KEY DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES IN THE 11th- 15th CENTURIES

Abstract

The Scandinavian countries – comprising Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – exhibited unique developmental characteristics during the Middle Ages. While the era of early feudalism was established in Western Europe during the 10th and 11th centuries, this process was not completed in Scandinavia until the 12th and 13th centuries. Consequently, pre – feudal social elements – such as free peasants, communal or collective land ownership, and popular assemblies in various districts – persisted here. The Scandinavian countries developed independently and maintained weak ties with European nations. Nevertheless, for centuries, Western European states raided and plundered the lands of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.