More Than Mythology: Narratives, Ritual Practices and Regional Distribution in Pre-Christian Scandinavian ReligionsCatharina Raudvere, Jens Peter Schjødt Written by distinguished scholars from multiple perspectives, this account widens the interpretative scope on religious life among the pre-Christian Scandinavian people. The religion of the Viking Age is conventionally identified through its mythology: the ambiguous character Odin, the forceful Thor, and the end of the world approaching in Ragnarök. However, pre-Christian religion consisted of so much more than mythic imagery and legends and has long lingered in folk tradition. Exploring the religion of the North through an interdisciplinary approach, the book sheds new light on a number of topics, including rituals, gender relations, social hierarchies, and interregional contacts between the Nordic tradition and the Sami and Finnish regions. |
Contents
The Study of PreChristian Scandinavian Religions | 7 |
Mythic Acts | 13 |
The Merits and Limits of Comparative Philology | 47 |
Diet and Deities | 65 |
Fictive Rituals in Völuspá | 97 |
Continuity Change and Regional Variation in | 119 |
Gender Sexuality and the Supranormal | 153 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Agricola Åke ancient Andrén animals archaeological beliefs burial Catharina Raudvere century chieftains Christian concept context cultural dead deities discussed divine example Eyrbyggja saga female väki Finland Finnish Literature Society fish Folklore Freyr Germanic gods graves Haavio Háleygjatal Harva Helsinki history of religions Hlaðir Iceland ideas Ilmarinen incantations Indo-European interpretation Iron Age íslenzka Jennbert Karelian king linguistic literary Lund luonto magic Martti Haavio medieval Mikael Mikael Agricola myth mythic mythological agents mythology narrative Nordic Academic Press Norrøn Norway notion Óðinn Old Norse religion pagan passim perspective poem pre-Christian religion Rauni reconstruct regional religious ruler ideology Reykjavík ritual rowan sacral kingship sacrifices saga Sámi Scandinavian Schjødt scholars Skaði SKS KRA SKVR Snorri social sources stanzas Stockholm Ström Suomen Svanberg Svetjud Swedish symbols texts tietäjä tion tradition Turisas University Press Uppsala vagina väki väki force variations vihat Viking Age Völuspá world view Ynglingatal Þórr