".Jon JarlJon Jarl was a Swedish jarl at the end of the 12th and in the early 13th centuries. He is mentioned in Erik's Chronicle from the 1320s to have spent years fighting against Russians and Ingrians in the early Swedish–Novgorodian Wars. According to 15th-century historian Ericus Olai, he was murdered at his home in Asknäs in Ekerö parish by the Lake Mälaren in 1206, allegedly by Russian pirates.
DukeMonarchy and nobility title Part of a series onImperial, royal, noble,gentry and chivalric ranks in Europe Emperor, Empress dowager High king, High queen Great king, Great queen King consort dowager Queen regnant consort dowager mother Archduke, Archduchess Grand duke, Grand duchess Grand prince, Grand princess Prince consort Princess consort Duke, Duchess Knyaz, Knyaginya Fürst, Fürstin Herzog Jarl Prince-elector, Princess-elector Heir apparent presumptive Voivode Count palatine Marquess, Marchioness Margrave, Margravine Marcher lord Landgrave Boyar Count, Countess Earl Mormaer Ealdorman Viscount, Viscountess Castellan Burgrave, Burgravine Captal Vidame Starosta Baron, Baroness Lord of Parliament Lord paramount Overlord Tenant in chief Territorial lord Liege lord Mesne lord Lendmann Nobile Edler Primor Fidalgo Baronet, Baronetess Vavasour Imperial knight Knight/Chevalier Ritter Seigneur Knight bachelor Thane Druzhinnik Lord of the manor Vogt Esquire Gentleman, Gentlewoman Hidalgo Franklin Yeoman Man at arms Edelfrei Ministerialis vte Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility.
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a subregion of northern Europe that most commonly comprises Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which share strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties. It may also refer to the Scandinavian Peninsula (which excludes Denmark but includes part of northern Finland). In English usage, the term is also used as a synonym for the Nordic countries. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are sometimes included, due to their ethnolinguistic ties to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.Germanic kingshipGermanic kingship is a thesis regarding the role of kings among the pre-Christianized Germanic tribes of the Migration period (c. 300–700 AD) and Early Middle Ages (c. 700–1000 AD). The thesis holds that the institution of feudal monarchy developed, through contact with the Roman Empire and the Christian Church, from an earlier custom of sacral and military kingship based on both birth status and consent from subjects.
Viking AgePeriod of European history (about 800–1050)Viking Age picture stone, Gotland, Sweden.The Viking Age (about 800–1050 CE) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their homeland of Scandinavia but also to any place significantly settled by Scandinavians during the period.
Middle AgesIn the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to late 15th centuries, comparable with the post-classical period of global history. The medieval period is the middle epoch of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.