TWO “CAREERS” OF EARLY STATE FUNCTIONARIES: VOEVODA SVENELD AND HOF?ING THOROLF KVELDULVSSON |
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| 2013 |
| scientific article | 94 (481) 94(47).027 | ||
| 72-78 | feudalism, fief in the form of tribute, Old Rus, ’, medieval Norway, Igor Rurikovich, Sveneld, Lut Sveneldich, Mstisha Sveneldich, Harald Fairhair, Thorolf Kveldulvsson, Egil Skallagrimsson, “Egil's Saga”, the Icelandic Family Saga, “Primary Chronicl |
| The paper presents a historical and sociological comparison of the careers of two functionaries in the two early states of Prince Igor Rurikovich and King Harald Fairhair, which existed in the second half of the 9th - the first half of the 10th century. These functionaries were the Old Russian “voevoda” Sveneld and the Norwegian hof?ing Thorolf. Sveneld and Thorolf were functionaries of the early state, both were part of the “institutionalized racketeer- ing”, based on indemnities and regular tributes. Both did not claim the status of a prince or king, although they had all the opportunities for this. Both were accused of embezzling vast wealth and exceptional enrichment of their peo- ple. Sveneld’s and Thorolf’s wealth was at least commensurate with the resources of their respective patrons. Both had crises in their relations with the king. Their relations with their superiors were not only and not so much the relations between a leader and his man-at-arms, based on the exchange of gifts for the service. It was a new type of social relations in barbaric society. This social relationship had a distinctly feudal character. Russia and Norway were not feudal at the time, but the “feudal essence” of this particular social relationship between Rurikid princes and Sveneld and between Harald Fairhair and Thorolf cannot be ignored. We are obviously dealing with embryonic forms of early feudal society. |
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