A dissertation is devoted to a comparative study of early state institutes of the Scandinavians, the Polabian and the Pomeranian Slavs. In its focus are medieval gatherings – a thing and a veche. The analysis of participants, procedure, functioning, evolution, and other aspects of assemblies takes into account state formation processes, features of social orders of the last quarter of the 8th – the middle of the 12th centuries. The evidence about simultaneous and similar development of Norway, Sweden, Slavic Polabia, and Pomerania stipulate the validity of the comparison. Typical for the regions were a persistence of pre-state forms of power, a longevity of existence of pagan beliefs, a slow transformation of power institutes, an inherent in archaic societies communal form of governance. A combination of narrative, archaeological, legal, epigraphic, and topographic sources allow us to comprehensively analyze these social orders and early states at the stage of political consolidation, centralization, Christianization, and the deepening of social stratification. The research takes into account the newest achievements of the historical field and the most important theoretical and methodological ideas of medievalists, archaeologists, anthropologists, and the scholars of runic symbols, in particular, a discussion of historical value of narrative sources – sagas, chronicles, and the lives of the saints. The study makes use of the achievements of the historical comparative studies, conceptual framework of political anthropology (concepts chiefdom and military government), anthropological approach to the consideration of common law.
The comparison of state formation processes attests typological and chronological resemblance of socio-political evolution among the Scandinavians and the Slavs in the last quarter of the 8th – the middle of the 12th centuries. Based on the archaeological and written sources can be traced a consolidation and integration of tribal organizations – the first step of state formation. Early states of the Scandinavians and the Slavs emerged in a similar way, namely by the unification of composite chiefdoms into one entity. Most often, state formation took place on the territories of high concentration of economic, political, religious centers. The dissertation characterizes the most important power institutes of the Scandinavians and the Slavs, such as: powers of chiefs of various ranks, rulers, elite, retinues, features of the functioning of centers of pagan cult, feasts.
The study confirms the participation of the same or similar social strata in the Scandinavian and Slavic assemblies – of the inhabitants of one or several settlements and surrounding areas, the existence of rural and urban gatherings, the thing and the veche of local, regional, and nationwide levels. Wealthier strata of society were more active during the assemblies, and the influence of the elite on their result in all periods and at all levels was decisive. The decision-making usually took place at special places, which provided the events with particular importance in the eyes of the community. The written sources prove that the thing and the veche were similar to celebrations, primarily ritualized. Discussions and speeches were not only ways of exchanging and discussing important to the community information, but also sacral and theatrical events. The functioning of planned, regular and spontaneous meetings can be traced. The most important socio-political functions of assemblies are established, namely organizational, representative, and unifying. At the same time, gatherings played judicial role, which is confirmed in almost all written sources. The study reaches a conclusion about institutional affinity of Scandinavian and Slavic assemblies, certified by completely independent sources. So, the thing and the veche are variations of one and the same early state institute.
