Rituals of Fealty and Sovereign Authority in Central European Realms during the High Middle Ages
Dr. Alistair Vance (University of Oxford) & Prof. Helena Varga (Charles University)
Abstract
This paper investigates the intricate ceremonial frameworks surrounding acts of fealty and political subordination in Central European monarchies during the High Middle Ages. By examining surviving codices, cartularies, and regional chronicles from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, we demonstrate how performative oaths served not merely as legal contracts of vassalage, but as sophisticated socio-political instruments designed to legitimize nascent royal authority against centrifugal aristocratic pressures. The research focuses on comparative case studies from the Kingdom of Bohemia and neighboring principalities, highlighting the performative choreography of homage, investiture, and public affirmation. Our findings suggest that these rituals operated as flexible communicative mediums capable of negotiating the shifting boundaries between monarchical centralization and regional autonomy. Furthermore, the study analyzes the symbolic vocabulary embedded within physical objects—such as scepters, banners, and charters—that accompanied these ceremonies, arguing that tactile tokens played a crucial role in binding collective memory and institutional loyalty across generations. Ultimately, this contribution reframes medieval political allegiance as a dynamic, continuous renegotiation rather than a static legal status.
Keywords
Feudalism, Central Europe, High Middle Ages, Ritual Studies, Political Authority, Legal History.