Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

McCarthy, Thomas

Keywords

History, Medieval, Kingship

Area of Concentration

Medieval and Renaissance Studies, History

Abstract

This thesis discusses how the events of the reign of Henry IV of Germany, 1056–1106, were symptomatic of the decline in political significance of sacral kingship. While the monarchy was anchored in the idea of sacral kingship, the society of the German Empire was changing and developing in ways that left this conception of kingship behind. By exploring the relationship between the crown and the nobility, the Imperial Church, and the papacy during the early Salian dynasty (1024–1125), it is evident that the reign of Henry IV coincides with the decline in the significance of sacral kingship. The actions of Pope Gregory VII (1073–85) hastened the decline of sacral kingship during the reign of Henry IV. Gregory VII cast doubt upon the legitimacy of the sacred ordination of kings during his conflict with Henry IV over the direction that church reform was to take. After Gregory's attacks on the legitimacy of the monarchy the significance of sacral kingship declined. This fundamental change in the nature of sacral kingship was epitomized above all by the meeting of Henry IV and Gregory VII at Canossa in January 1077.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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