Kinship in Old Norse Myth and Legend

Kinship in Old Norse Myth and Legend PDF Author: Katherine Marie Olley
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1843846373
Category : Kinship
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
This wide-ranging study offers a new understanding of Old Norse kinship in which the individual self was expanded to encompass its kin.

Kinship in Old Norse Myth and Legend

Kinship in Old Norse Myth and Legend PDF Author: Katherine Marie Olley
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1843846373
Category : Kinship
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
This wide-ranging study offers a new understanding of Old Norse kinship in which the individual self was expanded to encompass its kin.

The Paganesque and the Tale of Vǫlsi

The Paganesque and the Tale of Vǫlsi PDF Author: PROFESSOR MERRILL. KAPLAN
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1843847027
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Challenges the concept that the notorious horse penis is key to understanding the Tale of Vǫlsi, via the concept of the "paganesque". A family of Norwegian pagans, stubbornly resisting the new Christian religion, worship a diabolically animated preserved horse penis, intoning verses as they pass it from hand to hand until King Olaf the Saint intervenes. This is the matter of the medieval Tale of Vǫlsi. Traditionally, it has been read as evidence of a pre-Christian fertility cult - or simply dismissed as an obscene trifle. This book takes a new approach by developing the concept of the "paganesque" - the air of a religious culture older than and inimical to Christianity. It shows how the Tale of Vǫlsi deploys a range of vernacular genres, from verbal dueling and mythological poetry to folk belief about milk-stealing witches and the reanimated dead, to create the flavor of paganism for a fourteenth-century Icelandic audience: an imagined paganism that has theological stakes as well as satirical bite. Throughout, the study challenges the notion that the horse penis is the key to understanding the narrative. Once the object is removed from the center of interpretation, the artistry and wit of the tale's "Paganesque" come fully into view.

Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders

Poetry in Sagas of Icelanders PDF Author: Margaret Clunies Ross
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 184384639X
Category : Sagas
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
Sagas of Icelanders, also called family sagas, are the best known of the many literary genres that flourished in medieval Iceland, most of them achieving written form during the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Modern readers and critics often praise their apparently realistic descriptions of the lives, loves and feuds of settler families of the first century and a half of Iceland's commonwealth period (c. AD 970-1030), but this ascription of realism fails to account for one of the most important components of these sagas, the abundance of skaldic poetry, mostly in dróttkvætt "court metre", which comes to saga heroes' lips at moments of crisis. These presumed voices from the past and their integration into the narrative present of the written sagas are the subject of this book. It investigates what motivated Icelandic writers to develop this particular mode, and what particular literary effects they achieved by it. It also looks at the various paths saga writers took within the evolving prosimetrum (a mixed verse and prose form), and explores their likely reasons for using poetry in diverse ways. Consideration is also given to the evolution of the genre in the context of the growing popularity in Iceland of romantic and legendary sagas. A final chapter is devoted to understanding why a minority of sagas of Icelanders do not use poetry at all in their narratives.g prosimetrum (a mixed verse and prose form), and explores their likely reasons for using poetry in diverse ways. Consideration is also given to the evolution of the genre in the context of the growing popularity in Iceland of romantic and legendary sagas. A final chapter is devoted to understanding why a minority of sagas of Icelanders do not use poetry at all in their narratives.g prosimetrum (a mixed verse and prose form), and explores their likely reasons for using poetry in diverse ways. Consideration is also given to the evolution of the genre in the context of the growing popularity in Iceland of romantic and legendary sagas. A final chapter is devoted to understanding why a minority of sagas of Icelanders do not use poetry at all in their narratives.g prosimetrum (a mixed verse and prose form), and explores their likely reasons for using poetry in diverse ways. Consideration is also given to the evolution of the genre in the context of the growing popularity in Iceland of romantic and legendary sagas. A final chapter is devoted to understanding why a minority of sagas of Icelanders do not use poetry at all in their narratives.

Women in the Viking Age

Women in the Viking Age PDF Author: Judith Jesch
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd
ISBN: 0851153607
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Through runic inscriptions and behind the veil of myth, Jesch discovers the true story of viking women.

Masculinities in Old Norse Literature

Masculinities in Old Norse Literature PDF Author: Gareth Lloyd Evans
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1843845628
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
Compared to other areas of medieval literature, the question of masculinity in Old Norse-Icelandic literature has been understudied. This is a neglect which this volume aims to rectify. The essays collected here introduce and analyse a spectrum of masculinities, from the sagas of Icelanders, contemporary sagas, kings' sagas, legendary sagas, chivalric sagas, bishops' sagas, and eddic and skaldic verse, producing a broad and multifaceted understanding of what it means to be masculine in Old Norse-Icelandic texts. A critical introduction places the essays in their scholarly context, providing the reader with a concise orientation in gender studies and the study of masculinities in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. This book's investigation of how masculinities are constructed and challenged within a unique literature is all the more vital in the current climate, in which Old Norse sources are weaponised to support far-right agendas and racist ideologies are intertwined with images of vikings as hypermasculine. This volume counters these troubling narratives of masculinity through explorations of Old Norse literature that demonstrate how masculinity is formed, how it is linked to violence and vulnerability, how it governs men's relationships, and how toxic models of masculinity may be challenged. JESSICA HANCOCK is a Lecturer in Educational Development at City, University of London; GARETH LLOYD EVANS is Lecturer in Medieval Literature at St Hilda's College, Oxford. Contributors: sds Egilsdttir, David Ashurst, Brynja orgeirsdttir, Gareth Lloyd Evans, Oren Falk, Alison Finlay, Jessica Clare Hancock, Jhanna Katrn Fridriksdttir, Philip Lavender, Thomas Morcom, Carl Phelpstead, Matthew Roby.

Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend

Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend PDF Author: Andrew Orchard
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 1399601423
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 522

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Book Description
From Loki to Thor, Ragnarok to Beowulf A gripping and truly mesmerising delve into the Norse legends From bestselling books to blockbusting Hollywood movies, the myths of the Scandinavian gods and heroes are part of the modern day landscape. For over a millennium before the arrival of Christianity, the legends permeated everyday life in Iceland and the northern reaches of Europe. Since that time, they have been perpetuated in literature and the arts in forms as diverse as Tolkien and Wagner, graphic novels to the world of Marvel. This book covers the entire cast of supernatural beings, from gods to trolls, heroes to monsters, and deals with the social and historical background to the myths, topics such as burial rites, sacrificial practices and runes.

The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths

The Children of Odin The Book of Northern Myths PDF Author: Padraic Colum
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
ISBN:
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
Step into the rich world of Norse mythology with Padraic Colum’s timeless classic, "The Children of Odin." This beautifully written book brings to life the ancient myths of Northern Europe, introducing readers to gods, giants, and mythical creatures. As Colum’s narrative unfolds, meet Odin, Thor, Loki, and the other iconic figures from the Norse pantheon. Their legendary stories of creation, conflict, and heroism are brought to life with vivid prose that captivates readers of all ages.But here’s a question to consider: What can these ancient myths teach us about the battles we face in the modern world? From the forging of Thor’s mighty hammer to the trickery of Loki, these stories resonate with themes of power, sacrifice, and fate. Colum's retelling captures the awe and wonder of these myths, making them accessible to readers young and old while maintaining the grandeur of the original tales. Are you ready to embark on an epic journey with "The Children of Odin"? Experience the magic, the mystery, and the adventure of Northern myths.Through short, powerful chapters, Colum invites readers to immerse themselves in a world of gods and heroes. Whether you're a lover of mythology or a newcomer to the Norse sagas, this book will captivate your imagination and inspire your spirit. The myths of the North await. Will you answer their call? Grab your copy of "The Children of Odin" and unlock the legends of a bygone era.Purchase "The Children of Odin" today, and let the magic of Norse mythology transport you to a world of gods, giants, and heroes.

The Troll Inside You

The Troll Inside You PDF Author: Ármann Jakobsson
Publisher: punctum books
ISBN: 1947447009
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
What do medieval Icelanders mean when they say "troll"? What did they see when they saw a troll? What did the troll signify to them? And why did they see them? The principal subject of this book is the Norse idea of the troll, which the author uses to engage with the larger topic of paranormal experiences in the medieval North. The texts under study are from 13th-, 14th-, and 15th-century Iceland. The focus of the book is on the ways in which paranormal experiences are related and defined in these texts and how those definitions have framed and continue to frame scholarly interpretations of the paranormal. The book is partitioned into numerous brief chapters, each with its own theme. In each case the author is not least concerned with how the paranormal functions within medieval society and in the minds of the individuals who encounter and experience it and go on to narrate these experiences through intermediaries. The author connects the paranormal encounter closely with fears and these fears are intertwined with various aspects of the human experience including gender, family ties, and death. The Troll Inside You hovers over the boundaries of scholarship and literature. Its aim is to prick and provoke but above all to challenge its audience to reconsider some of their preconceived ideas about the medieval past.

Python

Python PDF Author: Joseph Eddy Fontenrose
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520040915
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 660

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Book Description
A study of Delphic myths and their origins.

Discourse in Old Norse Literature

Discourse in Old Norse Literature PDF Author: Eric Shane Bryan
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
ISBN: 1843845970
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
The vast and diverse corpus of Old Norse literature preserves the language spoken not only by the Vikings, kings, and heroes of medieval Scandinavia but also by outlaws, missionaries, and farmers. Scholars have long recognized that the wealth of verbal exchanges in Old Norse sagas presents the modern reader with the opportunity to speak face-to-face, as it were, with these great voices of the past. However, despite the importance of verbal exchanges in the sagas, there has been no book-length study of discourse in Old Norse literature since 1935. This book meets the need for such a study by offering a literary analysis based on the adjacent field of pragmatic linguistics, which recognizes that speakers often rely upon cultural, situational, and interpersonal context to communicate their meaning. The resulting, context-dependent meaning often deviates from the base semantic and syntactical components of an utterance: speakers hedge, imply, deflect to save face, or obscure meaning to damage an opponent's self-worth. Saga writers, this book argues, were masters of this type of indirectness in speech. It aims therefore to unlock the depth and subtlety of discourse in Old Norse literature and to leave readers with an understanding of how principles of pragmatics were employed throughout the sagas. A wide body of Old Norse materials is examined, including some of the best examples of Íslendingasögur (sagas of Icelanders), such as Brennu-Njáls saga, Laxdoela saga, and Gísla saga Súrssonar, while also giving due attention to Konungasögur (kings' sagas), fornaldarsögur (legendary sagas), and other literature from the medieval North. ERIC SHANE BRYAN is Associate Professor of English at Missouri University of Science and Technology.