Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
Hybrid
Mixed Lecture/Discussion
•
Low intensity
"What of the gods, what of the elves? Do you want to know more?" - the prophetess of the Eddic poem Völuspa keeps on asking Odin. And there is indeed so much more to investigate about the trove of pre-Christian beliefs and rituals in Scandinavia than your typical Marvel Thor images.
This short course aims to introduce the student to the study of Old Norse religion(s), namely the challenges of working with incomplete or late sources entailing a development of pagan memories rather than realities, new insights from archaeology, linguistics and anthropology revealing social and religious variation as well as attempts to unlock or reconstruct world views based on multiple religious discourses dealing not only with individual gods (Óðinn, Þórr, Freyr, etc.), but also ritual occasions (such as initiations of warriors, fertility of land, death, protection against hostile forces), or with magic (the ‘luck’ of a person, techniques to prevent sickness etc.). In this sense, the course also aims to raise awareness about the complexity of a religious phenomenon often reduced to Old Icelandic mythology.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
This short course aims to introduce the student to the study of Old Norse religion(s), namely the challenges of working with incomplete or late sources entailing a development of pagan memories rather than realities, new insights from archaeology, linguistics and anthropology revealing social and religious variation as well as attempts to unlock or reconstruct world views based on multiple religious discourses dealing not only with individual gods (Óðinn, Þórr, Freyr, etc.), but also ritual occasions (such as initiations of warriors, fertility of land, death, protection against hostile forces), or with magic (the ‘luck’ of a person, techniques to prevent sickness etc.). In this sense, the course also aims to raise awareness about the complexity of a religious phenomenon often reduced to Old Icelandic mythology.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: Theoretical considerations, religious vocabulary and archaeology |
| Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Indo-european and germanic (dis)continuites |
| Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Historical and social context, ritual time and space |
| Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Cosmogonies and afterlives/td> |
| Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 4 material |
Required Texts
There are no required texts for this module; samples will be provided, but recommended texts will be (selection):
• Andrén, A. (2011). Ch. 52. “Old Norse and Germanic Religion:. In T. Insoll (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion (pp. 846-862). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Hultgård, A. (2008). “The Religion of the Vikings”. In N. Price & S. Brink (Eds.), The Viking World (pp. 212-218). London: Routhledge.
• Schjødt, J. P. (2012). “Reflections on Aims and Methods in the Study of Old Norse Religion”. In C. Raudvere & J. P. Schjødt (Eds.), More than Mythology. Narratives, Ritual Practices and Regional Distribution in Pre-Christian Scandinavian Religions (pp. 263-287). Lund: Nordic Acadeic Press.
• Hedeager, L. (2011). Iron Age Myth and Materiality. An Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400-1000 (pp. 61-81). Oxon: Routledge.
• Price, N. (2006). “What’s in a name? An archaeological identity crisis for the Norse gods (and some of their friends)”. In A. Andrén, K. Jennbert, & C. Raudvere (Eds.), Old Norse Religion in Long-term Perspectives. Origins, Changes and Interactions. An International Conference in Lund, Sweden, June 3-7 2004 (pp. 179-183). Lund: Nordic Academic Press.
• Andrén, A. (2011). Ch. 52. “Old Norse and Germanic Religion:. In T. Insoll (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion (pp. 846-862). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Hultgård, A. (2008). “The Religion of the Vikings”. In N. Price & S. Brink (Eds.), The Viking World (pp. 212-218). London: Routhledge.
• Schjødt, J. P. (2012). “Reflections on Aims and Methods in the Study of Old Norse Religion”. In C. Raudvere & J. P. Schjødt (Eds.), More than Mythology. Narratives, Ritual Practices and Regional Distribution in Pre-Christian Scandinavian Religions (pp. 263-287). Lund: Nordic Acadeic Press.
• Hedeager, L. (2011). Iron Age Myth and Materiality. An Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400-1000 (pp. 61-81). Oxon: Routledge.
• Price, N. (2006). “What’s in a name? An archaeological identity crisis for the Norse gods (and some of their friends)”. In A. Andrén, K. Jennbert, & C. Raudvere (Eds.), Old Norse Religion in Long-term Perspectives. Origins, Changes and Interactions. An International Conference in Lund, Sweden, June 3-7 2004 (pp. 179-183). Lund: Nordic Academic Press.
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