‎Jette Arneborg, Orri V steinsson (eds)‎
‎Small Churches and Religious Landscapes in the North Atlantic c. 900-1300‎

‎, Brepols, 2025 Paperback, Pages: 352, Size:216 x 280 mm, Illustrations:37 b/w, 49 col., 12 tables b/w., 27 maps b/w, 8 maps color, Language: English. ISBN 9782503605258.‎

Reference : 70654

‎Summary In recent years, archaeologists working at Norse sites across the North Atlantic have excavated a number of very small churches with cemeteries, often associated with individual farms. Such sites seem to be a characteristic feature of early ecclesiastical establishments in Norse settlements around the North Atlantic, and they stand in marked contrast to church sites elsewhere in Europe. But what was the reason behind this phenomenon? From Greenland to Denmark, and from Ireland to the Hebrides, Iceland, and Norway, this volume presents a much-needed overview of small church studies from around the North Atlantic. The chapters gathered here discuss the different types of evidence for small churches and early ecclesiastical landscapes, review existing debates, and develop a synthesis that places the small churches in a broader context. Ultimately, despite the varied types of data at play, the contributions to this volume combine to offer a more coherent picture of the small church phenomenon, pointing to a church that was able to answer the needs of a newly converted population despite the lack of an established infrastructure, and throwing new light on how people lived and worshipped in an environment of dispersed settlements. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations List of Contributors Introduction Jette Arneborg and Orri V steinsson Section 1. Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Ireland and the Scandinavian North Atlantic: Comparing Small Churches and Religious Landscapes Tom s Carrag in Planning the Presence of God: Approaching Small Churches in Early Medieval Scotland Gilbert M rkus The Manx Keeills: Small Churches on the Isle of Man Andrew Johnson Small Churches in the Hebrides Sarah Thomas A Case Study from the Western Isles: The Lewis Coastal Chapel-Sites Survey Rachel C. Barrowman Small Churches in Orkney Sarah Jane Gibbon Small Churches and Chapels in Shetland: An Archaeological Project in the Context of Norse Christianity in the Nor reyjar (Northern Isles) and Su reyjar (Southern Isles) Christopher D. Morris Section 2. Mainland Scandinavia: Denmark and Norway Between Worship and Representation in the Viking Age: The Early Christian Buildings in Jelling and South Scandinavia Mads Dengs Jessen Small Churches in Norway Jan Brendalsmo Section 3. North Atlantic: Faroes, Iceland, and Greenland Christianity, Churches and Medieval Kirkjub ur: Contacts and Influences in the Faroe Islands S mun V. Arge Small Churches in Iceland Orri V steinsson Hofsta ir in M vatnssveit: An Early Religious Landscape Hildur Gestsd ttir The Geography of a Cemetery: Internal Layout, Burial Customs, and Social Hierarchy in Early Christian Cemeteries, North Iceland Gu n Zo ga Small Churches and Church Organization in Norse Greenland: Farms and Churches in Norse Greenland Jette Arneborg, Jan Heinemeier, and Niels Lynnerup j hildarkirkja Reconsidered Orri V steinsson Conclusions: The Small Church Phenomenon Jette Arneborg and Orri V steinsson Index‎