The Origins of the Tale of the Blood Drinking Hungarians
The motif of the covenant of blood was quite widespread in West European chronicle literature, and it was not necessarily applied to Oriental peoples, nor particularly to Hungarians.
The Extreme Emotional Life of Völundr the Elf
In this article, my aim is to determine the function of elves in Old Norse narratives from the thirteenth century by concentrating on the figure of Völundr, the protagonist of Völundarkviða, who to my mind is the most important Old Norse elf.
The Contemporary Evidence for Early Medieval Witchcraft-Beliefs
This article has two main aims. One is to bring to a wider audience a small group of early medieval texts pertinent to the history of witchcraft…
The Ship in the Field
An article exploring the possibility of a connection between the Vanir gods, specifically the goddess Freyja, with the Scandinavian stone ships and boat burials, and hypothesizing a field of the dead in early Germanic mythology.
Why Care about Later Folklore in Old Norse Studies?
It is not unusual that folklore data can be demonstrated, with high probability, to reflect ancient times, for reasons like those mentioned in the Bárðar saga example, or other reasons – as many of us know.
Abduction, surgery, madness: an account of a little red man in Thomas Walsingham’s Chronica maiora
This article examines the inclusion of the supernatural and mythological in Thomas Walsingham’s Chroncia Maiora.
Incubus: the medieval nightmare disease
Some people have nightmares of being crushed to death, either by a person or a thing. In the Middle Ages this type of dream was so common that had it a name: incubus (which means ‘the crusher’ in Latin).
Werewolves and snakewomen
Dr Miranda Griffin, College Lecturer in medieval French literature, provides a fascinating investigation of medieval tales of transformation, exploring the way in which the Middle Ages imagined the frontiers between the human and the animal.
The Hole: Problems in Medieval Dwarfology
When trying to understand Old Norse dwarfs, one problem is knowing too much.
The Isles of Scilly, Lost Peaks of Lyonesse?
Twenty-eight miles off the coast of Cornwall, the Scilly Isles rise above the waves of the Atlantic.
The Hunted Children of Kings: A Theme in the Old Icelandic Sagas
In this instance life appears to imitate art, that is if we categorize fairy tales as art. Life, or at least the life of King Sverrir, resembles a story about stepmothers.
Medieval Proverbs from The Well-Laden Ship
Here is a list of some of our favourite medieval proverbs from The Well-Laden Ship, including a few that are very similar to modern ones.
The Earliest Little Red Riding Hood Tale
Looking at an early 11th century version of tale of Little Red Riding Hood
How Old Is Little Red Riding Hood?: Tales Over Time
I will discuss some of the ways in which folk tales change using Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs and The Three Bears as examples.
Seasonal Setting and the Human Domain in Early English and Early Scandinavian Literature
Seasonal Setting and the Human Domain in Early English and Early Scandinavian Literature Paul Sander Langeslag University of Toronto: Doctor of Philosophy, Centre for…
Werewolves and the Dog-headed Saint in the Middle Ages
Stories of werewolves and their canine kin have been around for centuries, and some of them may be a bit surprising.
The Medieval Walking Dead
On January 1, 1091, an army of the dead came to Normandy. For one priest, it would be a night that he would never forget.
Top Ten Monsters of the Middle Ages
People in the Middle Ages, just like today, could imagine a very strange monster!
Snorri’s Trollwives
The list by Snorri or incorporated in his work, reproduced here in an appendix, comes after comparable lists of the names of legendary sea-kings, the names of—or for—giants, and is followed by a brief list of bynames for Þórr and then the names of the Æsir. These lists are an important part of the skaldic tool kit and are introduced by Snorri’s comments on word-play—homonymity—and the substitution of metonyms or homologues for more common words in poetry.
Love Magic in Medieval Irish Penitentials, Law and Literature
I exemplify this striving for ‘neutral’ research in this study of love magic, which starts with a case study on an episode from the Life of Saint Brigit.
Voyagers in the Vault of Heaven: The Phenomenon of Ships in the Sky in Medieval Ireland and Beyond
This paper explores the phenomenon of ships voyaging in the sky.
Auðun of the West-Fjords and the Saga Tradition: Similarities of Theme and Structural Suitability
Auðun of the West-Fjords and the Saga Tradition: Similarities of Theme and Structural Suitability Josie Nolan (Trinity College Dublin) Vexillum, Vol.3 (2013) Abstract…
Wild woman and her sisters in medieval English literature
The subject of this work is the concept and figure of the Wild Woman. The primary focus will be on various forms this figure assumes in medieval English literature: Grendel’s mother—the second monster Beowulf faces—and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, along with other figures.
Robin Hood as a Festive Figurehead for Local Autonomy in the 16th Century
Winner of the University of Chicago’s National Guild of St. Margaret of Scotland Prize for the best BA paper on a medieval topic