Divine & Conquer
Ancestors, Gods, and the Right to Rule
Nøgleord:
Magtdannelse, MyterResumé
This article explores the use of legendary, ancestral, and divine figures in consolidation and legitimization of power, drawing on a theoretical framework provided by David Graeber and Marshall Sahlins in their book On Kings (2017). It takes its offset in literary narratives and their use in legitimizing kingship: First, the Sargon Birth Legend is investigated, and it is shown how this text might be understood as a part of a larger-scale legitimization of Sargon II and his dynasty’s claim to the Assyrian throne. Then, Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum is examined in relation to its role in Danish king Valdemar and his dynasty’s claim to the throne, and to sovereignty from the Holy Roman empire. It is analyzed and compared to the Assyrian case, to show the manners in which history-making and self-association to powerful ancestors and divine agents are used to legitimize and consolidate power in both cases. Finally, it is argued how the uses of these texts, and their characters, can help elucidate our understanding of the appropriation and transmission of narratives within intercultural frameworks, and the divinities and legendary figures in them, as potential universal tendencies in the legitimization and consolidation of power.
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- 2024-05-28 (2)
- 2024-05-24 (1)
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