The Lost Beliefs of Northern EuropeFragments of ancient belief mingle with folklore and Christian dogma until the original tenets are lost in the myths and psychologies of the intervening years. Hilda Ellis Davidson illustrates how pagan beliefs have been represented and misinterpreted by the Christian tradition, and throws light on the nature of pre-Christian beliefs and how they have been preserved. The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe stresses both the possibilities and the difficulties of investigating the lost religious beliefs of Northern Europe. |
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Anglo-Saxon animals appears Asgard associated battle beliefs boar bracteates burial carved cauldron Celtic Celts centre century ceremonies Christian church cremation cult Dagda Davidson dead death deities Denmark divine world earlier earth Edda Europe example Eyrbyggja Saga feast female figures Flateyjarbok Freyja Freyr funeral Gaul Germanic giant goddess gods graves Gundestrup Cauldron Gylfaginning hall hero holy places horse Hrungnir Iceland important indicate influence inscriptions Irish kennings king land-spirits Landnamabok legends linked literature Loki motifs mound mythology myths names Njord Norse northern Norway Odin Odin's Otherworld picture place-names plates poem poetry poets possible pre-Christian period Prose Edda references religious represented rich ritual Roman ruler sacred sacrifice Saxo Saxo Grammaticus Scandinavian seems serpent ship shrine skaldic Snorri spirits stones suggested supernatural surviving Sutton Hoo Sweden symbol tale temple Thor Thor's tradition underworld Vanir various Viking Age wagon warrior women worshipped written sources Ynglinga Saga