Symbolic transfers between the political and the theological in the late Middle Ages

PROJECT COMPLETED (2015-2018)

Nothing is more tangible than the effects of power, but nothing less tangible than power itself. For this reason, going from the effects to that which produces them, this project proposed to make a research on some forms of power representation (coronation ceremonies, oaths and currencies) in the late medieval Iberian Peninsula, making a comparative approach with other kingdoms of Western Europe such as France and England.

These forms of representation of power are encouraged by the monarchy and projected onto the estates. This implies analyzing the presence and interpretation of permanent symbols before the population (coats of arms, jurisdictional gallows) and the symbols used during ceremonies of special civic significance. These signs and symbols of power were studied through specific documentary sources for these subjects: historical texts, ceremonials, miniatures, testimonies, coats of arms, etc.

To this end, we integrated the historical, theological-liturgical, art history and political theory disciplines in an interdisciplinary approach. Our research on the idea of power and its representations has obvious practical projections, since the ideas resulting from this project can be applied to the political internship -with the future assistance of sociologists and political scientists and the use they can make of the data, ideas and interpretations that emerge from our project-.

The knowledge of political symbols and the understanding of their meanings can increase the symbolic intelligence of citizens, which can complement (rather than eliminate) the rationalism typical of our era.

This research took shape in the subproject 'Las formas de representación del poder en la Península Ibérica bajomedieval: ceremonias, juramentos y divisas' which has received funding from the Ministry of Economics and Competitiveness (Ref. HAR2014-58542-P).