Runic and Heroic Poems of the Old Teutonic Peoples
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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. -
TERMS for BEOWULF Wyrd
TERMS FOR BEOWULF Wyrd: a concept in AngloSaxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or an individual’s destiny (derived from weorþan, which means “to become.” Comitatus: The bond / contract between the Chieftan/Lord and his vassals. The Lord’s vassals are a band of loyal/noble followers; men who have sworn to defend the Chieftan with their lives in exchange for protection, victory, and spoils. TRADITIONALLY, in this relationship, the vassals promise at least 40 days of military service, money for the Lord’s eldest daughter’s dowry, money if the Lord’s eldest son is knighted, money if the lord goes on a crusade, money for the Lord’s ransom if he is captured, advice if asked. Symbel – a rite of AngloSaxon paganism – sometimes referred to as a “drinking rite.” It is a symbolic ritualistic celebration. During this celebration, attendees are seated by order/rank of importance. The ritual begins with a FORESPEECH in which the host welcomes his guests and provides context/reason for the gathering. It is followed by the POURING, which is when the Lady of the house pours mead to the men – in order of rank. She starts by pouring mead into the horn. This act represents the idea of “watering the world tree” and bringing the past to the present. Once the POURING is complete, the FULLS commences. The FULLS is a series of boasts about the three most important gods to the situation at hand. The FULLS is followed by the MINNI, which is a toast to dead ancestors. Next comes the GIFTGIVING when the host presents important/worthy attendees with gifts to recognize them. -
Inhalt. Erste Abteilung. Die Ermunarichstige. Suite Erstes Kapitel
Inhalt. Erste Abteilung. Die Ermunarichstige. Suite Erstes Kapitel. Die gotische Überlieferung ;•{ § i .X -i Zweites Kapitel. Die Entwicklung der Überlieferung in Nordeuropa .... 15 § 2. Svanhild und der Ehebruch ]g § 3. Erpr. GuBnin. Jönakr. Spätere Reminiscenzen an alte Züge. Gruppierung der Quellen 19 § 4. HamBismâl str. 24 — 30 und damit correspondierende Stellen ... 20 § 5. Die Aufstachelung der Brüder in HamBismâl und GuBrûnarhvçt . 35 § 6. Die Fortsetzung von GuBrûnarhvçt 43 § 7. HamBismâl 2. 3. Ragnarsdrâpa 3. 4. Saxo. Nähere Gruppierung der Quellen 47 § 8. Die Berichte der Prosaquellen 48 Drittes Kapitel. Der böse Ratgeber 53 § 9 53 Viertes Kapitel. Die Harlunge 65 § 10. Die Brüder und ihr Beschützer 65 § 11. Die Verwandtschaft mit Ermanarich. Die Anklage wider die Har lunge und ihre Bestrafung. Das Grundmotiv der Erzählung . 77 Zweite Abteilung. Die Sage von Dietrich von Bern. Fünftes Kapitel. Flucht. Aufenthalt bei Attila. Rückkehr 83 § 12. Einleitende Bemerkungen über das gegenseitige Verhältnis der Hauptabteilungen der Erzählung 83 § 13. Die Quellen von c. 276 — 290 der ÜiBrekssaga (Erminreks Feind schaft wider seine Söhne, seine Neffen und Dietrich. Die Flucht) 90 § 14. Die Quellen von c. 316—339 der ÜiSrekssaga (Schlacht bei Gronsport) 98 § 15. Die Quellen von c. 395 — 414, 9 der ÜiBrekssaga (Dietrichs Heimkehr) 108 § 16 Die Quellen von c. 340. 341 der ÜiSrekssaga (Erkas Tod) . 118 § 17. Der Zusammenhang der zu I resp. H gehörenden Teile der Erzählung 118 § 18. Die Quellen von c. 429—437 der ÜiBrekssaga (Helmis Heldentaten) 124 § 19. Historische Übersicht der Überlieferung von ÜE. Gr. R. H . 128 § 20. Die Anfänge der Exildichtung 133 § 21. Die junge Tradition 137 1. -
Widsith, Beowulf, Finnsburgh, Waldere, Deor. Done Into Common
Dear Reader, This book was referenced in one of the 185 issues of 'The Builder' Magazine which was published between January 1915 and May 1930. To celebrate the centennial of this publication, the Pictoumasons website presents a complete set of indexed issues of the magazine. As far as the editor was able to, books which were suggested to the reader have been searched for on the internet and included in 'The Builder' library.' This is a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by one of several organizations as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. Wherever possible, the source and original scanner identification has been retained. Only blank pages have been removed and this header- page added. The original book has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books belong to the public and 'pictoumasons' makes no claim of ownership to any of the books in this library; we are merely their custodians. Often, marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in these files – a reminder of this book's long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Since you are reading this book now, you can probably also keep a copy of it on your computer, so we ask you to Keep it legal. -
Nú Mun Hon Sökkvask
Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask: The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Lauren Hamm Lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni trú Leiðbeinandi: Terry Gunnell Útskriftarmánuður: Október 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Lauren Hamm Lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni trú Leiðbeinandi: Terry Gunnell Félags - og mannvísindadeild Félagsvísindasvið Háskóla Íslands Október 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask: The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Ritgerð þessi er lokaverkefni til MA – gráðu í Norrænni trú og er óheimilt að afrita ritgerðina á nokkurn hátt nema með leyfi rétthafa. © Lauren Hamm, 2019 Prentun: Háskólaprent Reykjavík, Ísland, 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible if it were not for the endless kindness and patience of my thesis advisor, Dr. Terry Gunnell. I truly do not have words eloquent enough to iterate how very much he deeply cares about his work and the work of his students nor how much this meant to me personally. The year of waking up to 6:00 AM skype meetings every Tuesday with Terry provided a gentle reminder of my duties and passion for this topic as well as a sense of stability and purpose I badly needed during a tumultuous time in my life. -
University of London Deviant Burials in Viking-Age
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON DEVIANT BURIALS IN VIKING-AGE SCANDINAVIA Ruth Lydia Taylor M. Phil, Institute of Archaeology, University College London UMI Number: U602472 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U602472 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT DEVIANT BURIALS IN VIKING-AGE SCANDINAVIA The thesis brings together information yielded from archaeology and other sources to provide an overall picture of the types of burial practices encountered during the Viking-Age in Scandinavia. From this, an attempt is made to establish deviancy. Comparative evidence, such as literary, runic, legal and folkloric evidence will be used critically to shed perspective on burial practices and the artefacts found within the graves. The thesis will mostly cover burials from the Viking Age (late 8th century to the mid- 11th century), but where the comparative evidence dates from other periods, its validity is discussed accordingly. Two types of deviant burial emerged: the criminal and the victim. A third type, which shows distinctive irregularity yet lacks deviancy, is the healer/witch burial. -
A Concise Dictionary of Middle English
A Concise Dictionary of Middle English A. L. Mayhew and Walter W. Skeat A Concise Dictionary of Middle English Table of Contents A Concise Dictionary of Middle English...........................................................................................................1 A. L. Mayhew and Walter W. Skeat........................................................................................................1 PREFACE................................................................................................................................................3 NOTE ON THE PHONOLOGY OF MIDDLE−ENGLISH...................................................................5 ABBREVIATIONS (LANGUAGES),..................................................................................................11 A CONCISE DICTIONARY OF MIDDLE−ENGLISH....................................................................................12 A.............................................................................................................................................................12 B.............................................................................................................................................................48 C.............................................................................................................................................................82 D...........................................................................................................................................................122 -
Postcolonial Anglo-Saxon in John Haynes's Letter to Patience
‘No word for it’: Postcolonial Anglo-Saxon in John Haynes’s Letter to Patience CHRISTOPHER JONES University of St Andrews This article examines a number of allusions to Old English, especially to the poem The Wanderer, in John Haynes’s award- winning poem Letter to Patience (2006). A broad historical contextualisation of the use of Anglo-Saxon in modern poetry is offered first, against which Haynes’s specific poetic Anglo- Saxonism is then analysed in detail. Consideration is given to the sources – editions and translations – that Haynes used, and a sustained close reading of sections of his poem is offered in the light of this source study. The representation of English as an instrument of imperialism is discussed and juxtaposed with the use and status of early English to offer a long historical view of the politics of the vernacular. It is argued that Haynes’s poem, set partly in Nigeria, represents a new departure in the use it finds for Old English poetry, in effect constituting a kind of ‘postcolonial Anglo-Saxonism’. ohn Haynes’s book-length poem of 2006, his Letter to Patience, is J noteworthy for its use of Anglo-Saxon (also known as Old English) and its allusions to literary works in that language.1 In part, therefore, Letter to Patience constitutes an example of Anglo-Saxonism, a phenomenon which can be defined as the post-Anglo-Saxon appropriation and deployment of Anglo-Saxon language, literature, or culture, an appropriation which is often difficult to separate from the simultaneous reception and construction of ideas about actual Anglo- 1 John Haynes, Letter to Patience (Bridgend, 2006). -
Occidental Regionalism in the Nibelungenlied: Medieval Paradigms of Foreignness
OCCIDENTAL REGIONALISM IN THE NIBELUNGENLIED: MEDIEVAL PARADIGMS OF FOREIGNNESS BY SHAWN ROBIN BOYD DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in German in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor C. Stephen Jaeger, Chair Professor Marianne Kalinke Associate Professor Frederick Schwink Associate Professor Laurie Johnson Associate Professor Carol Symes ii ABSTRACT This dissertation explores the issue of foreignness in the Nibelungenlied, raising questions about the nature, and crossing, of intra-Christian borders within the text that separate customs, practices, and worldviews. It analyzes cultural alterity and its attendant outcomes in the first half of the Nibelungenlied using concepts from anthropology and cultural and sociological theory. The dissertation argues that multiple levels of foreignness, as defined by the philosopher Bernd Waldenfels, separate characters in the Nibelungenlied. Despite their varying origins, these instances of alienation all have a common result: a lack of a complete picture of the world for individual characters and the prevention of close human connections that would allow intentions and motivations to be divined. Characters’ imperfect understandings of their surroundings are fostered by their foreignness and drive many of the conflicts in the text, including Siegfried’s verbal clash with the Burgundians when he first arrives in Worms, Brünhild’s entanglement with Gunther and Siegfried, and the argument between Kriemhild and Brünhild. In addition, this dissertation argues that the constant interaction with the foreign undergone by the court at Worms leads to a change in its culture away from one which sees appearance and reality as one and the same to one that takes advantage of the power granted by a newfound ability to separate Sein from Schein. -
The Heuristic Value of German Literature: the Eternal Plea for the Relevance of Medieval and Early Modern Literature from a Practical/Pedagogical Perspective
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by The University of Sydney: Sydney eScholarship Journals... The Heuristic Value of German Literature: The Eternal Plea for the Relevance of Medieval and Early Modern Literature from a Practical/Pedagogical Perspective Albrecht Classen Introduction1 The question of what the meaning of the Humanities might be for the current student generation continues to vex us all. We can all try to look backwards and explain the significance of past literary documents as being contributions to the canon of all literary studies. That would be the answer of an archivist. We can also try to understand literary texts from the pre- modern period as expressions of the overarching endeavor to make sense of human life, to figure out the meaning of human life, and to explain the purpose of our existence. At first look, this seems to be quite self-evident, but at a closer analysis we can realize how much both medieval and modern literary manifestations are simply waiting for us to gain deeper understanding of human interactions, conflicts, and cooperation. This article continues with previous efforts to make sense of medieval narratives and to demonstrate how much they can serve as literary expressions for the further explorations of human identity, ethics, morality, and religion. The central argument for the humanistic value of literature, as developed here, is predicated on practical experiences in teaching the history of German literature and has profited from numerous critical reflections on modern challenges to our discipline. The Relevance of the Humanities For a long time the very same question has occupied the Humanities most profoundly, and it is a question which will be raised over and over again in the future, irrespective of current answers and responses to the issue at 1 Albrecht Classen is Distinguished Professor of German Studies at the University of Arizona. -
Affective Criticism, Oral Poetics, and Beowulf's Fight with the Dragon
Oral Tradition, 10/1 (1995): 54-90 Affective Criticism, Oral Poetics, and Beowulf’s Fight with the Dragon Mark C. Amodio I Affective criticism, as it has been practiced over the last few years, has come to focus upon the reader’s (or audience’s) subjective experience of a given literary work.1 Rather than examining the text qua object, affective criticism (like all subjective criticism) has abandoned the objectivism and textual reification which lay at the heart of the New Critical enterprise, striving instead to lead “one away from the ‘thing itself’ in all its solidity to the inchoate impressions of a variable and various reader” (Fish 1980:42).2 Shifting the critical focus away from the text to the reader has engendered 1 Iser, one of the leading proponents of reader-based inquiry, offers the following succinct statement of the logic underlying his and related approaches: “[a]s a literary text can only produce a response when it is read, it is virtually impossible to describe this response without also analyzing the reading process” (1978:ix). Iser’s emphasis on the reader’s role and on the constitutive and enabling functions inherent in the act of reading are shared by many other modern theorists despite their radical differences in methodologies, aims, and conclusions. See especially Culler (1982:17-83), and the collections edited by Tompkins (1980) and Suleiman and Crosman (1980). 2 The New Criticism has generally warned against inscribing an idiosyncratic, historically and culturally determined reader into a literary text because doing so would lead to subjectivism and ultimately to interpretative chaos. -
Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation
Empire of Hope and Tragedy: Jordanes and the Invention of Roman-Gothic History Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brian Swain Graduate Program in History The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Timothy Gregory, Co-advisor Anthony Kaldellis Kristina Sessa, Co-advisor Copyright by Brian Swain 2014 Abstract This dissertation explores the intersection of political and ethnic conflict during the emperor Justinian’s wars of reconquest through the figure and texts of Jordanes, the earliest barbarian voice to survive antiquity. Jordanes was ethnically Gothic - and yet he also claimed a Roman identity. Writing from Constantinople in 551, he penned two Latin histories on the Gothic and Roman pasts respectively. Crucially, Jordanes wrote while Goths and Romans clashed in the imperial war to reclaim the Italian homeland that had been under Gothic rule since 493. That a Roman Goth wrote about Goths while Rome was at war with Goths is significant and has no analogue in the ancient record. I argue that it was precisely this conflict which prompted Jordanes’ historical inquiry. Jordanes, though, has long been considered a mere copyist, and seldom treated as an historian with ideas of his own. And the few scholars who have treated Jordanes as an original author have dampened the significance of his Gothicness by arguing that barbarian ethnicities were evanescent and subsumed by the gravity of a Roman political identity. They hold that Jordanes was simply a Roman who can tell us only about Roman things, and supported the Roman emperor in his war against the Goths.