Author: Daniel McCoy
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781533393036
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 318
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Book Description
The Viking Spirit is an introduction to Norse mythology like no other. As you'd expect from Daniel McCoy, the creator of the enduringly popular website Norse Mythology for Smart People (Norse-Mythology.org), it's written to scholarly standards, but in a simple, clear, and entertaining style that's easy to understand and a pleasure to read. It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths - more than any other book in the field - while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating Viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part. You'll learn about the Vikings' gods and goddesses, their concept of fate, their views on the afterlife, their moral code, how they thought the universe was structured, how they practiced their religion, the role that magic played in their lives, and much more. With its inclusion of the latest groundbreaking research in the field, The Viking Spirit is the ultimate introduction to the timeless splendor of Norse mythology and religion for the 21st Century.
Author: Anonymous
Publisher: Good Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 3117
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Book Description
In 'The Spirit of the Vikings,' readers are presented with a rich tapestry of narratives that encapsulate the essence of Viking history, mythology, and the profound impact of Nordic culture on the world stage. The anthology spans a range of literary forms, from the poetic eddas and sagas, traditionally attributed to figures like Snorri Sturluson and Saemund Sigfusson, to more contemporary analyses and retellings by scholars such as Hélène Adeline Guerber and Nora Kershaw. This compilation stands out for its diversity in approach and narrative style, offering unparalleled insights into the myths that have shaped modern perceptions of Viking society and their enduring legacy. Through this varied literary landscape, the collection demonstrates the nuanced and often misunderstood nature of Viking history and mythology. The contributing authors and editors, each renowned for their contributions to the study of Norse culture, bring a variety of perspectives and academic backgrounds to the anthology. Figures like Conrad Hjalmar Nordby and Sturla Þórðarson, alongside anonymous skalds, provide a bridge between the ancient and modern, shedding light on the evolving interpretation and appreciation of Viking literature. Their collective works reflect significant cultural and literary movements, blending historical narratives with legendary tales that have been passed down through generations. This anthology serves not only as an academic resource but also as a fascinating exploration for anyone interested in the profound depth of Norse mythology and history. 'The Spirit of the Vikings' offers readers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse narratives that make up the Viking age. By presenting a multitude of perspectives, styles, and themes, this collection highlights the rich literary heritage and complex societal structures of these ancient peoples. For scholars, enthusiasts, and casual readers alike, this anthology promises an educational and engaging experience, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the influences that have shaped not only Scandinavian culture but also the broader world narrative.
Author: Hans-Peter Hasenfratz
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1620554488
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 171
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Book Description
Discover the untamed paganism of the Vikings and the Germanic tribes prior to the complete Christianization of Europe • Explores the different forms of magic practiced by these tribes, including runic magic, necromancy (death magic), soul-travel, and shape-shifting • Examines their rites of passage and initiation rituals and their most important gods, such as Odin, Loki, and Thor • Looks at barbarian magic in historical accounts, church and assembly records, and mythology as well as an eyewitness report from a 10th-century Muslim diplomat • Reveals the use and abuse of this tradition’s myths and magic by the Nazis Before the conversion of Europe to Christianity in the Middle Ages, Germanic tribes roamed the continent, plundering villages and waging battles to seek the favor of Odin, their god of war, ecstasy, and magic. Centuries later, predatory Viking raiders from Scandinavia carried on similar traditions. These wild “barbarians” had a system of social classes and familial clans with complex spiritual customs, from rites of passage for birth, death, and adulthood to black magic practices and shamanic ecstatic states, such as the infamous “berserker’s rage.” Chronicling the original pagan tradition of free and wild Europe--and the use and abuse of its myths and magic by the Nazis--Hans-Peter Hasenfratz offers a concise history of the Germanic tribes of Europe and their spiritual, magical, and occult beliefs. Looking at historical accounts, church and assembly records, mythology, and folktales from Germany, Russia, Scandinavia, and Iceland as well as an eyewitness report of Viking customs and rituals from a 10th-century Muslim diplomat, Hasenfratz explores the different forms of magic--including charms, runic magic, necromancy, love magic, soul-travel, and shamanic shape-shifting--practiced by the Teutonic tribes and examines their interactions with and eventual adaptation to Christianity. Providing in-depth information on their social class and clan structure, rites of passage, and their most important gods and goddesses, such as Odin, Loki, Thor, and Freyja, Hasenfratz reveals how it is only through understanding our magical barbarian roots that we can see the remnants of their language, culture, and dynamic spirit that have carried through to modern times.
Author: Neil Price
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465096999
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 629
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Book Description
The definitive history of the Vikings -- from arts and culture to politics and cosmology -- by a distinguished archaeologist with decades of expertise The Viking Age -- from 750 to 1050 -- saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples into the wider world. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they ranged from eastern North America to the Asian steppe. But for centuries, the Vikings have been seen through the eyes of others, distorted to suit the tastes of medieval clerics and Elizabethan playwrights, Victorian imperialists, Nazis, and more. None of these appropriations capture the real Vikings, or the richness and sophistication of their culture. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology and religion, their material world. Known today for a stereotype of maritime violence, the Vikings exported new ideas, technologies, beliefs, and practices to the lands they discovered and the peoples they encountered, and in the process were themselves changed. From Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought his way to a kingdom, to Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the most traveled woman in the world, Children of Ash and Elm is the definitive history of the Vikings and their time.
Author: Christopher Abram
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1847252478
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 274
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Book Description
An engaging account of the world of the Vikings and their gods.
Author: Anders Winroth
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400851904
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 327
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Book Description
A major reassessment of the vikings and their legacy The Vikings maintain their grip on our imagination, but their image is too often distorted by myth. It is true that they pillaged, looted, and enslaved. But they also settled peacefully and traveled far from their homelands in swift and sturdy ships to explore. The Age of the Vikings tells the full story of this exciting period in history. Drawing on a wealth of written, visual, and archaeological evidence, Anders Winroth captures the innovation and pure daring of the Vikings without glossing over their destructive heritage. He not only explains the Viking attacks, but also looks at Viking endeavors in commerce, politics, discovery, and colonization, and reveals how Viking arts, literature, and religious thought evolved in ways unequaled in the rest of Europe. The Age of the Vikings sheds new light on the complex society, culture, and legacy of these legendary seafarers.
Author: Nancy Marie Brown
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1137073713
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 229
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Book Description
“A wonderfully evocative biography of the . . . 13th century Icelandic writer and chieftain” who wrote the immortal stories of Thor, Odin, Valhalla, and Ragnarök (Guardian, UK). Much like Greek and Roman mythology, Norse myths are still with us. Famous storytellers from JRR Tolkien to Neil Gaiman have drawn their inspiration from the long-haired, mead-drinking, marauding and pillaging Vikings. But few of us know much about the creator of these immortal heroes: a thirteenth-century Icelandic chieftain by the name of Snorri Sturluson. Like Homer, Snorri was a bard, writing down and embellishing the folklore and pagan legends of medieval Scandinavia. Unlike Homer, Snorri was a man of the world—a wily political power player, one of the richest men in Iceland who came close to ruling it, and even closer to betraying it. In Song of the Vikings, award-winning author Nancy Marie Brown brings Snorri Sturluson’s story to life in a richly textured narrative that draws on newly available sources.
Author: Robert B. Haas
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1426206380
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 224
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Book Description
The noted aerial photographer trains his lenses on the landforms, wildlife, and manmade objects of the Arctic regions, capturing the dramatic and surprising diversity of brilliant colors and unexpected subjects.
Author: Neil S. Price
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN: 9781842172605
Category : Archaeology and religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Magic, sorcery and witchcraft are among the most common themes of the great medieval Icelandic sagas and poems, the problematic yet vital sources that provide our primary textual evidence for the Viking Age that they claim to describe. Yet despite the consistency of this picture, surprisingly little archaeological or historical research has been done to explore what this may really have meant to the men and women of the time. This book examines the evidence for Old Norse sorcery, looking at its meaning and function, practice and practitioners, and the complicated constructions of gender and sexual identity with which these were underpinned. Combining strong elements of eroticism and aggression, sorcery appears as a fundamental domain of women's power, linking them with the gods, the dead and the future. Their battle spells and combat rituals complement the men's physical acts of fighting, in a supernatural empowerment of the Viking way of life. What emerges is a fundamentally new image of the world in which the Vikings understood themselves to move, in which magic and its implications permeated every aspect of a society permanently geared for war. In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Neil Price takes us with him on a tour through the sights and sounds of this undiscovered country, meeting its human and otherworldly inhabitants, including the Sámi with whom the Norse partly shared this mental landscape. On the way we explore Viking notions of the mind and soul, the fluidity of the boundaries that they drew between humans and animals, and the immense variety of their spiritual beliefs. We find magic in the Vikings' bedrooms and on their battlefields, and we meet the sorcerers themselves through their remarkable burials and the tools of their trade. Combining archaeology, history and literary scholarship with extensive studies of Germanic and circumpolar religion, this multi-award-winning book shows us the Vikings as we have never seen them before.
Author: Thomas Andrew DuBois
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN: 9780812217148
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 288
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Book Description
Thomas DuBois unravels for the first time the history of the Nordic religions in the Viking Age. "A seminal study of Nordic religions that future scholars will not be able to avoid."—Church History
