Myths of the pagan north : the gods of the Norsemen /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Abram, Christopher.
Imprint:	London ; New York : Continuum, 2011.
Description:	xii, 258 p. : ill. ; cm.
Language:	English
Subject:	Mythology, Norse. Gods, Norse. Paganism -- Scandinavia. Gods, Norse. Mythology, Norse. Paganism. Scandinavia.
Format:	Print Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/8378504

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9781847252470 (hbk.) 1847252478 (hbk.)
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references (p. [241]-251) and index.
Summary:	Medieval Scandinavia produced one of the world's most famous and best-loved mythologies. The deeds of the Norse gods were told and retold in a body of poems and stories that provides us with a unique insight into the pagan culture of northern Europe, and which fascinates readers to this day. Myths of the Pagan North is a history of these tales from their origins in the early Viking Age through to the thirteenth century that shows how, where and, above all, why these myths were preserved in the Middle Ages, both before and after the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity. -- Starting with their origins in the common Germanic pagan heritage, Christopher Abram explores how the Norse myths have altered over time, tracing the rise of the cult of Odin in the royal court of Norway, the effect of religious conflict between pagans and Christians on the development of myth, and the remarkable renaissance in traditional mythology in Iceland two centuries after its conversion. -- The long history of Norse mythology in the Middle Ages confirms that myths are eternal and ever-changing at the same time; Myths of the Pagan North shows how the history of myth-making in Scandinavia illuminates our knowledge of both the Norse gods and the people who worshipped them. --Book Jacket.

Table of Contents:

About this book
A Guide to Pronouncing Old Norse
List of Illustrations
1. The Sources of Norse Mythology
Archaeological Evidence
Runic Inscriptions and Picture Stones
Written Sources
Conclusion
Case Study: Thor and the Miðgarðsormr
2. The Gods on the Ground: Religious Culture as a Background to Pagan Myth
The Germanic Context
The Gods of the Norsemen
Identifying the Norse Gods in the Archaeological Record
Ritual: The Gods in Practice
Conclusion
3. Myths in the Viking Age: Norway, Iceland and Beyond, c. 850-950
The Mythic Father of Old Norse Poetry
Myths Fit for a King
The Fashion for Valhalla
Egill's Sonatorrek
Conclusion
4. The Twilight of the Gods: The Age of Religious Conflict in Norway, c. 950-1000
Earl Hákon and State Paganism
Sex and Sacral Kingship
The Creation of Mythic Narratives
The End of the Pagan World?
Conclusion
5. Pagan Myths under Conversion: Norway and Iceland, c. 980-1000
The Christian King and his Pagan Poet
The Conversion of Iceland
Conclusion
6. The Rebirth of Norse Mythology: Denmark and Iceland, c. 1150-1350
Myth and History in Saxo and Snorri
The Authorized Version: Snorri Sturluson's Edda
The Creation of the Poetic Edda
Conclusion: And What Came Next?
Notes
Bibliography
Index

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