The urban hinterland. Interaction and law-areas in Viking and medieval Norway

Abstract

The precise state of the juridical division and organisation in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries is still to some extent unresolved and has been the subject of debate. By reconstructing the judicial areas I hope to shed light on the changing hinterland of the towns. Obviously, towns became jurisdictions in their own right, but what was their impact on the organisation of provincial law territories? This will lay the foundation for subsequent discussion of changes in how people interacted within the emerging Kingdom of Norway. I will focus on South Norway, as this area had more towns in the Middle Ages, and the changes in administrative organisation were profound. I will also concentrate on the interaction between coastal areas with towns, and the interior valleys without urban centres. © 2017 Routledge