Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and LegendA particular, recurring feature of Old Norse myths and legends is an encounter between creatures of This World (gods and human beings) and those of the Other (giants, giantesses, dwarves, prophetesses, monsters and the dead). Concentrating on cross-gendered encounters, this book analyses these meetings, and the different motifs and situations they encompass, from the consultation of a prophetess by a king or god, to sexual liaisons and return from the dead. It considers the evidence for their pre-Christian origins, discusses how far individual poets and prose writers were free to modify them, and suggests that they survived in medieval Christian society because (like folk-tale) they provide a non-dogmatic way of resolving social and psychological problems connected with growing up, succession from one generation to the next, sexual relationships and bereavement. |
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Efni
The Vanir | 50 |
The AEsir | 109 |
Óðinn | 147 |
the Odinic Hero | 172 |
The Helpful Giantess | 181 |
Encounters with the Dead | 197 |
The Dead Lovers Return | 218 |
Afterword | 232 |
248 | |
267 | |
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actually ancient appears associated attack becomes Beowulf brother called cave century Chapter charm Christian common daughter dead death derived desire early English evidence example explain father female fight figure fire Freyja Freyr funeral Germanic giant giantess gives goddess gods gold Gylfaginning hand Hávamál heathen Helgakviða Helgi hero human idea implies killed king Kock late later lives looks lover magic male manuscripts marriage marries means mother motif myth mythological narrative nature Nerthus night Óðinn Old Norse origin pattern perhaps poems poet poetry Pórr Pórr's possible probably protagonist Pula refer regarded relationship represent resembles Rindr ritual saga ch Saxo says seduction seems sexual ship shows sister Skáldskaparmál Skj IB sons sources spells stone story suggests Svipdagr sword takes tells tradition usually Vanir verse versions Voluspá volva wife woman women young