Theorizing Old Norse Myth
Edited by Stefan Brink Edited by Lisa Collinson
This collection explores the theoretical and methodological foundations through which we understand Old Norse myths and the mythological world, and the medieval sources in which we find expressions of these. Some contributions take a broad, comparative perspective; some address specific details of Old Norse myths and mythology; and some devote their attention to questions concerning either individual gods and deities, or more topographical and spatial matters (such as conceptions of pagan cult sites). The elements discussed provide an introductory and general overview of scholarly enquiry into myth and ritual, as well as an attempt to define myth and theory for Old Norse scholarship. The articles also offer a rehabilitation of the comparative method alongside a discussion of the concept of ‘cultural memory’ and of the cognitive functions that myths may have performed in early Scandinavian society. Particular subjects of interest include analyses of the enigmatic god Heimdallr, the more well-known Oðinn, the deities, the female asynjur, and the ‘elves’ or alfar. Text-based discussions are set alongside recent archaeological discoveries of cult buildings and cult sites in Scandinavia, together with a discussion of the most enigmatic site of all: Uppsala in Sweden. The key themes discussed throughout this volume are brought together in the concluding chapter, in a comprehensive summary that sheds new light on current scholarly perspectives.
- Edited by Stefan Brink
- Edited by Lisa Collinson
Other Titles in this Series
Sainthood, Scriptoria, and Secular Erudition in Medieval and Early Modern Scandinavia
Essays in Honour of Kirsten Wolf
Volume 13
Old Norse Myths as Political Ideologies
Critical Studies in the Appropriation of Medieval Narratives
Volume 9
Myths and Magic in the Medieval Far North
Realities and Representations of a Region on the Edge of Europe
Volume 10
Studies in the Transmission and Reception of Old Norse Literature
The Hyperborean Muse in European Culture
Volume 6
Myth, Magic, and Memory in Early Scandinavian Narrative Culture
Studies in Honour of Stephen A. Mitchell
Volume 11
The Cult of St Erik in Medieval Sweden
Veneration of a Royal Saint, Twelfth-Sixteenth Centuries
Volume 5
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