Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Map of Norway and sections of Denmark and Sweden. Shown are principal towns and regions in Norway, ca. 1180–1220 v
3. Contents vii
4. Abbreviations and Acknowledgements ix
5. Chapter 1: Introduction
6. Intro 1
7. The Civil–war paradigm—two variants 5
8. Deconstructing the Civil-war paradigm 10
9. Conflicts as constant crisis 16
10. Conflict at multiple levels: segmentary oppositions 23
11. The sources 28
12. Chapter 2: Inter-group oppositions
13. Introduction 39
14. Constant crisis: The power struggle year by year 41
15. Constant crisis: The geopolitical factors 48
16. Constant crisis: The military factors 55
17. Conclusion: A war without winners and losers 88
18. Chapter 3: Intra-group oppositions
19. Introduction 93
20. King Sverre and the failure of delegation 98
21. When the king always knows best 104
22. Multiple, contested leadership among the Birchlegs after 1202 108
23. Multiple, contested leadership among the Croziers 117
24. Finding the optimal solution 122
25. Conclusion: The enigma of a strong leader 124
26. Chapter 4: Connections across groups
27. Introduction 129
28. Split families? 132
29. The spoils of war 140
30. Elite community / rivalry 145
31. The ambiguity of the elites—constant crisis 152
32. Conclusion: Intersecting bonds and enmities 159
33. Chapter 5: Armed Groups and Local Communities
34. Introduction 163
35. Peasants 165
36. Townsmen 180
37. Local leaders 184
38. Conclusion: The limited repercussions of civil war 198
39. Chapter 6: Conclusions
40. Introduction 203
41. Constant crisis in Norway c. 1200 206
42. Constant crisis and state formation in Scandinavia 214
43. Constant crisis, feud and revolt 219
44. Constant crisis and state bias 223
45. Appendix: Constant Crisis: Timeline, 1196-1208 227
46. Bibliography 233
47. Index 255