The Aristocratic Landscape at Bergkvara Castle, Småland, Sweden

• Abstract in UndeterminedCastles research has for a long period of time been concentrated to single sites: the origin of the individual castle, its different phases and dating and the castle’s place and importance in the political process. At the same time, castle studies have mainly seen the castle as a military structure. Today a broader view of the castle has emerged. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the presence of a late medieval elite aristocratic landscape at the castle of Bergkvara in Småland. At this castle we find many typical aristocratic elements that in a European perspective are connected to aristocratic milieus like castles. At Bergkvara we have a fortified residence in a watery setting, with moats, fishponds, a garden and a mill as well as a nearby church connected to the lord of the castle. Medieval space was here embedded with social meanings and for the lord of the castle a valuable asset in the struggle to maintain and reproduce lordship. One way to fulfil the aristocratic ideology was to recreate aristocratic culture in space and the landscape. The landscape at Bergkvara is a tangible materialisation of aristocratic medieval culture in a Scandinavian version.

Ämnesord

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Aristocracy

Landscape

Ideology

Medieval Castles

Publikations- och innehållstyp

kon (ämneskategori)

ref (ämneskategori)