Religious beliefs and practices during the Viking Age in Scandinavia and their manifestations in later recordings. Readings and discussion in English.

The pre-Christian mythology of Scandinavia is primarily known through texts recorded in writing a few centuries after the conversion to Christianity. We will discuss the pre-Christian worldview that emerges from these texts as well as the differing attitudes to this worldview of the authors who committed this material to writing. We will begin by familiarizing ourselves with the grand narrative arc of the Prose Edda, which outlines the history of the mythological story world from creation to destruction. We will then open the hood of the text and see how its author constructed it by combining traditional materials and adding his own interpretations. The approach will be primarily source-critical, with some use of comparative materials from related traditions. By the end of the course, students should know the sources well, have an understanding of the major problems involved in the study of this material, and be aware of the more important scholarly trends in the field. All readings are in English

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills