Gods and Worshippers: In the Viking and Germanic WorldWhat was paganism really like? Who were the gods and how were they worshipped? These are the questions Thor Ewing addresses in this fresh perspective on the pagan beliefs and rituals of the Viking and the Germanic world, a world which encompasses not only Scandanavia and Germany, but also Anglo-Saxon England. Gods and Worshippers explores ancient cult sites and religious gatherings, as well as burial customs and the rites of the dead, and it reveals the intimate links between religious and secular power. Using the surviving archaeological evidence as well as the recorded myths and poetry from the various regions, Ewing explores the realities of day-to-day worship, such as sacrifices and sacred space, as well as arguing that traditional magical-religious societies operated in parallel to mainstream society, according to their own distinctive morality and laws. The picture that emerges is that of a complex pattern of powers which are respected, honoured, propitiated or even cajoled. It is in this relationship between powers and people that the religion exists, and though it takes many forms it is fundamentally one of respect, honour and worship - a relationship between gods and worshippers. |
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Contents
Acknowledgements | 6 |
Invocation | 29 |
Gods groves and idols | 44 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
amulets ancient Anglo-Saxon animal appears assembly associated berserks Birka Brynhild burial mounds buried called century chieftain Christian cremation cult dead death Denmark described divine Egils saga Eirik England Eyrbyggja saga feast Flateyjarbok Frey Freyja funeral Germania Gesta goat goddess gods grave grove hall Hdvamdl holy honour horgr horse Ibn Fadlan Icelandic idols inhumations island King Landndmabok Lejre Likewise Lytir magic magicians mainstream society Matronae medieval myth Nerthus Njord Nornagests norns Norse Norway Odin Odin's offerings Olaf Oseberg pdttr perhaps poem pre-Christian priestess priests probably religion religious represent rites ritual role Roman sacred sacrifice sanctuary Saxon Scandinavian secular seems seeress seiSr Semnones sexual ship burial similar Snorri sometimes stone story suggests Sweden Tacitus temple temple at Uppsala tenth-century Thor Thor's tradition trees Uppsala valkyries Vanir Vatnsdala saga verses victims Viking Vita wagon whilst woman women wooden word worship Wulfstan Ynglinga saga
Bibliographic information
| Title | Gods and Worshippers: In the Viking and Germanic World Tempus Series |
| Author | Thor Ewing |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Tempus, 2008 |
| Original from | Pennsylvania State University |
| Digitized | Jan 6, 2011 |
| ISBN | 0752435906, 9780752435909 |
| Length | 160 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Europe / General Religion / Comparative Religion Religion / History |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |