Course Syllabus

Description of Course

A study of the myths, cults, and traditions of the pre-Christian Nordic peoples, emphasizing the Viking period, as expressed in contemporary literature, eyewitness reports, archaeological finds, and art. All readings are in modern English translations.

Course Content

The course will begin with a brief introduction to the realm of Nordic mythology and to the  Vikings. The majority of the course will consist of a detailed study of the sources of our present day knowledge of the ancient North Germanic peoples, their cults and religion.

As a background to understanding the sources and mythology, we will also discuss the viking age culture, e.g. values, mentality and gender roles.

We will conduct a close and source-critical reading of the pre-Christian Norse myths, beginning  with Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, comparing Snorri’s version of the myths as found in Eddic poetry. We will evaluate Snorri’s attitude to his mythological material and discuss possible Christian influences. Other sources, as well as recent archeological evidence will be also studied in detail. 

In order to appreciate the full scope of saga-literature, we will read the Saga of Hrolf Kraki and examine its fairy-tale elements as well as its connection to the Beowulf epic.

Next we will read the Vinlandsagas, telling us of the Viking exploration of the Atlantic and of North America, and finally, after reading and considering the literary and mythological aspects of Njal’s Saga, we will analyze the sagas as anthropological source material, as well as literature.

Lastly, we will discuss Nordic mythology in modern culture: TV, movies and the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as modern Neo-pagan revival of Nordic religion.

Field trips to museums and archaeological sites will help us reconstruct Viking spiritual life. No previous courses in mythology are necessary.

Instructor: Bettina Sejbjerg Sommer

Bettina Sommer is Mag. Art. in the History of Religion, University of Copenhagen 2006. She is a specialist in Nordic Religion and Scandinavian Folklore and has published articles on Nordic Religion in periodicals. Teaches European Storytelling and Nordic Mythology at DIS. Teaches Nordic Mythology at the University of Copenhagen. With DIS since 2006.

Office Hours

By appointment. Please call between 10.00 am and 10.00 pm.

Objectives

This course, taught at the upper-division level, is an introduction to the religion and mythology of the pre-Christian Norsemen, especially from the Viking Age, through the study of literary and mythological texts (the Prose and Poetic Eddas, sagas, and contemporary eyewitness accounts), runes, legal texts as well as archaeological findings.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Read and identify primary sources of Nordic Mythology
• Read and classify the varieties of Icelandic Saga-literature
• Name and identify the characteristics of the main Nordic deities as they are reflected in the sources
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world-view and culture of the Scandinavian Viking Age
• Distinguish and critically analyze the main problem-fields of Nordic Mythology
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the main theoretical approaches to mythology
• Compose a research paper which will demonstrate ability to identify and analyze a problem and to apply the appropriate theoretical approaches to the proper sources

Class Format

Lectures, questions and answers, and class discussion. Field studies. Examinations and research papers.

 

Readings

The reading for each class meeting is indicated in the Canvas calendar. It is assumed that students are prepared and will be active participants in class discussion. Please always bring the assigned readings to class.

The readings which are not in the textbooks can be found on Canvas under files and through links in the syllabus.

 

Notice: The poems listed as readings in your syllabus, ie the poems from the Poetic Edda, are not compulsary reading before each class. They are difficult to understand, and we will go over them in class, but you are welcome to read them before class if you want. All other listed readings are required reading before each class.

 

Textbooks

Davidson, H.R. Ellis: Gods and Myths of Northern Europe. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1964.

The Poetic Edda. Trans. Carolyne Larrington. Oxford 1996: Oxford University Press.

Njal’s Saga. Trans. Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Palsson. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1960.

The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. Trans. Jesse L. Byock. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1998.

Snorri Sturluson. Edda. Translated and edited by Anthony Faulkes. London: Everyman, 1995.

The Vinland Sagas. The Norse Discovery of America. Trans. Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Palsson. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1965.

 

Texts found on Canvas under Files

1. Excerpts from Snorri Sturluson, "The Ynglinga Saga" (in Snorri's Heimskringla, 1220's). Net edn., Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE."1. Of the Situation of Countries"; b. "2. Of the People of Asia", "3. Of Odin's Brothers"; c. "4. Of Odin's War with the People of Vanaland"; d. "5. Odin Divides his Kingdom: also concerning Gefion"; e. "6. Of Odin's Accomplishments", "7. Of Odin's Feats", "8. Odin's Lawgiving"; f. "9. Of Njord's Marriage"; g. "10. Of Odin's death".
2. “The Funeral of the Rus-Chief”. Excerpt from Ibn Fadlan: Risala. Translated by Tina Sass. Full text in German translation in Togan, Ahmed Zeki Validi, Ibn Fadlân's Reisebericht, Abhandlungen für die Kunde des Morgenlandes 23,4, Leipzig 1939.
3. Excerpts from Beowulf. A Dual-language edition. Trans. Howell D. Chickering. New York, Anchor Books, 1977.
4. “Dream of the Rood”. Trans. Richard Hamer, 1970. http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/oecoursepack/rood/translations/hamer.html
5. Thietmar of Merseburg's Chronicle (ca. 1018), I, 9, on the cult at Lejre. Transl. L. Hemmingsen.
6. Adam of Bremen, Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (ca. 1070), IV,26-27. Transl. Morten Warmind.
7. Excerpt from Snorri Sturluson, "The Saga of Hákon the Good" Part 1. (in Snorri's Heimskringla, 1220's). Translated by L.M. Hollander, Austin, Texas, 1995.
8. Excerpt from Snorri Sturluson, "The Saga of Hákon the Good" Part 2. (in Snorri's Heimskringla, 1220's). Translated by L.M. Hollander, Austin, Texas, 1995.
9. Neil Price et al. Wiking Warrior Women? 2019.
10. Clover, Carol. Regardless of Sex: Men, Women, and Power in Early Northern Europe, 1993.

11. Ewing, Thor. “Temples, priests and festivals”. In: Gods and Worshippers in the Viking and Germanic world. History Press 2011.

12. Lévi-Strauss, Claude: The Structural Study of Myth. In: Structural Anthropology. Allen Lane: Penguin Press, 1967. P. 224-225.
13. “The tale of Völsi” (Völsa tháttr).
14. Warmind, Morten: “Asa-worship in Denmark”.
15. Gaiman, Neil: American Gods.

 

Reference Reading

Andrén, Anders et al (eds.): The Pre-Christian Religions of the North. Brepols Publishers, 2020.

Price, Neil: The Children of Ash and Elm. A history of the vikings. Penguin Books, 2022.

Brink, Stefan et al: The Viking World. Routledge, 2011.

Jarman, Cat: River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads. Pegasus, 2021.

Ewing, Thor: Gods and Worshippers in the Viking and Germanic World. History Press, 2011.

Lindow, John: Old Norse Mythology. OUP, 2021.

Simek, Rudolph: A Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer, 1996.

Foote, Peter & David M. Wilson: The Viking Achievement. Sidgwick and Jackson, 1970.

Turville-Petre, E.O.G.: Myth and Religion of the North. The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1975.

Course Evaluation

Assignment	Percent
Class Attendance and Participation	15%
Presentation	15%
Midterm exam	35%
Final Paper	35%

 

PLEASE NOTE: All written assignments, quizzes and exams MUST be completed to pass course.

Graded Assignments

In-Class presentation

Students must form groups of 2 and give a presentation of 10-15 minutes on a topic chosen from a list of possible topics given by the instructor. Before the presentation the group must submit a powerpoint with text and images  of at least 5 slides. You sign up for the presentation on Canvas under "People" where you will find a button with "Presentations". Instructions are available under "Presentations" in the "Assignments" heading, but further instruction will follow in class.

Midterm Exam

Midterm four-hour exam: two essays of app. 600 words each on topics given by the instructor.

The exam will become available on Canvas on the day indicated in the syllabus. When you open the exam the topics will be visible, you then have max. 4 hours to submit the exam in Canvas.

Final paper

The Final Paper (6-7 pages) is on a topic selected by the student together with the instructor. The purpose of this paper is to allow the student to work in-depth on a specific topic of special interest.

It is important that you read the document "Nordic Myth Research Paper," which can be found under "Files."

To help you in the writing process of the final paper, there will be instructions during lectures and one lecture will be dedicated to a paper writing workshop. See the syllabus for the date of this.

 

Field Studies

• All-day field study to the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Lejre - Land of legends, the original Beowulf site Gl. Lejre , and the Viking fortress site of Borgring. 
• Visit to the National Museum to see the exhibition of Danish prehistory. We will meet in the foyer of the National Museum, Frederiksholms Kanal 12.
• Visit to the Arnamagnean Institute at the University of Copenhagen (Amager) to view the Manuscript Collection of Medieval vellum and paper originals of the Icelandic sagas and Eddic poetry. We will meet above the Islands Brygge Metro-station.

See the Canvas course calendar below for field study dates and times.

Please note that participation in all field studies is mandatory. Exams and tests will contain questions which have only been addressed on field studies.

 

General Information

Assignments must be turned in on time, which is at the beginning of class on the day due. Late papers will be penalized by a third of a grade per day, e.g. an A- paper three days late will count as a B- paper.

The research paper should be submitted electronically on Canvas.

Papers must be written in accordance with the conventions listed in the MLA Handbook (available from DIS reference-library) and the DIS document “Writing Papers at DIS: Some general recommendations.” Bibliographies and notes are mandatory.

 

Use of AI tools

When making any assignments for this course, the use of ChatGPT or other AI tools is permitted for purposes like generating ideas, building outlines, searching for sources or even formatting your work.

It is NOT permitted to submit any written work where any portion of text is entirely generated by AI. It is also NOT permitted to submit any assignments, eg presentations, where entire slides or images are AI generated.

 

If you use AI in ANY part of your research or writing process, you must properly cite the tool(s) and include a statement describing how this tool(s) was used.

 

I generally warn you to use AI tools with great caution, as they are notoriously unreliable and likely to invent sources and make up false facts and information, especially in the field of Nordic Mythology. Information given by AI tools is extremely likely to contain factual errors. You will be held responsible for any such errors which I find in your assignments, and they will affect your grade.

Furthermore, if anything is copy/pasted without proper citations, you will be at risk of receiving a zero for the entire assignment and/or an official Honor Code violation from DIS

 

Laptops

In the interest of concentration and participation, the use of laptops will not be permitted in this class. Note-taking will have to be on paper. I expect your understanding and cooperation in this.

Cell phones and other electronic devices should be turned off and stored away.

If for some reason you feel that you require a laptop for note-taking, please talk to me, and an arrangement can be made, provided that you sit in the front row.

Schedule is subject to change if necessary with as much notice as possible.