Holy Rulers of Early Medieval Europe

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https://doi.org/10.54937/nhe.2026.15.1.8-48

Autor/ Author: Angelus Štefan Kuruc

In: Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ

ISSN: 1338-9572 (Print)

ISSN: 2730-0153 (Online)

Ročník/ Volume: 15

Číslo/ Issue: 1

Strany/ Page Range: 8-48

Rok vydania/ Publication Year: 2026

Jazyk/ Language: Slovak

Vydavateľ/ Publisher: VERBUM – vydavateľstvo Katolíckej univerzity v Ružomberku

Abstrakt/ Abstract: During the last decades, the study of sanctity and the cult of saints has become a major field of medieval research. Modern historiography has shown that despite the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, cultural and religious contacts between Western and Eastern Europe continued throughout the Early Middle Ages. Nevertheless, comparative research on the hagiographical traditions of both regions remains limited.This paper compares the hagiography and cult of canonized rulers in Eastern and Western Europe, drawing on František Graus's typology of early medieval royal saints. It examines the common features and regional variations in the development of royal sanctity, emphasizing the interaction of religi-ous, political, and cultural factors. Many royal saints—including Sigismund, Stephen of Hungary, Vla-dimir, Boris, Wenceslas, and Olaf—share the image of the Christian ruler as a defender of the faith, often associated with martyrdom. Although their violent deaths were interpreted in religious terms, they frequ-ently resulted from political conflicts. In Anglo-Saxon England, concepts of royal sanctity were shaped by monastic and Gregorian reforms, while in Central Europe they were also influenced by the Cluniac reform, particularly in the legends of St Wenceslas and St Emeric.
The paper also highlights the cultural links between the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian worlds, where the cult of saints supported Christianization and political integration. It further examines the influence of the legend of St Wenceslas on the hagiographical tradition of Kyivan Rus', especially the cult of Saints Boris and Gleb.
The study argues that the cult of holy rulers served as an important instrument for legitimizing political authority and promoting Christianity. Hagiographical texts reveal the close relationship between religious and political interests and underscore the crucial role of rulers in establishing ecclesiastical institutions, fostering Christian culture, and shaping the collective identity of early medieval Europe.

Kľúčové slová/ Keywords: royal saints; hagiography; Early Middle Ages; Christianization; East–West cultural contacts; ruler cult.

Citácia/ How to cite:
KURUC, Štefan Angelus, 2026. Svätí vládcovia ranostredovekej Európy. Notitiæ historiæ ecclesiasticæ. Online. Roč. 15, č. 1, s. 8-48. ISSN 1338-9572 (Print). ISSN 2730-0153 (Online). Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.54937/nhe.2026.15.1.8-48

Toto dielo je publikované pod/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.