scholarly journals Women, War and Words: a Verbal Archaeology of Shield-maidens

Viking ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Jesch
Keyword(s):  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Male Role ◽  
Textual Evidence ◽  
Textual Representations ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Probable Origin ◽  
Women In War

Scholarly discussions of the question of the participation of women in war in the Viking Age have based their arguments on a variety of evidence, including both archaeology and texts. However, even those scholars who make substantial use of the textual evidence have not paid sufficiently close attention to (a) the vocabulary used in the representations (whether historical or fictional) of women acting in the supposed male role of warrior and (b) the literary-historical contexts in which the texts were produced, including potential relationships between texts. To further these discussions, this paper proposes a method which might be called the ‘stratigraphy of texts’ to demonstrate how a careful sifting of the cumulative textual evidence can enrich discussion about this important question. With close attention to the vocabulary used by the texts, and by considering the date, genre and sources of, and – importantly – the relationships between, texts in Old Norse, the discussion will demonstrate what can and what cannot be deduced from these textual representations of female warriors in the Viking Age. The paper will focus on tracing the development of the Old Norse concept of the skjaldmær, ‘shield-maiden’, through a variety of texts in which this term occurs, and also suggest a probable origin for the concept. There will also be a brief consideration of the term ‘valkyrie’ (ON valkyrja).

Connectedness with things. Animated objects of Viking Age Scandinavia and early medieval Europe

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Lund
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Small Group ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
The Social ◽  
Medieval Europe ◽  
Carolingian Empire ◽  
Medieval Christianity

AbstractThis article examines a small group of artefacts of the Viking Age that may have been perceived as animated objects. These specific weapons and pieces of jewellery appear in narratives in the Old Norse sources as named, as having a will of their own, as possessing personhood. In archaeological contexts the same types of artefact are handled categorically differently than the rest of the material culture. Further, the possible links between these perspectives and the role of animated objects in early medieval Christianity of the Carolingian Empire are examined through studies of the reopening of Reihengräber and the phenomenon offurta sacra. By linking studies of the social biographies of objects with studies of animism, the article aims to identify aspects of Viking Age ontology and its similarities to Carolingian Christianity.

scholarly journals The Role of Rulers in the Winding Up of the Old Norse Religion

Numen ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 272-297
Author(s):  
Olof Sundqvist
Keyword(s):  
Active Role ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Indigenous Religion ◽  
Common Opinion ◽  
Medieval Christianity ◽  
Christian Society ◽  
As If

Abstract It is a common opinion in research that the Scandinavians changed religion during the second half of the Viking Age, that is, ca. 950–1050/1100 CE. During this period, Christianity replaced the Old Norse religion. When describing this transition in recent studies, the concept “Christianization” is often applied. To a large extent this historiography focuses on the outcome of the encounter, namely the description of early Medieval Christianity and the new Christian society. The purpose and aims of the present study are to concentrate more exclusively on the Old Norse religion during this period of change and to analyze the questions of how and why it disappeared. A special focus is placed on the native kings. These kings played a most active role in winding up the indigenous tradition that previously formed their lives. It seems as if they used some deliberate methods during this process. When designing their strategies they focused on the religious leadership as well as the ritual system. These seem to have been the aspects of the indigenous religion of which they had direct control, and at the same time, were central for the modus operandi of the old religion. Most of all, it seems as if these Christian kings were pragmatists. Since they could not affect the traditional worldview and prevent people from telling the mythical narratives about the old gods, they turned to such aims that they were able to achieve.

scholarly journals The Warrior and the Cat: A Re-Evaluation of the Roles of Domestic Cats in Viking Age Scandinavia

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (27) ◽  
pp. 213-245
Author(s):  
Matthias Toplak
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Old Irish ◽  
Literary Sources ◽  
Law Texts

The role of cats in Viking Age society is little investigated and has been dominated by uncritical adoptions of medieval mythology. Based on literary sources, the domestic cat is often linked to cultic spheres of female sorcery. Yet the archaeological evidence indicates an ambivalent situation. Cat bones from many trading centres show cut marks from skinning and highlight the value of cat fur. In contrast, the occurrence of cats in male burials points rather to a function as exotic and prestigious pets. The influence of Old Norse mythology on the traditional interpretation of cats as cultic companions therefore needs critical reconsideration. For this, a broad range of literary and historical sources – from Old Norse literature to Old Irish law texts – will be analysed and confronted with the archaeological evidence for domestic cats in Viking Age Scandinavia. The results will be discussed on a broader theoretical approach, involving concepts such as agency, and embedded in current research on human-animal-relations in order to achieve a more nuanced perspective on the roles and functions of cats in day-to-day reality as well as in the burial context.

scholarly journals Odins viden - dens funktion og betydning

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Peter Schjødt
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The World ◽  
Norse Mythology ◽  
The Many ◽  
Intellectual Power

it is the purpose of this article to discuss how to interpret Odin's wisdom. Many scholars have argued over the last ten years that Odin's wisdom should be compared to the abilities of the shaman as this figure is known from many circumpolar religions and that Odin should accordingly be viewed as a prototypical shaman. There are, however, some arguments against this theoy. First and foremost, it is obvious that Odin has certain functions in old Norse mythology that do not fit in with the "shamanic" interpretation. If we take a closer view of the role of Odin, it is obvious that he is not primarily linked to the magicians but rather to warriors and kings. This is due to the fact that shamans are normally practicing in societies very different from those of Scandinavia during the Viking age. The results of two analyses of mythical cores, that of Mimer, primarily known from the Eddas, and that of Hadding, known from Saxo's Gesta Danorum, show that a religious phenomenon explaining more adequately the many roles of Odin is  that of initiation. The Mimer myth shows how Odin acquires intellectual power by confronting an object (the head of Mimer) which has been in the under world where is has been given numious poser. This myth is compared to the phenomenon of initiation and it is maintained that the myth, containing death and intellectual rebirth, must be seen as parallel in its structure as well as its symbolism to the initiation rituals which we see all over the world. Odin has thus gained knowledge as all initiates do during their initiation. On the other hand, the Hadding myth shows us Odin in a different role which is known equally well in the context of the mythology, namely that as an initator giving advice and skills to the young hero of the myth. Here we find the same symbolism as that of the initiation.Eventually, it is concluded that even if many of Odin's skills may be compared to those of the shaman, the phenomenon of initiation is able to account for the whole spectrum of functions that can be seen in Odin. Odin, then, must be seen first and foremost as the god of initiation.

scholarly journals Magical Music in Old Norse Literature

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 229-240
Author(s):  
Britt-Mari Näsström
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Old Norse Literature ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Bronze Age

No society ever existed without performing music, and most cultures display many variants of music. Music also played and still plays an important part in different religious rites. From the days of yore, music has been intimately connected with the cult, whether it is performed as epic or lyric expressions. The Old Norse society was no exception to this statement and early finds from as far back as the Bronze Age reveal that different instrument were used in daily life. The most conspicuous specimens from this time are the bronze lures, which probably are depicted on the rock-carvings. All these examples emphasise the character of music in Old Norse literature as connected with the magic aspect of religion, and particularly with divination. This does not mean that all music in the Viking Age was performed with a magic purpose, but what has survived in the sources is the conspicuous role of music as something that affected the human mind to the extent that it was experienced as a magic feeling, even able to reveal the future.

Autonom autobiografisch: Zu Thomas Manns Die Entstehung des Doktor Faustus

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Lukas Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Thomas Mann ◽  
Autobiographical Writing ◽  
Documentary Source ◽  
Textual Evidence ◽  
Structural Frame ◽  
The Status ◽  
Structural Aspects

AbstractIn its peritext, Thomas Mann’s Entstehung des Doktor Faustus is described as a “Roman eines Romans”. The essay reasons that this description of its genre as well as structural aspects of its composition mark it as an autobiographical text. Instead of following most studies on the Doktor Faustus, which regard the Entstehung simply as a documentary source for exposing autobiographical intricacies of Mann’s novel, textual evidence for the Entstehung’s autonomy is given. The analysis focuses first on the structural frame of the Entstehung in order to show Mann’s central techniques of autobiographical self-stylization. In this context auto-fictional elements can also be identified. Exemplary passages from two longer sections are taken into account based on these findings. While the Doktor Faustus is a recurrent topic in these passages, it is not, by any means, the only one. Combined with varying autobiographical writing techniques, the Entstehung is thus displaying continuous independence from the Faustus. Based on these insights, future Mann studies on both works may reevaluate the role of the Entstehung for the reception of the Faustus and the status of autobiographical literature in the works of Thomas Mann.

scholarly journals Gender Assignment in Six North Scandinavian Languages: Patterns of Variation and Change

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-315
Author(s):  
Briana Van Epps ◽  
Gerd Carling ◽  
Yair Sapir
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Gender Assignment ◽  
Feminine Gender ◽  
The Feminine ◽  
Old Swedish ◽  
Gender System ◽  
Gender Change

This study addresses gender assignment in six North Scandinavian varieties with a three-gender system: Old Norse, Norwegian (Nynorsk), Old Swedish, Nysvenska, Jamtlandic, and Elfdalian. Focusing on gender variation and change, we investigate the role of various factors in gender change. Using the contemporary Swedish varieties Jamtlandic and Elfdalian as a basis, we compare gender assignment in other North Scandinavian languages, tracing the evolution back to Old Norse. The data consist of 1,300 concepts from all six languages coded for cognacy, gender, and morphological and semantic variation. Our statistical analysis shows that the most important factors in gender change are the Old Norse weak/strong inflection, Old Norse gender, animate/inanimate distinction, word frequency, and loan status. From Old Norse to modern languages, phonological assignment principles tend to weaken, due to the general loss of word-final endings. Feminine words are more susceptible to changing gender, and the tendency to lose the feminine is noticeable even in the varieties in our study upholding the three-gender system. Further, frequency is significantly correlated with unstable gender. In semantics, only the animate/inanimate distinction signifi-cantly predicts gender assignment and stability. In general, our study confirms the decay of the feminine gender in the Scandinavian branch of Germanic.

Women’s Liberation and the Agrarian Question: Insights from Peasant Movements in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-40
Author(s):  
Archana Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Social Transformation ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Class Consciousness ◽  
Land Reforms ◽  
Agrarian Question ◽  
The Third ◽  
Peasant Movements ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
The Relationship

This article explores some questions arising from recent debates on patriarchy and capitalism. The focus is on the role of women in communist-led peasant movements in India and the implications of such struggles on the project of women’s emancipation. The first section lays out a framework for discussing the interface between class consciousness and the anti-patriarchal project, whereby patriarchy is located within the structural contradictions arising out of the contestations within the process of accumulation. The second section documents the historical context, focusing on the relationship between land reforms and social transformation in semi-feudal and early capitalist contexts, and analyzes the extent to which communist-led struggles are anti-patriarchal in character. The third section turns to the participation of women in the contemporary struggles of both agricultural workers and peasant movements and underlines the new emerging dialectics between women’s and peasant organizations under a neoliberal state and with deepening agrarian distress.

Grace and Nation: Coleridge's On the Constitution of Church and State

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-208
Author(s):  
Alan Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Church Of England ◽  
Church And State ◽  
The State ◽  
Christian Church ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Classic Work ◽  
Christ Church ◽  
National Life ◽  
The Church

ABSTRACTUnderstanding Coleridge's classic work On the Constitution of Church and State requires paying close attention to the system of distinctions and relations he sets up between the state, the ‘national church’, and the ‘Christian church’. The intelligibility of these relations depends finally on Coleridge's Trinitarianism, his doctrine of ‘divine ideas’, and the subtle analogy he draws between the Church of England as both an ‘established’ church of the nation and as a Christian church and the distinction and union of divinity and humanity in Christ. Church and State opens up, in these ‘saving’ distinctions and connections, important considerations for the integrity and role of the Christian church within a religiously plural national life.

Did a Little Birdie Really Tell Odin? Applying Theory of Mind to Old Norse Religion

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 280-308
Author(s):  
Declan Taggart
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Old Norse ◽  
Viking Age ◽  
Cognitive Science Of Religion ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Science Of Religion ◽  
Religious Theory ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Theory of mind, the theory that humans attribute mental states to others, has become increasingly influential in the Cognitive Science of Religion in recent years, due to several papers which posit that supernatural agents, like gods, demons, and the dead, are accredited greater than normal knowledge and awareness. Using Old Norse mythology and literary accounts of Old Norse religion, supported by archaeological evidence, I examine the extent to which this modern perspective on religious theory of mind is reflected in religious traditions from the Viking Age. I focus especially on the extent to which superperception and superknowledge were attributed to Old Norse supernatural agents and the impact of this on expressions of religion; how the attribution of theory of mind varied with circumstances and the agents to which it was being attributed; and the extent to which features of religious theory of mind common in other societies were present in the historical North. On this basis, I also evaluate the usefulness of Old Norse historiography to Cognitive Science of Religion and vice versa.

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