Medieval Frontier Societies

by Robert Bartlett, Angus MacKay (Editor), G.W.S. Barrow (Contributor)

This is the first study of the nature of frontiers and frontier society in the Middle Ages. Focusing on the frontiers between England and Scotland, Wales, and Ireland; between Castile and Grenada; and on the Elbe, the book examines the consequences for frontier societies of being located in
areas of cross-cultural contact and confrontation. This comparative study by expert contributors throws new light on our thinking about frontiers, and fills a major gap in the history of medieval Europe.

Genres: History, British Literature, Medieval History

388 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 1990

About the author

Robert Bartlett, CBE, FBA, FRSE is Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Mediaeval History Emeritus at the University of St Andrews.

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of academic papers originally presented at a conference, in this case one held in Edinburgh in 1987. Given the location of the event, it’s perhaps no surprise that there is a focus on the British Isles. However, there are also papers on medieval Spain, and on Germanic-Slavic interactions in central Europe. Since the papers were originally intended for an academic audience, the authors sometimes assume a degree of knowledge on the part of the reader that was in excess of my own. Nevertheless, the book has added to my knowledge base.

The collection is divided into 3 themes, each with several chapters. It opens with “Settlement” and a first chapter looking at how the development of the England-Scotland border affected settlement patterns. The new east-west national border was a significant change to previous arrangements, where in the east the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria had extended as far north as Edinburgh, whilst in the west the British kingdom of Strathclyde had stretched into Cumbria. The next chapter looks at the international aristocracy of the High Middle Ages. The mounted and armoured knight - the medieval equivalent of the 20th century tank – developed in what is now France and western Germany, but was exported to peripheral regions, with the knights becoming “alien military landed élites intruded upon native societies.” The paper itself focuses on the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, and on how the development of castles as administrative centres disrupted traditional settlement patterns.

The last chapter of Part 1 is one of the most interesting, examining the Reconquest from the Castilian perspective. Muslim inhabitants tended to retreat southwards with the frontier, leaving the newly won Castilian territory underpopulated. The frontier was an unattractive place to live due to continuing Muslim raids, and Castile offered financial incentives to attract soldier-settlers. This promoted social mobility, since previously low-status individuals could gain knightly status through the continuous exercise of knightly functions, becoming caballeros villanos. Also of note were the homicianos, criminals pardoned on condition they went to settle the new frontier.

Part 2 looks at “Institutions”, starting with an examination of the Welsh Marches, territories on or near the England - Wales border, ruled by “Marcher Lords,” and which were virtually independent mini-kingdoms. It’s followed by a paper on feudal military service obligations on the Anglo-Gaelic frontier in Ireland, which I found one of the drier chapters. We then return to Spain and the Castile-Granada border between 1369 and 1482. The line was largely static during this period, and cross-border institutions arose to regulate issues such as trade and prisoner exchange. The last chapter in this section considers institutions on the German-Polish frontier in Silesia, within the context of substantial German immigration into this Polish-ruled region.

Part 3 considers “Culture and Religion”, opening with a chapter on how the Anglo-Irish lords were influenced by Irish Gaelic culture, then one on Czech cultural reactions to another case of substantial German immigration/Germanisation, this time into medieval Bohemia. We revisit Castile – Granada for a look at religion, culture and, additionally, ideology, on that frontier. A paper on religion and warfare in the Scottish Marches was one I personally found less convincing, at least in some aspects. This section ends with a look at the Crusading idea and the German conquest of the Slavic tribes east of the Elbe. As the author says himself, it’s a complicated story.

The last chapter is entitled “The Significance of the Frontier in the Middle Ages”. The author acknowledges that the title is drawn from the famous 1893 lecture by Frederick Jackson Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.” Amongst other things, it considers what the concept of the frontier can tell us in comparing different societies.

Something of an esoteric topic, but aside from being a history nerd, I’ve always been interested in cross-cultural interactions, so a decent read for me.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a very looong time to read this book but it was worth the effort to learn a different aspect of medieval life. By examining the borders/frontiers of England & Wales, England & Scotland, England & Ireland, Christian Spain & Islamic Spain, Germany & Poland and Germany & Czechoslovakia, the authors make a cogent case for the numerous frontiers they discuss. The interactions on these frontiers, as recorded in contemporary documents, can be compared and contrasted with each other throughout the book but each frontier has its own unique inhabitants and cultures. Christianity and paganism play as large a role in the cultural clashes and rebellions in northern Europe as Christianity and Islam do in Spain. Although the book is 20 years old, I'd never thought of Europe this way, the neo-Turnerian point of view and it's interesting and thought provoking. All the chapters are written by historians who are specialists in their fields. There's an excellent discussion of the Turner Thesis, which, though now discredited, has expanded historiography by bringing frontiers into historiography discussions.