Saints and Sainthood around the Baltic Sea : Identity, Literacy, and Communication in the Middle Ages

This volume addresses the history ofsaints and sainthood in the Middle Agesin the Baltic Region with a special focuson the cult of saints in Russia, Prussia,Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, andLatvia (more commonly referred to in theMiddle Ages as Livonia). The articlescover a wide range of topics, for examplethe introduction of foreign (and "e;old"e;)saints into new regions, the creation ofnew local cults of saints in newlyChristianized regions, the role of the cultof saints in the creation of political andlay identities, the adaption of the cult ofsaints in folk poetry, and the potentialrole of saints in times of war. The articlesalso address questions of methodology inresearch on the medieval cult of saints. Chronologically, the articles cover mostof the Middle Ages from the ScandinavianVarangians in Rus in the tenth century tothe late medieval Northern societies ofthe late fifteenth century.