Course Syllabus
Nordic Mythology, section A |
 |
| Semester & Location: |
Spring 2020 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
|
Major Disciplines: |
History, Literature, Religious Studies |
|
Faculty Member: |
Bettina Sommer |
| Program Coordinator: | Katrine Trolle - ktr@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Mondays & Thursdays 11:40-13:00 in ST3-21 |
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. Next we will consider the origins of the Vikings and evaluate the sources of our present day knowledge of the ancient North Germanic peoples, their cults and religion.
We will begin a detailed study of the pre-Christian Norse myths 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.
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 take a brief look at Nordic mythology in popular culture.
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
Telephone: 61 69 69 73
Email: bss@dis.dk
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
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.
Sturluson, Snorri: The Prose Edda. Trans. Jean I. Young. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1971.
The Vinland Sagas. The Norse Discovery of America. Trans. Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Palsson. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1965.
Text Collection (binder)
- Excerpt from Peter Madsen et al, “Valhalla 1. Ulven er løs”. Bagsværd, 1979, pp. 3-10. Transl. Bettina Sommer.
- "Runes". Excerpts from Haugen, Einar, The Scandinavian Languages. Cambridge 1976, pp. 148-149, 170-173, 226-227.
- Haywood, John, Historical Atlas of the Vikings, pp. 8-11, "Causes of the Viking Age"; 12-15, "Timelines"; 16-21 "Origins of the Vikings".
- Ramskou, Thorkild, "The Vikings in the Context of Their Age", (Fact Sheet, Denmark), Copenhagen 1976.
- Dumezil, Georges: The three functions. In: Segal, Robert A. (ed.): Theories of Myth, vol. 6. New York, Garland Publishing, 1996. P.161-165.
- 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".
- "King Gautrek". In: Pálsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul (ed. and transl.), Seven Viking Romances. Harmondsworth (Penguin Books) 1985, pp. 154-169.
- “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.
- Excerpts from Beowulf. A Dual-language edition. Trans. Howell D. Chickering. New York, Anchor Books, 1977.
- “Dream of the Rood”. Trans. Richard Hamer, 1970. http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/oecoursepack/rood/translations/hamer.html
- Thietmar of Merseburg's Chronicle (ca. 1018), I, 9, on the cult at Lejre. Transl. L. Hemmingsen.
- Adam of Bremen, Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (ca. 1070), IV,26-27. Transl. Morten Warmind.
- 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.
- Larsson, Lars: Ritual building and ritual space. In: Raudvere, Catharina et al (eds.): Old Norse Religion in long-term perspectives. Lund, Nordic Academic Press, 2006.
- Wender, Dorothea, "The Myth of Washington", in: Dundes, Alan (ed.), Sacred Narrative. Readings in the Theory of myth. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1984, pp. 336-42.
- Lincoln, Bruce: “From the Second World War to the Present (and Possibly a Little Beyond)”. In: Lincoln, Bruce: Theorizing Myth. Narrative, Ideology, and Scholarship. Chicago and London 1999, pp. 141-151.
- Lévi-Strauss, Claude: The Structural Study of Myth. In: Structural Anthropology. Allen Lane: Penguin Press, 1967. P. 224-225.
- Excerpt from Saxo "Grammaticus", Gesta Danorum (ca. 1215). From Fischer, P. (transl., vol. 1) and Davidson, H.E. (commentary, vol. 2), The History of the Danes, Cambridge 1979-80. Book III, vol. 1 pp. 65-79; notes on Book III, vol. 2 pp. 51-63.
- “The tale of Völsi” (Völsa tháttr).
- 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.
- Warmind, Morten: “Asa-worship in Denmark”.
- Gaiman, Neil: American Gods.
Reference Reading
Brøndsted, Johannes: The Vikings. Trans. Kalle Skov. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1965.
Dumézil, Georges: Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Ed. Einar Haugen. Berkely: Univ. of California Press, 1973.
Foote, Peter & David M. Wilson: The Viking Achievement. Sidgwick and Jackson, 1970.
Jones, Gwyn: The Norse Atlantic Saga. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1986.
Littleton, C. Scott: The New Comparative Mythology. Berkely: Univ. of California Press, 1973.
Saxo Grammaticus: The History of the Danes, Books I-IX. Trans. Peter Fischer. Ed. Hilda E.R. Davidson. Vols. 1-2. Cambridge: Brewer, 1979-80.
Turville-Petre, E.O.G.: Myth and Religion of the North. The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1975.
Course Evaluation
| Assignment |
Percent |
| 30 Minute Midterm Exam |
20% |
|
Research Paper (8 -9 pages) |
35% |
|
Final Exam |
30% |
|
Class Attendance and Participation (incl. student presentation) |
15% |
In addition, two self-conducted quizzes in Canvas, which are not a part of the course grading, but which must be completed to pass the course.
PLEASE NOTE: All written assignments, quizzes and exams MUST be completed to pass course.
Student Presentations
Students must form groups of 2 - 3 and make a presentation on various problem-fields indicated in the syllabus. Presentations should last 10 to 15 minutes and are meant to enlighten the class on the chosen topics.
Reading Assignments
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.
Written Assignment
The Research Paper (8-9 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 research paper, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a consultation session of 10 minutes. The time slots within which you can select your 10 minute session will be announced later.
Tests
- 30-minute midterm test (key dates, names, identifications, definitions and a short essay)
- Final two-hour exam (identification and significance, two essays covering the content of the entire course)
Field Studies
- All-day field study to Gl. Lejre with its ship-shaped burial, Lejre - Land of Legends, and the Viking fortress in Trelleborg. Meeting time and place is 9:00 am at Frue Plads.
- 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.
In addition, on a Saturday there will be an optional day trip to the Viking Ship Museum, where we will have a chance of sailing reconstructions of original Viking ships. More information to follow.
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.
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.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|