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Record Number: 5690 Author(s)/Creator(s): McDonald , R. Andrew. Contributor(s): Title: Matrimonial Politics and Core- Periphery Interactions in Twelfth- and Early Thirteenth- Century Scotland Source: Journal of Medieval History 21, 3 (Sept. 1995): Pages 227 - 247. Description: Article Type: Journal Article Subject (See Also): Anglo- Normans Ethnic Relations Kings Marriage Nobility Politics Scotland Social History Award Note: Geographic Area: British Isles Century: 12-13 Primary Evidence: Illustrations: Table: Chart of matrimonial politics and core- periphery interactions in twelfth- and thirteenth- century Scotland. Abstract: The medieval kingdom of Scotland was an amalgam of diverse ethnic elements which included Gaels, Britons, Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians, and Normans. This paper explores one mechanism which is generally considered to have been of tremendous importance in fostering accommodation and understanding between cultures in medieval society: matrimony. An examination of the marriage alliances of prominent members of the native nobility of eastern Scotland demonstrates that matrimony played a crucial role in binding Scottish families to Anglo-Norman newcomers, to the Normanophile Scottish monarchs, and to one another. However, the marriage alliances of the powerful west-coast princes contrast sharply to those of the eastern nobility and demonstrate how matrimonial alliances also served another purpose: namely, building up and maintaining an alliance of princes in the upland margins of the kingdom who opposed Anglo-Norman ways and the extension of feudalism into these regions. This in turn suggests that there existed a fundamental dichotomy in Scottish society between the feudal kingdom of Scotland and those regions ringing the Irish Sea. Close examination of the matrimonial patterns of the twelfth-century Scottish nobility therefore reinforces some long-held convictions about the fabric of Scottish society, while calling others into question. [Reprinted from the Journal of Medieval History 21, McDonald, "Matrimonial politics and core-periphery interactions in twelfth- and early thirteenth-century Scotland," 227, 1995, with permission from Elsevier Science.] Related Resources: Author's Affiliation: Trent University Conference Info: - , - Year of Publication: 1995. Language: English ISSN/ISBN: 03044181

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