Anglo-Saxon Kingship and Political Power

Know about the book -

Anglo-Saxon Kingship and Political Power is written by Kathrin McCann and published by University of Wales Press. It's available with International Standard Book Number or ISBN identification 1786832941 (ISBN 10) and 9781786832948 (ISBN 13).

Works on Anglo-Saxon kingship often take as their starting point the line from Beowulf: ‘that was a good king’. This monograph, however, explores what it means to be a king, and how kings defined their own kingship in opposition to other powers. Kings derived their royal power from a divine source, which led to conflicts between the interpreters of the divine will (the episcopate) and the individual wielding power (the king). Demonstrating how Anglo-Saxon kings were able to manipulate political ideologies to increase their own authority, this book explores the unique way in which Anglo-Saxon kings understood the source and nature of their power, and of their own authority.