Rethinking the "small worlds" of tenth-century Galicia

This article aims to examine the internal dynamics of the village world of tenth-century Galicia by means of a close analysis of documents from the cartulary of Celanova. It seeks to shed light on the dynamism of peasant social experience by examining the horizontal bonds that existed among villagers and their neighbours. This article attempts to offer an alternative to readings which analyses peasantries simply in order to demonstrate their progressive subjection. In place of the teleology implicit in this interpretation, this article suggests that by recognizing that some peasants actively courted the assistance and opportunities for business that their neighbours and local monastic institutions provided, we can better appreciate the complexity of peasant social experience