ABSTRACT

In periods of conflict, members of the elite in northern Europe often went into exile in search of political, military, and economic support from neighboring rulers and magnates. Exile is a useful lens through which to analyze medieval political culture, because it provides a way of studying how networks operated across the political frontiers which have traditionally limited historical inquiry. When a political actor went into exile, his social relationships with rulers and magnates in other polities were put to the test. Who would support him? Were bonds of kinship or friendship enough to gain support, or was material compensation required? This chapter seeks to address these questions through a case study of the Danish king Knud V, who sought support from several neighboring rulers following his defeat by a rival claimant to the throne in 1151. I conclude that Knud’s social relationships with his host were not in themselves enough to ensure him the support he needed to retake the Danish throne. Rather, to gain support, Knud had to play off of the political interests of his host.