Preserving Blunders in Eddic Poems. Scripta Islandica 72/2021
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Old Norse Mythology — Comparative Perspectives Old Norse Mythology— Comparative Perspectives
Publications of the Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature No. 3 OLd NOrse MythOLOgy — COMParative PersPeCtives OLd NOrse MythOLOgy— COMParative PersPeCtives edited by Pernille hermann, stephen a. Mitchell, and Jens Peter schjødt with amber J. rose Published by THE MILMAN PARRY COLLECTION OF ORAL LITERATURE Harvard University Distributed by HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, Massachusetts & London, England 2017 Old Norse Mythology—Comparative Perspectives Published by The Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature, Harvard University Distributed by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts & London, England Copyright © 2017 The Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature All rights reserved The Ilex Foundation (ilexfoundation.org) and the Center for Hellenic Studies (chs.harvard.edu) provided generous fnancial and production support for the publication of this book. Editorial Team of the Milman Parry Collection Managing Editors: Stephen Mitchell and Gregory Nagy Executive Editors: Casey Dué and David Elmer Production Team of the Center for Hellenic Studies Production Manager for Publications: Jill Curry Robbins Web Producer: Noel Spencer Cover Design: Joni Godlove Production: Kristin Murphy Romano Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Hermann, Pernille, editor. Title: Old Norse mythology--comparative perspectives / edited by Pernille Hermann, Stephen A. Mitchell, Jens Peter Schjødt, with Amber J. Rose. Description: Cambridge, MA : Milman Parry Collection of Oral Literature, 2017. | Series: Publications of the Milman Parry collection of oral literature ; no. 3 | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifers: LCCN 2017030125 | ISBN 9780674975699 (alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Mythology, Norse. | Scandinavia--Religion--History. Classifcation: LCC BL860 .O55 2017 | DDC 293/.13--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017030125 Table of Contents Series Foreword ................................................... -
Snorri Sturluson Qua Fulcrum
MIRATOR 12/2011 1 Snorri Sturluson qua Fulcrum: Perspectives on the Cultural Activity of Myth, Mythological Poetry and Narrative in Medieval Iceland* Frog The present paper seeks to complement discussions of the social impacts of Snorri Sturluson’s (1179–1241) mythography, concentrating on Edda and the discourse it generated in medieval Iceland. It sets out to build an overview of Snorri’s impact on the cultural activity1 of mythology in medieval Iceland through a complementary set of specific examples with no pretence of a comprehensive survey. These examples concentrate on sites of probable innovation in Snorri’s handling of mythological material as contrasted with broader evidence of the traditions to which they are related. Each example could be presented in a paper-length discussion, but the emphasis here is on the construction of an overview in order to develop a broader frame for further discussion. Although no one example is unequivocally demonstrable, the outline of the broader social pattern presented here is not dependent on the specific details of each case nor on any one case independently. Moreover, the frame of the overview affirms that individual discussions are relevant and warranted when surveying and extending existing research. Of course, the recognition of the social impacts of Edda on the cultural activity of mythology does not demonstrate that individual examples are necessarily responses to Edda, it nevertheless shows that these would be consistent with a pattern and trend rather than arbitrary. For this reason, in addition to late or statistically demonstrable examples which are * I would like to thank my two anonymous reviewers as well as Haukur Þorgeirsson for their valuable comments and suggestions in the preparation of this paper for publication. -
Old Norse Gods and Heroes”
MEDI 360 (F01) 2006 Selected Topics in Medieval Culture: “Old Norse Gods and Heroes” David Strong Building - Required Texts C108 T. W. F: 1:30 - 2:20 1. Edda 2. The Poetic Edda Instructor: P. A. Baer 3. Nordic Religions.in Office: Cle C153 the Viking Age Office phone: 721-5484 4. Eyrbyggja Saga 5. The Saga of the. Office hours: Volsungs T. W. F: 2:30 - 3:20 Coursepack Email: [email protected] Reserve Texts Course Description This course will provide an overview of the myths, religious beliefs, and heroic traditions of the Vikings up to and including their conversion to Christianity. Primary sources will be studied (in English translation) to provide an understanding of how this knowledge has been preserved and the inherent biases of such material. We will read introductory excerpts from non-Germanic sources including Tacitus and Ibn Fadlan. The major focus of the course, however, will be on medieval Scandinavian sources such as Saxo Grammaticus, Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic Poetic Edda, and several Icelandic sagas. Examples drawn from archeological artifacts, art works, and movies will also be discussed. Course Objectives 1. To discuss the original sources that preserve knowledge of Norse mythology. 2. To consider concepts and theories relevant to mythological sources. 3. To discuss the Norse world view and religious practices. 4. To examine tensions inherent in the conversion to Christianity. 5. To explore how this mythology has been used in the past and the present. Course Outline for Fall 2006 Texts: NR = Nordic Relgions; SE = Snorri’s Edda; PE = Poetic Edda; SV = Saga of the Volsungs; ES = Eyrbyggja Saga; CP = Coursepack; CWeb = Course webpage Week 1: Sept. -
The Poetic Edda
THE POETIC EDDA TRANSLATED FROM THE ICELANDIC WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY HENRY ADAMS BELLOWS TWO VOLUMES IN ONE 1936 PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS: PRINCETON AMERICAN SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION NEW YORK General Introduction xi Lays of the Gods Voluspo 1 Hovamol 28 Vafthruthnismol 68 Grimnismol 84 Skirnismol 107 Harbarthsljoth 121 Hymiskvitha 138 Lokasenna 151 Thrymskvitha 174 Alvissmol 183 Baldrs Draumar 195 Rigsthula 201 Hyndluljoth 217 Svipdagsmol 234 Lays of the Heroes Völundarkvitha 252 Helgakvitha Hjorvarthssonar 269 Helgakvitha Hundingsbana I 290 Helgakvitha Hundingsbana II 309 Fra Dautha Sinfjotla 332 Gripisspo 337 Reginsmol 356 [* For the phonetic spellings of the proper names see the Pronouncing Index.] CONTENTS--Continued Fafnismol 370 Sigrdrifumol 386 Brot af Sigurtharkvithu 402 Guthrunarkvitha I 411 Sigurtharkvitha en Skamma 420 Helreith Brynhildar 442 Drap Niflunga 447 Guthrunarkvitha II, en Forna 450 Guthrunarkvitha III 465 Oddrunargratr 469 Atlakvitha en Grönlenzka 480 Atlamol en Grönlenzku 499 Guthrunarhvot 536 Hamthesmol 545 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The General Introduction mentions many of the scholars to whose work this translation owes a special debt. Particular reference, however, should here be made to the late William Henry Schofield, Professor of Comparative Literature in Harvard University and President of The American-Scandinavian Foundation, under whose guidance this translation was begun; to Henry Goddard Leach, for many years Secretary of The American-Scandinavian Foundation, and to William Witherle Lawrence, Professor of English in Columbia University and Chairman of the Foundation's Committee on Publications, for their assistance with the manuscript and the proofs; and to Hanna Astrup Larsen, the Foundation's literary secretary, for her efficient management of the complex details of publication. -
Gylfaginning Codex Regius, F
Snorri Sturluson Edda Prologue and Gylfaginning Codex Regius, f. 7v (reduced) (see pp. 26/34–28/1) Snorri Sturluson Edda Prologue and Gylfaginning Edited by ANTHONY FAULKES SECOND EDITION VIKING SOCIETY FOR NORTHERN RESEARCH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON 2005 © Anthony Faulkes 1982/2005 Second Edition 2005 First published by Oxford University Press in 1982 Reissued by Viking Society for Northern Research 1988, 2000 Reprinted 2011 ISBN 978 0 903521 64 2 Printed by Short Run Press Limited, Exeter Contents Codex Regius, fol. 7v ..........................................................Frontispiece Abbreviated references ....................................................................... vii Introduction ..........................................................................................xi Synopsis ..........................................................................................xi The author ..................................................................................... xii The title ....................................................................................... xvii The contents of Snorri’s Edda ................................................... xviii Models and sources ........................................................................ xx Manuscripts .............................................................................. xxviii Bibliography ...............................................................................xxxi Text ....................................................................................................... -
RMN Newsletter 8 2014
The Retrospective Methods Network Newsletter May 2014 № 8 Edited by Frog Helen F. Leslie and Joseph S. Hopkins Published by Folklore Studies / Dept. of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies University of Helsinki, Helsinki 1 RMN Newsletter is a medium of contact and communication for members of the Retrospective Methods Network (RMN). The RMN is an open network which can include anyone who wishes to share in its focus. It is united by an interest in the problems, approaches, strategies and limitations related to considering some aspect of culture in one period through evidence from another, later period. Such comparisons range from investigating historical relationships to the utility of analogical parallels, and from comparisons across centuries to developing working models for the more immediate traditions behind limited sources. RMN Newsletter sets out to provide a venue and emergent discourse space in which individual scholars can discuss and engage in vital cross- disciplinary dialogue, present reports and announcements of their own current activities, and where information about events, projects and institutions is made available. RMN Newsletter is edited by Frog, Helen F. Leslie and Joseph S. Hopkins, published by Folklore Studies / Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies University of Helsinki PO Box 59 (Unioninkatu 38 A) 00014 University of Helsinki Finland The open-access electronic edition of this publication is available on-line at: http://www.helsinki.fi/folkloristiikka/English/RMN/ © 2014, the authors ISSN 2324-0636 (print) ISSN 1799-4497 (electronic) All scientific articles in this journal have been subject to peer review. 2 Contents Editor’s Note ....................................................................................................................................... -
The Dating of Eddic Poetry – Evidence from Alliteration
Haukur Þorgeirsson The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies The dating of Eddic poetry – evidence from alliteration ABSTRACT: Eddic poetry contains instances where the words reka and reiðr alliterate as if they had ini- tial v, corresponding to an earlier stage of the lan- guage (10th century or earlier). Traditionally, this has been understood as a sign that the poems in ques- tion are old. The alternative possibility is that 12th and 13th century Icelanders could have used vr-initial words in poetry in imitation of archaic poems and East Norse dialects. I argue against this latter pos- sibility. Icelandic poetry known to be from the 11th century or younger contains no examples of vr-ini- tial words. Furthermore, the manuscript spelling of the words in question strongly suggests that the scribes were unfamiliar with vr-intial forms. Finally, the evidence from the vr-initial and r-initial forms aligns well with other dating evidence. KEYWORDS: Eddic poetry, dating of poetry, allitera- tion, archaism. 34 | EDDIC AND OLD GERMANIC 1. INTRODUCTION1 The dating of Eddic poetry has long been a debated topic and since the dawn of historical linguistics various linguistic criteria have been brought to bear on it. A consensus remains elusive and many scholars are skeptical that any conclusions can ever be reached. In my view, the situation is not so dire. Already in the mid-19th century, useful contributions had been made to the problem, and in this article I reexamine and defend one of the first dating criteria to be proposed. In several poems of the Poetic Edda, the words reka (“drive, avenge”) and reiðr (“angry”) alliterate with words beginning with v. -
Poetic Edda- "The Flyting of Loki"
WARNING OF COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS1 The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the maKing of photocopies or other reproductions of the copyright materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, library and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than in private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user maKes a reQuest for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. The Yale University Library reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order, if, in its judgement fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. 137 C.F.R. §201.14 2018 the Poetic Eicicia Translated with an Introduction and Explanatory Notes BY LEE M. HOLLANDER SECOND EDITION, REVISED y UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS AUSTIN • 1962 The Flyting of Loki Lokasenna It is safe to say that the "Lokasenna" is not, and never was, in any sense, a popular lay. It is the product of a witty and clever skald who conceived the idea of showing the solemn and glorious gods from their seamy side. As interlocutor he uses Mephistophelian Loki, who engages the various gods and goddesses in a senna (a flyting, or running dialogue of vitupera- tion) of at times very spicy quality in which each and every one gets his or her share of defamation, until the disturber of the peace is finally put to flight by Th6r's threat of violence. -
Inscriptions in Old Norse Literature
Katja Schulz Inscriptions in Old Norse Literature How Everything Started In medieval Scandinavia, writing is an asset which can only be earned with great sac- rifice, but those able to pay the price can then grasp the written letter in a tangible way. We learn this lesson through the mythical genesis of runes in the eddic poem Hávamál (Sayings of the High One), in which Odin first brings runes into the world by sacrificing himself to himself: Veit ec, at ec hecc vindga meiði á I know that I hung on a windswept tree nætr allar nío, nine long nights, geiri undaðr oc gefinn Óðni, wounded with a spear dedicated to Odin, siálfr siálfom mér, myself to myself, á þeim meiði, er mangi veit, on that tree of which no man knows hvers hann af rótom renn. from where its roots run. Við hleifi mic sældo né við hornigi, With no bread did they refresh me nor a drink from a horn, nýsta ec niðr, downwards I peered; nam ec upp rúnar, œpandi nam, I took up the runes, screaming I took them, fell ec aptr þaðan. then I fell back from there. (stanza 138 f.)1 If the text is taken literally, runes are, in fact, the opposite of an inscription, a carving that removes material to leaving the empty space as “script”. Instead, these runes are both substantial and three-dimensional—otherwise they could not be “taken up”. Even if they are not described as such in the stanza above, it is obvious that they are imagined as “staves”, available as raw material for texts and writing. -
The Male Construction of Empowered Female Identities in Old Norse Myth and Legend
Durham E-Theses The whirling wheel: the male construction of empowered female identities in Old Norse myth and legend VARLEY, DAVID,HUGH How to cite: VARLEY, DAVID,HUGH (2015) The whirling wheel: the male construction of empowered female identities in Old Norse myth and legend, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11057/ Use policy This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY) Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 1 Abstract: PhD Thesis, Durham University 2014 The Whirling Wheel: The Male Construction of Empowered Female Identities in Old Norse Myth and Legend This thesis examines the body of medieval literature associated with Old Norse myth and legend. Though this is a diffuse corpus produced over a long span of time and from a wide geographical area, it is possible to establish connections between texts and to highlight certain recurring narrative patterns that are deeply entrenched in this literary tradition. The specific focus of the present study is to analyse the narrative patterns that characterise the interactions between male and female figures. It has long been understood that female figures tend to occupy carefully defined social roles in this body of literature, and much work has been done in assessing these. This thesis takes the unique approach of investigating whether these roles can be viewed, not as a product of the mentality of the writers of this literary material, but rather as a product of male characters within the literary narratives themselves. -
Contradictory Cosmology in Old Norse Myth and Religion – but Still a System?
Contradictory cosmology in old norse myth and religion – but still a system? By eldar Heide This paper presents a new understanding of the cosmology of pre-Christian Scandinavian myth. The sources appear to give contradictory information; for example, the Æsir are located in different places: at the centre of the world, in the west, in the east, under the sea, and in the sky; Hel is placed both in the underground and beyond the sea. in recent studies, this has led to the conclusion that there is no system. The author argues that there is, and that we misunderstand the passages to other worlds. The otherworld can be defined as ‘the world beyond what we can access by natural means’. The starting-point is the realm that is physically accessible to humans, forming a compressed, wide ‘bubble’ around him/her and the local community, since our natural range is very wide in the horizontal plane in all directions, but very short downwards and upwards. Still, people have always imagined that it is possible supernaturally to transcend this ‘bubble’ through certain pas - sages. These passages point in many directions from the middle of the ‘bub - ble’, but the locations of the passages are not identical to the location(s) of the other world(s), the passages being interchangeable with each other and often lead to the same (kind of) land/place. The other worlds have interfaces with this world and with each other, but have no geographical location in re - lation to this world or to the others – they are simply ‘beyond the passages’, ‘on the other side’. -
Fate and Cosmogony in Völuspá: Shaping History in a Moment1
Fate and Cosmogony in Völuspá: Shaping History in a Moment1 Declan Taggart IN CONTRAST to, say, the Christian religion that attenuated and eventually overwhelmed it, the pre-Christian tradition in Scandinavia seems never to have offered unconditional gratitude to the deities it recognized as its makers.2 Instead, Völuspá, the most expansive poem inflected by these customs to survive, appears to consistently associate imperfections in these divine smiths and their methods with natural and social corruption, and with the approach of Ragnarök, an inevitable, world-destroying conflagration. Therefore, after necessarily first establishing the specifics of the cosmogonic methods portrayed in Völuspá, this essay will reflect upon the philosophical underpinnings of this distinctive narrative of existence, focussing in particular on the relationship between the act of world-forging and the poem’s understanding of fate. It could be argued that the ambivalence congenital to this view of creation is derived from commonplace attitudes to crafting and craftsmen, and that this context therefore provides a pre-existing model by which to judge the success of the Æsir (the group of Old Norse deities principally dealt with here). However, due to the constraints imposed by the length of this discussion, this wider circumstance will be largely overlooked, except where relevant comparative examples have been footnoted. The shaping of the beings that inhabit this cosmography will be treated in a similar way, for the same reason, although it could be argued that complementary, possibly isomorphic, principles are elemental to these creations too. 1 This article was the runner-up of the Magnus Magnusson Essay Prize (2011).