The Materiality of Myth
The vivid presence of material objects in Scandinavian cosmology, as preserved in the Old Norse myths, carries underexplored traces of belief systems and the material experience of Iron Age Scandinavia (400–1000 CE). This paper proposes an archaeological reading of Norse mythology to help explain ho...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Finnish Society for the Study of Religion
2019-06-01
|
| Series: | Temenos |
| Online Access: | https://journal.fi/temenos/article/view/83424 |
| _version_ | 1818177696557957120 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara Ann Knutson |
| author_facet | Sara Ann Knutson |
| author_sort | Sara Ann Knutson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The vivid presence of material objects in Scandinavian cosmology, as preserved in the Old Norse myths, carries underexplored traces of belief systems and the material experience of Iron Age Scandinavia (400–1000 CE). This paper proposes an archaeological reading of Norse mythology to help explain how ancient Scandinavians understood the presence and role of deities, magic, and the supernatural in everyday life. The Norse myths retain records of material objects that reinforced Scandinavian oral traditions and gave their stories power, memory, and influence. From Thor’s hammer and Freyja’s feathered cloak to Sigyn’s bowl and Ran’s net, such materials and the stories they colour are informed by everyday objects of Iron Age life – spun with the magic, belief, and narrative traditions that made them icons. The mythic objects promoted a belief system that expected and embraced the imperfections of objects, much like deities. These imperfections in the divine Norse objects and the ways in which the gods interact with their materials are part and parcel of the Scandinavian religious mentality and collective social reality. This work ultimately questions the relationship between materiality and myth, and seeks to nuance our current understandings of the ancient Scandinavian worldview based on the available textual evidence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:36:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5e1b9dad7ce4e55aef63ad9351f1d29 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2342-7256 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T20:36:11Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | Finnish Society for the Study of Religion |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Temenos |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5e1b9dad7ce4e55aef63ad9351f1d292022-12-22T00:51:40ZengFinnish Society for the Study of ReligionTemenos2342-72562019-06-0155110.33356/temenos.83424The Materiality of MythSara Ann Knutson0University of California, Berkeley.The vivid presence of material objects in Scandinavian cosmology, as preserved in the Old Norse myths, carries underexplored traces of belief systems and the material experience of Iron Age Scandinavia (400–1000 CE). This paper proposes an archaeological reading of Norse mythology to help explain how ancient Scandinavians understood the presence and role of deities, magic, and the supernatural in everyday life. The Norse myths retain records of material objects that reinforced Scandinavian oral traditions and gave their stories power, memory, and influence. From Thor’s hammer and Freyja’s feathered cloak to Sigyn’s bowl and Ran’s net, such materials and the stories they colour are informed by everyday objects of Iron Age life – spun with the magic, belief, and narrative traditions that made them icons. The mythic objects promoted a belief system that expected and embraced the imperfections of objects, much like deities. These imperfections in the divine Norse objects and the ways in which the gods interact with their materials are part and parcel of the Scandinavian religious mentality and collective social reality. This work ultimately questions the relationship between materiality and myth, and seeks to nuance our current understandings of the ancient Scandinavian worldview based on the available textual evidence.https://journal.fi/temenos/article/view/83424 |
| spellingShingle | Sara Ann Knutson The Materiality of Myth Temenos |
| title | The Materiality of Myth |
| title_full | The Materiality of Myth |
| title_fullStr | The Materiality of Myth |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Materiality of Myth |
| title_short | The Materiality of Myth |
| title_sort | materiality of myth |
| url | https://journal.fi/temenos/article/view/83424 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saraannknutson thematerialityofmyth AT saraannknutson materialityofmyth |