All Episodes

January 11, 2023 22 mins

Dr. Duncan W. Wright, Newcastle University.

 

Publication:

Duncan W Wright (2019) Crafters of Kingship: Smiths, Elite Power, and Gender in Early Medieval Europe, Medieval Archaeology, 63:2, 271-297, DOI: 10.1080/00766097.2019.1670922

IN THE EARLIEST CENTURIES of the Middle Ages, skilled metalsmiths were greatly valued by

cult leaders who required impressive objects to maintain social links and the loyalty of their retainers.

Despite their clear importance, smiths were peripheral characters operating on the fringes of elite communities.

Such treatment may reflect an attempt to limit the influence of metalworkers, whose craft was seen

as supernatural and who themselves were probably spiritual figureheads; archaeological evidence associates

smiths and their tools in symbolic processes of creation and destruction, not only of objects but also

of buildings and monuments. The Church clearly appropriated these indigenous practices, although conversion

eventually saw the pre-eminence of the sacred smith and their practice wane. Anthropological

study provides numerous comparators for skilled crafters acting as supernatural leaders, and also suggests

that as part of their marginal identity, smiths may have been perceived as a distinct gender.


Buy Foreign Countries a coffee:

https://ko-fi.com/foreigncountriespodcast

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=9G7GV9X432PN6


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.