High king: Difference between revisions

In history and literature, high kings may be found where there is a high degree of cultural unity, along with sufficient political fragmentation that the high king's subordinates style themselves kings. In this respect, high kingships frequently differ from [[empire]]s, which are culturally as well as politically heterogeneous, as well as from [[Feudalism|feudal]] monarchies, where the subordinate rulers take lesser titles (such as [[duke]] or [[count]]) and may be, at least in theory, subject to appointment and dismissal by the sovereign.

 

kingships his duties are largely ceremonial or restricted to occasions such as war that create a need for a unified command structure.

 

The ''[[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]]'' (literally "supreme lord") in [[Malaysia]] could probably be seen as a "high king", as he is elected from among nine Malay rulers of the states (seven [[sultan]]s, a [[raja]], and a ''[[Yang di-Pertuan Besar]]''-literally "great lord") by the [[Conference of Rulers]] (through informal agreement, on a rotational basis). In practice, however, the term "high king" is rarely applied to the ''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' (king).

 

 

''[[Taewang]]'', meaning "greatest of kings", was used by the later rulers of the Korean kingdom of [[Koguryo]] (and [[Silla]], albeit to a rarer extent) to rank themselves as equals to the [[Emperor of China|Chinese emperors]] or to express suzerainty over surrounding states, particularly during the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea|Three Kingdoms Era]]. ''Daewang'' (great king) was used by rulers of other kingdoms and subsequent dynasties, including [[Baekje]], whose king assumed the style of ''Daewang Pyeha'' ("his imperial majesty the great king") by the reign of [[Mu of Baekje|King Mu]] (600-640 AD at the latest). However, after the [[Mongol Invasions of Korea]], these rulers remained technically subordinate to the [[Mongol Empire]] and later China until [[Gojong of the Korean Empire|King Gojong]] declared the [[Korean Empire]] in 1897 and assumed the title of ''Hwangje'', or "emperor" (the Korean rendition of the [[Chinese language|Chinese]] "''huang di''").

== In fiction ==

* In [[C. S. Lewis]]'s epic fantasy, ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]'', [[Peter Pevensie]] was the High King of [[Narnia (world)|Narnia]] while his younger brother [[Edmund Pevensie]] was the King and his sisters [[Susan Pevensie]] and [[Lucy Pevensie]] were the Queens. He was also the high king over all kings of Narnia, from the first to the last. [[Aslan]], the deity and the Great Lion of Narnia, is described as being "the High King above all High Kings", meaning he is the highest king over all rulers of Narnia.

* In [[George R.R. Martin]]'s ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'', the first human king ruling in Westeros was called the High King of the First Men.

* In [[Lloyd Alexander]]'s ''[[Chronicles of Prydain]]'', there is a line of High Kings of Prydain (a fictionalized version of [[Wales]]) who are descendants of a royal family who came from the Summer Country in order to oppose Arawn. The high king throughout the series is Gwydion's father Math, who is then succeeded by Gwydion and later Taran in the final novel of the series, ''[[The High King]]''.

* In [[Blizzard Entertainment]]'s ''[[Warcraft]]'', the high king is the leader of the Alliance who has military control over the Alliance forces.

*In Holly Black's ''The Folk of the Air'' series'','' there is a high king who rules over the land of faeries, Elfhame.

 

== See also ==

 

* ''[[Capo dei capi]]''

 

{{Imperial and royal styles}}

 

[[Category:Heads of state]]