Overview
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.
Full Product Details
Author: John Lindow (Professor Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, Department of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley)
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 13.70cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 20.80cm
Weight: 0.318kg
ISBN: 9780197554487
ISBN 10: 0197554482
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 25 March 2021
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
""The format of Lindow's book is novel and, for this reader, a welcome innovation in a presentation of a written mythology.... Old Norse Mythology is the inaugural volume of a new series, World Mythology in Theory and Everyday Life, edited by folklorists Tok Thompson and Gregory Schrempp. With the publication of John Lindow's book, the series is off to an auspicious start."" -- William Hansen, Journal of Folklore Research
The format of Lindow's book is novel and, for this reader, a welcome innovation in a presentation of a written mythology.... Old Norse Mythology is the inaugural volume of a new series, World Mythology in Theory and Everyday Life, edited by folklorists Tok Thompson and Gregory Schrempp. With the publication of John Lindow's book, the series is off to an auspicious start. * William Hansen, Journal of Folklore Research *
Author Information
John Lindow is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley.
