Abstract
THIS PAPER EXPLORES how noblemen expressed themselves in late-medieval Scandinavian castles, in the buildings and in the landscape. The focus is on decorated stone tablets with coats of arms and memorial texts found on the castle walls, but the landscape setting of the castles is also discussed. The examples considered here are Glimmingehus in Scania, in present-day southern Sweden, and Olofsborg in eastern Finland — both erected in the late 15th century. The locations of stone tablets in the castles are investigated, as well as who was able to see them and share their messages. It is argued that while the coats of arms and memorial texts were situated to convey ideas to an aristocracy, the landscape context of the castle mediated messages of social status to a wider public.
Résumé
Tablettes en pierre, textes commémoratifs et intentionnalité dans les châteaux scandinaves de la fin du moyen-âge : les exemples de Glimmingehus et d'Olofsborg par Martin Hansson
Ce papier explore les moyens d’expression des nobles dans les châteaux scandinaves à la fin du moyen-âge, à travers les bâtiments et le paysage. Bien que l’accent soit mis sur des tablettes de pierre décorées d’armoiries et des textes commémoratifs retrouvés sur les murs des châteaux, la façon dont les châteaux s’inscrivent dans le paysage est également examinée. Les exemples sont ceux de Glimmingehus en Scanie, correspondant de nos jours au sud de la Suède, et d’Olofsborg dans l’est de la Finlande — tous deux construits à la fin du 15ème siècle. L’emplacement des tablettes de pierre dans les châteaux est également analysé, ainsi que les personnes susceptibles de les voir et de communiquer leurs messages. On fait valoir que si les armoiries et les textes commémoratifs étaient positionnés là pour transmettre des idées à une aristocratie, le paysage dans lequel s’inscrit le château communiquait à une plus grande audience des messages ayant trait au statut social.
Zusammenfassung
Steintafeln, Erinnerungstexte und Wirkung in spätmittelalterlichen skandinavischen Burgen: Am Beispiel von Glimmingehus und Olofsborg von Martin Hansson
Dieser Artikel untersucht, wie die Adeligen sich in spätmittelalterlichen skandinavischen Burgen, im Gebäude wie in der Landschaft, ausdrückten. Der Schwerpunkt liegt auf verzierten Steintafeln mit Wappen und Erinnerungstexten, die an den Burgmauern gefunden wurden, aber es wird auch die landschaftliche Lage der Burgen diskutiert. Die hier betrachteten Beispiele sind Glimmingehus in Schonen, im heutigen Südschweden, und Olofsborg in Ostfinnland — beide im späten 15. Jahrhundert errichtet. Die Lage der Steinplatten in den Burgen wird untersucht, ebenso wird erörtert, wer sie dort sehen und ihre Botschaften verbreiten konnte. Es wird argumentiert, dass die Wappen und Erinnerungstexte so angebracht waren, dass sie Gedankengut an den Adel übermitteln konnten, dass aber der landschaftliche Kontext der Burg eine Botschaft bezüglich des gesellschaftlichen Status’ an eine bereitere Öffentlichkeit aussenden sollte.
Riassunto
Tavolette in pietra, epitaffi e loro intenzionalità nei castelli scandinavi tardomedievali: gli esempi di Glimmingehus e di Olofsborg di Martin Hansson
Questo studio indaga su come i nobili esprimessero sé stessi nei castelli tardomedievali scandinavi, negli edifici e nel paesaggio. L’interesse si concentra sulle tavolette in pietra decorate raffiguranti stemmi e sugli epitaffi che si trovano sulle pareti del castello, ma si esaminano anche i paesaggi in cui sorgono i castelli. Gli esempi presi in considerazione qui sono Glimmingehus nella Scania, in quella che attualmente è la Svezia meridionale, e Olofsborg nella Finlandia orientale. Entrambi furono eretti verso la fine del Quattrocento. Si esamina la posizione delle tavolette in pietra nei castelli e si indaga anche su chi le avrebbe viste e ne avrebbe condiviso i messaggi. Si sostiene che mentre gli stemmi e gli epitaffi erano disposti in modo da comunicare idee all’aristocrazia, la posizione del castello nel paesaggio mediava messaggi di posizione sociale a un pubblico più vasto.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Professor Jes Wienberg and Professor Mats Roslund, both of Lund University, and to two anonymous reviewers and the editors for valuable comments on an earlier draft. This study has been made possible by grants from the Åke Wiberg Foundation and the Krapperup Foundation. English revised by Alan Crozier.
Notes
22 In Germany the work in the series ‘Deutschen Inschriften’ (German Inscriptions) cf Zdrenka Citation2002.
34 English translation by the author from the original Danish.
40 English translation by the author, from original in Danish.
48 FMU 3626, translation by the author, from original in Swedish. The text was destroyed in a fire in 1631. See Härö Citation1997, 43 note 9.
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