New Medieval Books: The Poetic Edda: A Dual-Language Edition (Open Access)
Having this work published, especially in Open Access, is a great service to readers and students of Norse mythology. The work is entertaining enough that anyone interested in the Middle Ages, especially the Viking world, should check it out.
Book of the Month: Old Norse for Modern Times
Our next book in the Book of the Month Club will be Old Norse for Modern Times, by Ian Stuart Sharpe, Arngrímur Vídalín and Josh Gillingham.
How well do you know Old Norse? (Movie edition)
Are you an expert in Old Norse, the language of the Vikings? If so, try this quiz, using famous movie lines, from the authors of the new book Old Norse for Modern Times.
The world of Orcadian runecarvers: the Western Sea, the South of the land, and Jerusalem
Andrea Freund talking about runic inscriptions from Orkney and what they can tell a modern reader about the world the runecarvers lived in: their language and names, their religion, their mental geographies, and the role social status played for them.
How Old Norse and Latin co-existed in medieval Norway
When Latin arrived in Norway, Old Norse written culture also flourished. New research shows that runes and letters were used in alternation.
Old Norse for Modern Times
Have you ever wanted to wield the silver tongue of Loki – or to hammer home your point like a Thundergod?
‘Now Flying over the Hell-mouth’: The Gap Between St Guðlac and Nordic Volcano Imagery
This investigation into the effects of landscape and place on apocalyptic literature contrasts the portrayal of demonic flights over a hell-mouth with Norse volcanic imagery.
Danish Kings and the Foundation of Jómsborg
Jómsborg, the great stronghold and residence of that famous warrior band the Jómsvíkings, is closely related in the Old Norse tradition to numerous Scandinavian rulers and is also associated with several Danish kings.
Old Norse Ship Names and Ship Terms
The nautical language of the North Sea Germanic area is a very elaborate and rich terminology. This was no less true at the time I am dealing with, namely the period from the Viking Age up to about 1400 A.D.
The Heart of Dread: A Case Study of Fear in Old Norse Culture
The misplaced idea of the Middle Ages as a period of unmediated emotion is still popular. Yet, by studying both textual and material culture from the period, recent scholarship in the history of emotions has proved that this is not the case.
“How Do You Know if it is Love or Lust?” On Gender, Status, and Violence in Old Norse Literature
This article examines attitudes towards behaviour relating to women within Old Norse literature, focusing both on chivalric romances and the legendary sagas.
Freyja and Freyr: Successors of the Sun – On the absence of the sun in Nordic saga literature
Why is the Sun is missing in Nordic saga literature, considering its vital role in the religious life in the Bronze Age North?
A Wolfish Reflection: A Literary Analysis of the Werewolf Story in ‘The King’s Mirror’
Why has the werewolf story been selected? How should it be read and understood?
Researchers bring Old Norse language back to JORVIK Viking Centre
Old Norse has been brought back to life by researchers at the University of York through the voices of new animatronic Viking characters at the world-famous JORVIK Viking Centre.
Norse loanwords in Old and Middle Irish
It is my objective to detect what the semantic development of Norse loanwords in Old and Middle Irish can tell us about the language and social contact situation of the Irish and the Norse raiders and settlers during the Viking Age.
The Names of Islands in the Old Norse Faereyinga Saga and Orkeyinga Saga
The Names of Islands in the Old Norse Faereyinga Saga and Orkeyinga Saga Hilda Radzin (St. John’s University) Literary Onomastics Studies: Volume 5,…
How well do you know the origins of English words? – Part 2
Can you tell which English words come from Anglo-Saxon or Old Norse?
Making Sacrifices: Beowulf and Film
This essay reviews opening scenes in some recent film Beowulfs, which, although they have nothing at all to say about Scyld Scefing, suggest a sacrificial reading of the prologue and perhaps even the whole poem.
From Old Norse to Modern Icelandic
Thus the language spoken and written in Iceland today is quite close to what has been called Old Norse, such as it appears in the medieval texts.
‘Warrior-women’ in Viking Age Scandinavia? A preliminary archaeological study
This paper seeks to provide a new contribution to the debates on Viking Age women by focusing on a rather controversial notion of ‘female warriors’. The core of the article comprises a preliminary survey of archaeological evidence for female graves with weapons (axes, spears, swords and arrowheads) from Viking Age Scandinavia.
Old Norse Influence in Modern English: The Effect of the Viking Invasion
It is estimated that there are around 400 Old Norse borrowings in Standard English. These borrowings are amongst the most frequently used terms in English and denote objects and actions of the most everyday description.
Norse Rune code cracked
A scholar of the University of Oslo has cracked one of the rune codes used by the Vikings, revealing they were sending each other messages such as ‘Kiss me’.
The Colors of the Rainbow in Snorri’s Edda
In the second part of his Edda, the Gylfaginning, Snorri Sturluson gives a systematic account of Norse mythology from the creation of the world to its end.
Taming the Shrew: The Rise of Patriarchy and the Subordination of the Feminine in Old Norse Literature
Old Norse literature is a unique source in that it shows a connection between the oppression of women and Norse patriarchy during the phase of its establishment.