Nordic Gods and Goddesses
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Religious Foundations of Group Identity in Prehistoric Europe: the Germanic Peoples
PETER BUCHHOLZ Religious Foundations of Group Identity in Prehistoric Europe: The Germanic Peoples Any reader of Heimskringla ("circle of the earth"), the history of the kings of Norway by the great 13th century Icelandic writer Snorri Sturluson, will be struck by the enormous weight which the author attaches to religion. This refers both to Christianity and to pagan phenomena which preceded and even co-existed with it for some time. Snorri's work should, in my view, be ascribed a relatively high source value, if only because it is demonstrably based on older traditions either fixed in poetry or transmitted as oral prose. Öral tradition is of course not the topic of the present paper (cf. Buchholz 1980; Buchholz 1991), but the preservation of such traditions alone, many of which contain religious material, does indeed show that society or parts of it attached sufficient importance to such phenomena as to commit them to memory, parchment, runic signs or pictorial representation. The last scribe or "author" may of course have had considerable antiquarian interests, as is evident e.g. in some of the mythic poems of the Elder Edda, but such interests cannot be regarded as the cause for the existence of the myth, but only as one of the reasons for its preservation. We shall hopefully glimpse something of the role of myth in Germanic societies in the course of my paper. Leaving Myth aside for the moment, I want to stress that ÖN prose material, including Heimskringla, shows a marked interest in the concrete manifestations of cult (which, for paganism as seen through Christian eyes at least, definitely includes magic) and belief. -
ABSTRACT Savannah Dehart. BRACTEATES AS INDICATORS OF
ABSTRACT Savannah DeHart. BRACTEATES AS INDICATORS OF NORTHERN PAGAN RELIGIOSITY IN THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES. (Under the direction of Michael J. Enright) Department of History, May 2012. This thesis investigates the religiosity of some Germanic peoples of the Migration period (approximately AD 300-800) and seeks to overcome some difficulties in the related source material. The written sources which describe pagan elements of this period - such as Tacitus’ Germania, Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and Paul the Deacon’s History of the Lombards - are problematic because they were composed by Roman or Christian authors whose primary goals were not to preserve the traditions of pagans. Literary sources of the High Middle Ages (approximately AD 1000-1400) - such as The Poetic Edda, Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda , and Icelandic Family Sagas - can only offer a clearer picture of Old Norse religiosity alone. The problem is that the beliefs described by these late sources cannot accurately reflect religious conditions of the Early Middle Ages. Too much time has elapsed and too many changes have occurred. If literary sources are unavailing, however, archaeology can offer a way out of the dilemma. Rightly interpreted, archaeological evidence can be used in conjunction with literary sources to demonstrate considerable continuity in precisely this area of religiosity. Some of the most relevant material objects (often overlooked by scholars) are bracteates. These coin-like amulets are stamped with designs that appear to reflect motifs from Old Norse myths, yet their find contexts, including the inhumation graves of women and hoards, demonstrate that they were used during the Migration period of half a millennium earlier. -
Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature
Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Medieval Icelandic Studies Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature A Brief Study Ritgerð til MA-prófs í íslenskum miðaldafræðum Li Tang Kt.: 270988-5049 Leiðbeinandi: Torfi H. Tulinius September 2015 Acknowledgements I would like to thank firstly my supervisor, Torfi H. Tulinius for his confidence and counsels which have greatly encouraged my writing of this paper. Because of this confidence, I have been able to explore a domain almost unstudied which attracts me the most. Thanks to his counsels (such as his advice on the “Blóð-Egill” Episode in Knýtlinga saga and the reading of important references), my work has been able to find its way through the different numbers. My thanks also go to Haraldur Bernharðsson whose courses on Old Icelandic have been helpful to the translations in this paper and have become an unforgettable memory for me. I‟m indebted to Moritz as well for our interesting discussion about the translation of some paragraphs, and to Capucine and Luis for their meticulous reading. Any fault, however, is my own. Abstract It is generally agreed that some numbers such as three and nine which appear frequently in the two Eddas hold special significances in Norse mythology. Furthermore, numbers appearing in sagas not only denote factual quantity, but also stand for specific symbolic meanings. This tradition of number symbolism could be traced to Pythagorean thought and to St. Augustine‟s writings. But the result in Old Norse literature is its own system influenced both by Nordic beliefs and Christianity. This double influence complicates the intertextuality in the light of which the symbolic meanings of numbers should be interpreted. -
Germania TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 16 TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 17
TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 15 Part I Germania TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 16 TEG1 8/2/2004 2:52 PM Page 17 1 Land and People The Land The heartland of the immense area of northern Europe occupied by the early Germanic peoples was the great expanse of lowland which extends from the Netherlands to western Russia. There are no heights here over 300 metres and most of the land rises no higher than 100 metres. But there is considerable variety in relief and soil conditions. Several areas, like the Lüneburg Heath and the hills of Schleswig-Holstein, are diverse in both relief and landscape. There was until recent times a good deal of marshy ground in the northern parts of the great plain, and a broad belt of coastal marshland girds it on its northern flank. Several major rivers drain the plain, the Ems, Weser and Elbe flowing into the North Sea, the Oder and the Vistula into the Baltic. Their broad valleys offered attrac- tive areas for early settlement, as well as corridors of communication from south to north. The surface deposits on the lowland largely result from successive periods of glaciation. A major influence on relief are the ground moraines, comprising a stiff boulder clay which produces gently undu- lating plains or a terrain of small, steep-sided hills and hollows, the latter often containing small lakes and marshes, as in the area around Berlin. Other features of the relief are the hills left behind by terminal glacial moraines, the sinuous lakes which are the remains of melt-water, and the embayments created by the sea intruding behind a moraine. -
How Uniform Was the Old Norse Religion?
II. Old Norse Myth and Society HOW UNIFORM WAS THE OLD NORSE RELIGION? Stefan Brink ne often gets the impression from handbooks on Old Norse culture and religion that the pagan religion that was supposed to have been in Oexistence all over pre-Christian Scandinavia and Iceland was rather homogeneous. Due to the lack of written sources, it becomes difficult to say whether the ‘religion’ — or rather mythology, eschatology, and cult practice, which medieval sources refer to as forn siðr (‘ancient custom’) — changed over time. For obvious reasons, it is very difficult to identify a ‘pure’ Old Norse religion, uncorroded by Christianity since Scandinavia did not exist in a cultural vacuum.1 What we read in the handbooks is based almost entirely on Snorri Sturluson’s representation and interpretation in his Edda of the pre-Christian religion of Iceland, together with the ambiguous mythical and eschatological world we find represented in the Poetic Edda and in the filtered form Saxo Grammaticus presents in his Gesta Danorum. This stance is more or less presented without reflection in early scholarship, but the bias of the foundation is more readily acknowledged in more recent works.2 In the textual sources we find a considerable pantheon of gods and goddesses — Þórr, Óðinn, Freyr, Baldr, Loki, Njo3rðr, Týr, Heimdallr, Ullr, Bragi, Freyja, Frigg, Gefjon, Iðunn, et cetera — and euhemerized stories of how the gods acted and were characterized as individuals and as a collective. Since the sources are Old Icelandic (Saxo’s work appears to have been built on the same sources) one might assume that this religious world was purely Old 1 See the discussion in Gro Steinsland, Norrøn religion: Myter, riter, samfunn (Oslo: Pax, 2005). -
Norse Monstrosities in the Monstrous World of J.R.R. Tolkien
Norse Monstrosities in the Monstrous World of J.R.R. Tolkien Robin Veenman BA Thesis Tilburg University 18/06/2019 Supervisor: David Janssens Second reader: Sander Bax Abstract The work of J.R.R. Tolkien appears to resemble various aspects from Norse mythology and the Norse sagas. While many have researched these resemblances, few have done so specifically on the dark side of Tolkien’s work. Since Tolkien himself was fascinated with the dark side of literature and was of the opinion that monsters served an essential role within a story, I argue that both the monsters and Tolkien’s attraction to Norse mythology and sagas are essential phenomena within his work. Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 4 Chapter one: Tolkien’s Fascination with Norse mythology 7 1.1 Introduction 7 1.2 Humphrey Carpenter: Tolkien’s Biographer 8 1.3 Concrete Examples From Jakobsson and Shippey 9 1.4 St. Clair: an Overview 10 1.5 Kuseela’s Theory on Gandalf 11 1.6 Chapter Overview 12 Chapter two: The monsters Compared: Midgard vs Middle-earth 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Dragons 15 2.3 Dwarves 19 2.4 Orcs 23 2.5 Wargs 28 2.6 Wights 30 2.7 Trolls 34 2.8 Chapter Conclusion 38 Chapter three: The Meaning of Monsters 41 3.1 Introduction 41 3.2 The Dark Side of Literature 42 3.3 A Horrifically Human Fascination 43 3.4 Demonstrare: the Applicability of Monsters 49 3.5 Chapter Conclusion 53 Chapter four: The 20th Century and the Northern Warrior-Ethos in Middle-earth 55 4.1 Introduction 55 4.2 An Author of His Century 57 4.3 Norse Warrior-Ethos 60 4.4 Chapter Conclusion 63 Discussion 65 Conclusion 68 Bibliography 71 2 Acknowledgements First and foremost I have to thank the person who is evidently at the start of most thesis acknowledgements -for I could not have done this without him-: my supervisor. -
A Saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki Pdf, Epub, Ebook
DARK GROWS THE SUN : A SAGA OF ODIN, FRIGG AND LOKI PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Matt Bishop | 322 pages | 03 May 2020 | Fensalir Publishing, LLC | 9780998678924 | English | none Dark Grows the Sun : A saga of Odin, Frigg and Loki PDF Book He is said to bring inspiration to poets and writers. A number of small images in silver or bronze, dating from the Viking age, have also been found in various parts of Scandinavia. They then mixed, preserved and fermented Kvasirs' blood with honey into a powerful magical mead that inspired poets, shamans and magicians. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Lerwick: Shetland Heritage Publications. She and Bor had three sons who became the Aesir Gods. Thor goes out, finds Hymir's best ox, and rips its head off. Born of nine maidens, all of whom were sisters, He is the handsome gold-toothed guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge leading to Asgard, the home of the Gods, and thus the connection between body and soul. He came round to see her and entered her home without a weapon to show that he came in peace. They find themselves facing a massive castle in an open area. The reemerged fields grow without needing to be sown. Baldur was the most beautiful of the gods, and he was also gentle, fair, and wise. Sjofn is the goddess who inclines the heart to love. Freyja objects. Eventually the Gods became weary of war and began to talk of peace and hostages. There the surviving gods will meet, and the land will be fertile and green, and two humans will repopulate the world. -
Ullr Snow Sports Student Orientation
Ullr Snow Sports Student Orientation Winter - 2021 1 Ver. 4 Agenda • Who is Ullr? • Directions to the Ullr class meeting area • When will classes be held • Winter sports checklist • How we learn • COVID Social Distancing • Parents – Questions and Answers 2 Who is Ullr? – Ullr, Uller, Ull, Wulder - Winter God of archery, skiing and yew magic. Stepson of Thor. – His name means "The Brilliant One" and he is associated with the Aurora Borealis. At some time in history, Ullr was held to be just as important as Odin, and in winter he was considered to be the ruler in Asgard. – He is the diety of choice for snow lovers and also the name invoked for good luck. – He was adopted into Christianity as St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters. – The month preceding the winter solstice (Yule time) was his month. He was recognized as having the powers to shield, as his snows shield the earth in winter. 3 Directions to the class meeting area • At the Ullr Building next to the bottom of the Triple-60 lift – Look for the large ULLR on the side of the building 4 When - The Class Schedule – Saturdays start Jan. 16th – Sundays start Jan. 17th – No classes over Presidents Day weekend Feb.13th and 14th – Daily Schedule • All classes are two hours (unless there are 2 students or less) • Morning class – 10 AM • Afternoon class - 1 PM • Please be there 20 minutes early for COVID screening • PLEASE, be at the class sign after 2 hours to pick up your student 5 When –Get To Your Class On Time • Please be at the meeting area 20 minutes early for your COVID screening. -
Nerthus, That Is, Mother Earth
Odin’s Wife: Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology SAMPLE CHAPTER © 2018 William P. Reaves II. Nerthus, that is, Mother Earth “Tacitus’ much-quoted account in Germania ch. 40 of the ceremonies related to the goddess Nerthus in the area around Schleswig-Holstein or Jylland is of particular interest here for several reasons. First of all, it suggests that the images of the Bronze Age petroglyphs depicting the hieros gamos and processions related to a fertility deity had parallels in southern Scandinavia as late as AD 100, when Tacitus wrote his account. Secondly, it provides the first reliable evidence that the ceremonies were now associated with a named goddess, who must therefore have had her own mythology and background. This in turn implies that enacted rituals to do with the goddess probably had a mythological parallel.” —Terry Gunnell, The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia, (1995), p.53. In literature, Terra Mater (Mother Earth) first appears as a distinct figure of the old heathen religion in the Germania. Despite intense scholarly debate over the motivations of its author, Germania, written by the Roman historian Tacitus around 98 AD, was probably intended as an accurate account of the customs and conditions of the Germanic tribes who posed a threat on the northern border of the Roman Empire for several hundred years. While his moral observations of the Germanic tribes in contrast to the Roman way of life have led some scholars to propose that this was his chief aim in writing it, this is not sufficient as a general interpretation of the text.1 Not only does Tacitus criticize the Germanic way of life almost as often as he praises it, but much of the material has nothing to do with moral issues and cannot be explained simply as filler. -
Panel 4 the Creation of Midgard from Ymir the Giant
CREATING THE WORLD FROM YMIR By Mackenzie Stewart THE BEGINNING ‘In no way do we accept him as a god. He was evil, as are all his descendants; we call them frost giants. It is said that as he slept he took to sweating. Then, from under his left arm grew a male and female, while one of his legs got a son with the other. From here the clans that are called the frost giants. The old frost giant, him we call Ymir’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 14-15 ‘where did Ymir live, and what did he live on?’ ‘Next what happened that as the icy rime dripped, the cow called Audhumla was formed. Four rivers of milk ran from her udders, and she nourished Ymir.’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 15 ‘She licked the blocks of ice, which were salty. As she licked these stones of icy rime the first day, the hair of a man appeared in the blocks towards the evening. On the second day came the man’s head, and on the third day, the whole man. He was called Buri, and he was beautiful, big and strong. He had a son called Bor, who took as his wife the woman called Bestla. She was the daughter of Bolthorn the giant, and they had three sons. One was called Odin, another Vili and the third Ve.’ - Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda, 15 Ymir suckles the udder of Auðumbla as she licks Búri out of the ice painting by Nicolai Abildgaard, 1790 THE DEATH ‘The sons of Bor killed the giant Ymir’…’When he fell, so much blood gushed from his wounds that with it they drowned all the race of the frost giants except for one who escaped with his household. -
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 ....................................................................................................... -
7 CHAPTER II REVIEW of RELATED LITERATURE This Chapter Is The
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter is the explanation about the theoretical description which is used in the research. There are four major points of this chapter; theoretical description, previous studies, conceptual framework and movie review. 2.1 Theoretical Description In this part, the researcher presents two important parts of this research, pragmatics and speech act. Pragmatics is scope of linguistics which concern about sentence meaning. It has 6 branches, and one of them is speech act. Speech act is the utterances which are performed by the speaker in the conversation. 2.1.1 Pragmatics 2.1.1.1 Definition of Pragmatics Semantics and pragmatics are scope of linguistics which study about meaning, but those two fields are different. Semantics focuses on meaning as a diadic relation whereas pragmatics relate with meaning as a triadic relation. In pragmatics, the study of meaning is related to the speaker or the user of language in that present time (Leech, 1983:5-6). In line with Leech, Yule (1996:3) explains that pragmatics has four definitions or scopes. The first, pragmatics deals with speakers’ meaning of communication. The second, pragmatics is the study about contextual meaning or the interpretation of what people mean in the context. Then, the third is the study of how the language more communicated that it’s said. The last definition of pragmatics is the study about the expression whether it is said or not of relative distance of communication. Griffiths (2006:1) adds “Pragmatics is concerned with the use of these tools in meaningful communication”. The word tools in his sentence refer to tool in of meaning which is known by people as a language.