Abstract
This paper examines the pedagogical strategies developed by the authors of two Norwegian thirteenth-century court books, The King’s Mirror and the Law of the Hird, in order to implement Western etiquette and rules of courtly behaviour at the court of the Norwegian kings. Inculcating new modes of behaviour, displaying self-restraint and courtesy to an aristocratic elite of a peripheral kingdom indulging in excesses of all kinds was challenging. In order to encourage Norwegian retainers to adopt new rules of speech, gestures, dress and table manners, our authors developed a threefold strategy emphasizing voluntary commitment and its beneficial character, and providing several highly practical advice easy to put into practice in many situations. The article concludes in stressing the decisive role of mediators of foreign culture into the Norse elite in underscoring their own knowledge and perception of both foreign and local cultures.
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