Pain, Fear, and the Emotional Regime of Hell: Chieftains and the Church in Thirteenth-Century Iceland

The period between c. 1170 and 1300 saw the most intense political conflict and change in Iceland’s history as bishops, chieftains, and the Norwegian king vied for control. In their campaign to secure a dominant and autonomous position, the Church used Christian vision literature to address the sinfulness of the male elite and to attack the foundation of their power, threatening them with the ultimate punishment – everlasting pain in Hell. This message of pain and terror worked to shape an emotional regime of fear, providing the Church with a persuasive tool to use in their struggle against Iceland’s chieftains.