The Poetry of Arnórr Jarlaskáld

The Poetry of Arnórr Jarlaskáld PDF

Author: Diana Whaley

Publisher: Brepols Publishers

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13:

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Arnorr Thordarson jarlaskald 'Earls'-poet', born c. 1011 in western Iceland, spent most of his adult life in mainland Scandinavia and Orkney, and his poetry consists mainly of encomia for the kings Magnus and Haraldr of Norway, and for Earls Thorfinnr and Rognvaldr of Orkney, whose patronage of Arnorr is commemorated in his nickname. The corpus of his work is, by skaldic standards, large and well preserved. The verses, orally composed, were not written down in full, but are preserved as scattered quotations within manuscripts of prose sagas from the thirteenth century onwards. When reconstructed they form substantial remains of four main encomiastic poems, together with similar fragments, which celebrate the deeds of Arnorr's heroes, singing especially of triumphs in battle, but also of seafaring, political manoeuvrings, and court customs. By his time, skaldic poetry had reached full maturity, and Arnorr, consummate master of the medium, uses its metrical and stylistic resources with wit and exuberance tempered with moderation.

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture PDF

Author: Rory McTurk

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-03-11

Total Pages: 584

ISBN-13: 140513738X

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This major survey of Old Norse-Icelandic literature and culturedemonstrates the remarkable continuity of Icelandic language andculture from medieval to modern times. Comprises 29 chapters written by leading scholars in thefield Reflects current debates among Old Norse-Icelandicscholars Pays attention to previously neglected areas of study, such asthe sagas of Icelandic bishops and the fantasy sagas Looks at the ways Old Norse-Icelandic literature is used bymodern writers, artists and film directors, both within and outsideScandinavia Sets Old Norse-Icelandic language and literature in its widercultural context

The Vikings

The Vikings PDF

Author: Martyn Whittock

Publisher: Lion Books

Published: 2018-06-22

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0745980198

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The popular image of the Vikings is of tall red-headed men, raping and pillaging their way around the coast of Europe, stopping only to ransack monasteries and burn longships. But the violent Vikings of the 8th century became the pious Christians of the 11th century, who gave gold crosses to Christian churches and in whose areas of rule pagan idols were destroyed and churches were built. So how did this radical transformation happen, and why? What difference did it make to the Vikings, and to those around them, and what is their legacy today? This book takes a "global" look at this key period in Viking history, exploring all the major areas of Viking settlement. Written to be an accessible and engaging overview for the general reader.

The Conversion of Scandinavia

The Conversion of Scandinavia PDF

Author: Anders Winroth

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2012-01-24

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 0300178093

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In this book a MacArthur Award-winning scholar argues for a radically new interpretation of the conversion of Scandinavia from paganism to Christianity in the early Middle Ages. Overturning the received narrative of Europe's military and religious conquest and colonization of the region, Anders Winroth contends that rather than acting as passive recipients, Scandinavians converted to Christianity because it was in individual chieftains' political, economic, and cultural interests to do so. Through a painstaking analysis and historical reconstruction of both archeological and literary sources, and drawing on scholarly work that has been unavailable in English, Winroth opens up new avenues for studying European ascendency and the expansion of Christianity in the medieval period.

Essays on Eddic Poetry

Essays on Eddic Poetry PDF

Author: John McKinnell

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2014-04-30

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1442669276

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Essays on Eddic Poetry presents a selection of important articles on Old Norse literature by noted medievalist John McKinnell. While McKinnell’s work addresses many of the perennial issues in the study of Old Norse, this collection has a special focus on the interplay between heathen and Christian world-views in the poems. Among the texts examined are Hávamál, which includes an elegantly cynical poem about Óðinn’s sexual intrigues and a more mystical one about his self-sacrifice on the world-tree in order to gain magical wisdom; Vǫlundarkviða, which recounts an elvish smith’s revenge for his captivity and maiming; and Hervararkviða, where the heroine bravely but foolishly raises her dead father to demand the deadly sword Tyrfingr from him. Originally published between 1988 and 2008, these twelve essays cover a wide range of mythological and heroic poems and have been revised and updated to reflect the latest scholarship.

The Christianization of Iceland

The Christianization of Iceland PDF

Author: Orri Vesteinsson

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2000-05-18

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0191543020

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In this first historical study of High-Medieval Iceland to be published in English, Dr Vesteinsson investigates the influence of the Christian Church on the formation of the earliest state structures in Iceland, from the conversion in 1000 to the union with Norway in 1262. In the history of mankind states and state structures have usually been established before the advent of written records. As a result historians are rarely able to trace with certainty the early development of complex structures of government. In Iceland, literacy and the practice of native history writing had been established by the beginning of the twelfth century; whereas the formation of a centralised government did not occur until more than a hundred years later. The early development of statelike structures has therefore been unusually well chronicled, in the Icelandic Sagas, and in the historical records of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Based on this wealth of material,The Christianization of Iceland is an important contribution to the discussion on the formation of states.

The Vikings and Their Age

The Vikings and Their Age PDF

Author: Angus A. Somerville

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2013-01-01

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 1442605227

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"The Vikings and Their Age offers a quick overview of the chronology and major themes of the Viking period. Written in an accessible manner, it also provides a great introduction to some of the most interesting and significant figures in Viking lore, such as Harald Bluetooth, Eirik the Red, Leif Eiriksson, and Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir, a female Viking traveller. Insights and evidence from such diverse disciplines as archaeology, philology, linguistics, and genetics are provided.

Past Vulnerability

Past Vulnerability PDF

Author: Felix Riede

Publisher: Aarhus Universitetsforlag

Published: 2015-12-31

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 8771840249

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Volcanic eruptions can affect everything--nature, wildlife, people. From the earliest times, human resilience has been tested by this most severe environmental hazard resulting in a variety of collective responses--from despair and helplessness to endurance, increased worship of the gods, and even mass migrations. Past Vulnerability breaks new ground by examining the histories of extreme environmental events, from the resent eruptions of Mount Merapi in Central Java to the prehistoric Toba supervolcanic eruption 74,000 years ago on the island of Sumatra. Experts from a broad and unconventional range of disciplines--from anthropology to literature studies and from archaeology to theology--discuss the impacts of volcanic eruptions in human history and prehistory. The book sets the scene for a 'palaeosocial volcanology' that complements and extends current approaches to volcanic hazards in the natural and social sciences by presenting historically informed and evidence-based analyses on how traditional societies dealt with these dangers--or failed to do so.

The Highland Battles

The Highland Battles PDF

Author: Chris Peers

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2020-12-02

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 152674175X

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This in-depth history of medieval Scottish warfare highlights the rivalries between the Norse warlords and the early Scottish kings. Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Scotland’s northern and western highlands underwent a turbulent period of significant wars. The Highlands and islands were controlled by the kings of Norway or by Norse or Norse-Celtic warlords, who not only resisted Scottish royal authority but on occasion seemed likely to overthrow it. In The Highland Battles, Chris Peers provides a coherent and vivid account of the campaigns and battles that shaped Scotland. The narrative is structured around a number of battles—Skitten Moor, Torfness, Tankerness, Renfrew, Mam Garvia, Clairdon and Dalrigh—which illustrate phases of the conflict and reveal the strategies and tactics of the rival chieftains. Peers explores the international background to many of these conflicts which had consequences for Scotland’s relations with England, Ireland and continental Europe. He also considers to what extent the fighting methods of the time survived into the post-medieval period.

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