The Incorporation and Integration of the King's Tributary Lands into the Norwegian Realm c. 1195-1397

Book excerpt: The emergence of a Norwegian medieval state had consequences beyond Norway. Inspired by transnational research on state formation, this book presents a comprehensive study of the political incorporation and subsequent judicial and administrative integration of Iceland, the Faroes, Shetland, and Orkney, into the Norwegian realm c. 1195-1397. Building on centuries-old cultural, economic, and political ties, the Norwegian crown established direct royal lordship over the former autonomous and semi-autonomous areas. Judicial unity, administrative development, and the king’s local representatives ensured that the tributary lands were comprised in the state-formation process. Although the political and administrative system allowed for local variation, the process led development in the direction of a unitary state, at least in judicial and administrative terms.