Reflections on Old Norse Myths (Studies in Viking and Medieval Scandinavia) (Studies in Viking and Medieval Scandinavia)

Contemporary Research Into Old Norse Mythology / Jens Peter Schjødt -- Íslendingabók And History / Pernille Hermann -- Why Did Christians Continue To Find Pagan Myths Useful? / John Mckinnell -- Male Or Female Initiation? : The Strange Case Of Ragnars Saga / Rory Mcturk -- Skírnismál And Nordic Charm Magic / Stephen A. Mitchell -- Hildr Prepares A Bed For Most Helmet Damagers : Snorri's Treatment Of A Traditional Poetic Motif In His Edda / Judy Quinn -- Myth, Genealogy, And Narration : Some Motifs In Vǫlsunga Saga From The Perspective Of The History Of Religions / Catharina Raudvere -- Fadlan's Account Of A Rus Funeral : To What Degree Does It Reflect Nordic Myths? / Jens Peters Schjødt -- Why Was Odin Killed By Fenrir? : A Structural Analysis Of Kinship Structures In Old Norse Myths Of Creation And Eschatology / Rassmus Tranum Kristensen. Edited By Pernille Hermann, Jens Peter Schjødt And Rasmus Tranum Kristensen. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front matter (“Contents”, “List of Illustrations”, “Preface”, “List of Contributors”), p. i Free Access Contemporary Research into Old Norse Mythology, p. 1 Jens Peter Schjødt https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4373 Íslendingabók and History, p. 17 Pernille Hermann https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4374 Why Did Christians Continue to Find Pagan Myths Useful?, p. 33 John McKinnell https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4375 Male or Female Initiation? The Strange Case of Ragnars saga, p. 53 Rory McTurk https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4376 Skírnismál and Nordic Charm Magic, p. 75 Stephen A. Mitchell https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4377 ‘Hildr Prepares a Bed for Most Helmet-Damagers’: Snorri’s Treatment of a Traditional Poetic Motif in his Edda, p. 95 Judy Quinn https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4378 Myth, Genealogy, and Narration: Some Motifs in Vǫlsunga saga from the Perspective of the History of Religions, p. 119 Catharina Raudvere https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4379 Ibn Fadlan’s Account of a Rus Funeral: To What Degree Does It Reflect Nordic Myths?, p. 133 Jens Peter Schjødt https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4380 Why Was Óðinn Killed by Fenrir? A Structural Analysis of Kinship Structures in Old Norse Myths of Creation and Eschatology, p. 149 Rasmus Tranum Kristensen https://doi.org/10.1484/M.VMSS-EB.3.4381 Back matter (“Index”), p. 171 When seeking to understand the function of mythology in the pagan past and in medieval Iceland scholars are confronted with the problem of how sources from the Middle Ages can properly be used. The articles in this volume demonstrate diverse angles from which Old Norse mythological texts can be viewed. Many discuss methodological problems in dealing with the texts and draw on expertise from different fields of study such as history, philology, literary studies, and history of religions. The authors are all established experts in the field, but demonstrate new approaches to the study of ON mythology, and offer insights into possible new directions for research.