This book, first in a series of three, examines the social elites in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, and which social, political, and cultural resources went into their creation. The elite controlled enormous economic resources and exercised power over people. Power over agrarian production was essential to the elites during this period, although mobile capital was becoming increasingly important. The book focuses on the material resources of the elites, through questions such as: Which types of resources were at play? How did the elites acquire and exchange resources?

Bjørn Poulsen is Professor of Medieval History at the School of Culture and Society at University of Aarhus.

Helle Vogt is Professor in Legal History at the Faculty of Law at University of Copenhagen.

Jón Viðar Sigurðsson is Professor of Medieval History at University of Oslo.