A Handbook to Eddic Poetry
A Handbook to Eddic Poetry

Author: Carolyne Larrington

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-08-19

Total Pages: 675

ISBN-13: 1316720853

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This is the first comprehensive and accessible survey in English of Old Norse eddic poetry: a remarkable body of literature rooted in the Viking Age, which is a critical source for the study of early Scandinavian myths, poetics, culture and society. Dramatically recreating the voices of the legendary past, eddic poems distil moments of high emotion as human heroes and supernatural beings alike grapple with betrayal, loyalty, mortality and love. These poems relate the most famous deeds of gods such as Óðinn and Þórr with their adversaries the giants; they bring to life the often fraught interactions between kings, queens and heroes as well as their encounters with valkyries, elves, dragons and dwarfs. Written by leading international scholars, the chapters in this volume showcase the poetic riches of the eddic corpus, and reveal its relevance to the history of poetics, gender studies, pre-Christian religions, art history and archaeology.

Influences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry
Influences of Pre-Christian Mythology and Christianity on Old Norse Poetry

Author: Andrew McGillivray

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2018-10-08

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1580443362

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The Eddic poem Vafþrúðnismál serves as a representation of early pagan beliefs or myths and as a myth itself; the poem performs both of these functions, acting as a poetic framework and functioning as sacred myth. In this study, the author looks closely at the journey of the Norse god Óðinn to the hall of the ancient and wise giant Vafþrúðnir, where Óðinn craftily engages his adversary in a life-or-death contest in knowledge.

Norse Mythology
Norse Mythology

Author: John Lindow

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2002-10-17

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 0199839697

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Norse Mythology explores the magical myths and legends of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Viking-Age Greenland and outlines the way the prehistoric tales and beliefs from these regions that have remained embedded in the imagination of the world. The book begins with an Introduction that helps put Scandinavian mythology in place in history, followed by a chapter that explains the meaning of mythic time, and a third section that presents in-depth explanations of each mythological term. These fascinating entries identify particular deities and giants, as well as the places where they dwell and the varied and wily means by which they forge their existence and battle one another. We meet Thor, one of the most powerful gods, who specializes in killing giants using a hammer made for him by dwarfs, not to mention myriad trolls, ogres, humans and strange animals. We learn of the ongoing struggle between the gods, who create the cosmos, and the jötnar, or giants, who aim to destroy it. In the enchanted world where this mythology takes place, we encounter turbulent rivers, majestic mountains, dense forests, storms, fierce winters, eagles, ravens, salmon and snakes in a landscape closely resembling Scandinavia. Beings travel on ships and on horseback; they eat slaughtered meat and drink mead. Spanning from the inception of the universe and the birth of human beings to the universe's destruction and the mythic future, these sparkling tales of creation and destruction, death and rebirth, gods and heroes will entertain readers and offer insight into the relationship between Scandinavian myth, history, and culture.

The Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda

Author:

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2010-03-01

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 0292792549

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The Poetic Edda comprises a treasure trove of mythic and spiritual verse holding an important place in Nordic culture, literature, and heritage. Its tales of strife and death form a repository, in poetic form, of Norse mythology and heroic lore, embodying both the ethical views and the cultural life of the North during the late heathen and early Christian times. Collected by an unidentified Icelander, probably during the twelfth or thirteenth century, The Poetic Edda was rediscovered in Iceland in the seventeenth century by Danish scholars. Even then its value as poetry, as a source of historical information, and as a collection of entertaining stories was recognized. This meticulous translation succeeds in reproducing the verse patterns, the rhythm, the mood, and the dignity of the original in a revision that Scandinavian Studies says "may well grace anyone's bookshelf."

Varieties of Comparative Criminology
Varieties of Comparative Criminology

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-10-18

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 9004473610

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According to Durkheim comparative sociology is sociology itself. Comparative criminology goes back to the days of Durkheim, but today it is possible to conduct group comparisons in many settings and with an incredible array of data. This book represents a variety of approaches making comparisons. The emphasis is on creative methods, challenging theory and unusual subject matter. Topics range from Micro-Macro Criminology to Police Strength and from Women Police to Crime Prevention Policies in the UK and the US. Contributors are Cyndi Banks, Adam C. Bouloukos, Ken Clark, Ronald V. Clarke, Brett Dakin, Graham Farrell, Joshua D. Freilich, Gregory J. Howard, Erin Lake, Gloria Laycock , Edward R. Maguire, Mangai Natarajan, Graeme Newman, Jeremy A. Pienik, Rebecca Schulte-Murray, Mark Seis, Shlomo Giora Shoham, and Andromachi Tseloni.

The Poetics of Myth
The Poetics of Myth

Author: Eleazar M. Meletinsky

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-01-21

Total Pages: 679

ISBN-13: 1135599130

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First Published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Indo-European Poetry and Myth
Indo-European Poetry and Myth

Author: M. L. West

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2008-11-13

Total Pages: 540

ISBN-13: 0191565407

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The Indo-Europeans, speakers of the prehistoric parent language from which most European and some Asiatic languages are descended, most probably lived on the Eurasian steppes some five or six thousand years ago. Martin West investigates their traditional mythologies, religions, and poetries, and points to elements of common heritage. In The East Face of Helicon (1997), West showed the extent to which Homeric and other early Greek poetry was influenced by Near Eastern traditions, mainly non-Indo-European. His new book presents a foil to that work by identifying elements of more ancient, Indo-European heritage in the Greek material. Topics covered include the status of poets and poetry in Indo-European societies; metre, style, and diction; gods and other supernatural beings, from Father Sky and Mother Earth to the Sun-god and his beautiful daughter, the Thunder-god and other elemental deities, and earthly orders such as Nymphs and Elves; the forms of hymns, prayers, and incantations; conceptions about the world, its origin, mankind, death, and fate; the ideology of fame and of immortalization through poetry; the typology of the king and the hero; the hero as warrior, and the conventions of battle narrative.

Old Norse Mythology
Old Norse Mythology

Author: John Lindow

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2020-12-07

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 0190852267

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An innovative and accessible overview of how ancient Scandinavians understood and made use of their mythological stories. Old Norse Mythology provides a unique survey of the mythology of Scandinavia: the gods Þórr (Thor) with his hammer, the wily and duplicitous Óðinn (Odin), the sly Loki, and other fascinating figures. They create the world, battle their enemies, and die at the end of the world, which arises anew with a new generation of gods. These stories were the mythology of the Vikings, but they were not written down until long after the conversion to Christianity, mostly in Iceland. In addition to a broad overview of Nordic myths, the book presents a case study of one myth, which tells of how Þórr (Thor) fished up the World Serpent, analyzing the myth as a sacred text of the Vikings. Old Norse Mythology also explores the debt we owe to medieval intellectuals, who were able to incorporate the old myths into new paradigms that helped the myths to survive when they were no longer part of a religious system. This superb introduction traces the use of the mythology in ideological contexts, from the Viking Age until the twenty-first century, as well as in entertainment.