{"product_id":"visions-of-hierarchy-and-inequality-in-early-medieval-england-9781009308366","title":"Visions of Hierarchy and Inequality in Early Medieval England","description":"This Element examines the socio-political hierarchy of England in the tenth and eleventh centuries, focusing upon the plasticity of the boundary between the ranks of ceorl and thegn. Offering a nuanced analysis of terms such as thegn and ceorl in both early medieval texts and modern scholarship, the Element highlights the mechanisms that allowed these non-institutional signifiers to hold such social weight while conferring few tangible benefits. To better describe the relative social positions, the author argues that a compound method is preferable, supporting this proposal via a thorough deconstruction of writings by Archbishop Wulfstan II of York - responsible for many of scholars' ideas about rank in the period - and the examination of sources that evidence a blurring of 'middling' social boundaries across the two centuries under discussion. Together, these strands of interrogation allow for a fuller understanding of how status was constructed in early medieval England.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51298474098962,"sku":"9781009308366","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_196aaf55-c640-4cb0-86cb-922a0d42eeb2.jpg?v=1747822437","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/visions-of-hierarchy-and-inequality-in-early-medieval-england-9781009308366","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}