2,153 research outputs found
Else Mundal & Jonas Wellendorf (eds.): Oral Art Forms and their Passage into Writing
Get PDFThe anthology Oral Art Forms and Their Passage into Writing, from 2008 and edited by Else Mundal and Jonas Wellendorf, is based on articles presented at a conference organized by the Center for Medieval Studies at the University of Bergen in June 2004. It contains 15 articles and spans 225 pages
'Interfaces' 4
Get PDFIssue No. 4 is the first open issue of Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures. It contains contributions by Henry Bainton (12th-century historiography), Lucie Doležalová (parabiblical texts and the canon), Máire Ní Mhaonaigh (Irish literary culture in Latin and Irish), Isabel Varillas Sánchez (legends of composition of canonical texts, Septuaginta), Wim Verbaal (letter collections, Bernard of Clairvaux), and Jonas Wellendorf (canons of skaldic poets in the 12th/13th century), preceded by a brief Introduction by the editors
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The Demonization of the Natural World: An Ecotheological Exploration of Old Icelandic Literature
No full textThis dissertation investigates three topics: the forest, animals and humans, and the built environment, employing an ecotheological approach. While these themes have garnered attention in recent scholarship, they remain unexamined from this perspective. Framed by the Christian narrative of the fall of man, the study organizes these topics according to the Genesis creation account: Chapter 1 discusses the natural world, Chapter 2 humans and animals, and Chapter 3 examines human-made structures.In Chapter 1, Reading the Forest for the Trees, the significance of the forest-wilderness in medieval Christian literature is explored, especially in relation to the fall of man and redemption. Drawing on theological interpretations and biblical exegesis, the chapter uncovers how the forest came to symbolize the fallen state of the natural world after Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden. Through the examination of Icelandic adaptations of hagiographic texts, namely the vitae of St. Anthony and St. Mary of Egypt, it reveals the forest’s role as a testing ground for spiritual growth.Chapter 2, Defining the Human: Skin, Shapeshifting, and Sin challenges the conventional portrayal of monstrous and shapeshifting characters as “Other,” arguing that post-Fall humanity itself embodies the “Other.” This classification is rooted in theological notions and explores how human choices define identity. The symbolism of animal skins, granted to Adam and Eve, underscores the toil and shame resulting from their sinful choices. The chapter connects these themes to troll figures and shapeshifting characters in the Hrafnistumannasögur, Völsunga saga, Ála Flekks saga, Bisclaretzljóð, and Tíodels saga underscoring the dichotomy between civilized and animalistic tendencies.In Chapter 3, Translatio Templi: Taming the Imaginary Ruins of the Past, the influence of biblical and hagiographical narratives on the perception of Iceland’s pre-Christian past is analyzed, particularly focusing on Hákon jarl’s temple in the Flateyjarbók version of Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar. This chapter showcases how typological thinking was used to contrast pagan spaces with Christian ones, exemplified by King Óláfr Tryggvason’s Christianizing actions. The evaluation of scenes from the saga unveil the literary techniques employed by Icelandic scribes to anchor Norway and Iceland within the context of Christian history
Accentuation of Jonas Rėza's Psalter of 1625
No full textStraipsnyje trumpai apžvelgiama dabartinių kalbų kirčio ženklų istorija – nuo Antikos kalbininko Aristofano Bizantiečio žymėtų akūto, gravio ir cirkumflekso iki Mažvydo Katekizme pažymėto į riestinį cirkumfleksą panašaus ženklo, Baltramiejaus Vilento raštų, D. Kleino gramatikos, J. Rėzos psalmyno ,,Psalteras Dowido“ kirčio ženklų. Išsamiau straipsnyje analizuojamas 1625 m. J. Rėzos psalmyno kirčiavimas, iš graikų perimti kirčio ženklai, paties autoriaus įsivestas kirčio ženklas. Straipsnyje taip pat aptariama Rėzos psalmyne vartotų kirčio ženklų funkcijos, kirčio ženklų vartojimo įvairavimas, sąsajos tarp psalmyno kirčiavimo ir D. Kleino gramatikos Reikšminiai žodžiai: Akūtas; Gravis; Cirkumfleksas; Psalmynas; Lietuvių kalbos istorija; KirčiavimasThis article gives a brief overview of the history of the accent marks of languages from Antiquity linguist Aristophanes of Byzantium marked the acute accent, grave accent and circumflex accent until the sign similar to a tilde-shaped circumflex marked in Mažvydas’ Catechism, and accent signs of Baltramiejus Vilentas’ writings, Daniel Klein‘s grammer, and Jonas Rhesa’s Psalter of David. The article gives a comprehensive analysis of the accentuation made by Jonas Rhesa in the psalter, accent marks taken from Greek, and an accent mark developed by the author himself. The article also discusses the functions of the accent marks used in Rhesa’s psalter, the variation of the usage of accent marks and the interaction between the accentuation of the psalter and D. Klein’s grammer
The Formation of an Old Norse Skaldic School Canon in the Early Thirteenth Century
Get PDFThe academicization of the skaldic art in the twelfth century led to the production of model verses illustrating various meters and variations in the highly formalized poetic imagery, and, later, to skaldic treatises laying out the rules of the art form. In the following it will be argued that it also led to the formation of a clearly demarcated school canon of exemplary skalds. Skáldskaparmál is the text that gives us the clearest picture of the school canon of skalds that emerged in the early thirteenth century. By counting the number of times individual skalds were cited as well as the number of their lines that were cited, this article identifies the höfuðskáld (chief poets) of the school canon
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The Varangian Guard in Literature
Get PDFThe Varangian Guard was a mercenary unit of many cultures, including Norse, that served the Byzantine Army from 988 to 1204. The 11th century is considered the heyday of Norse presence in the Guard, but few facts of their service have survived to today. The present dissertation argues that the Varangians as we know them are largely detached from their murky history, and are instead defined by their fictionalized depictions in literature, particularly the Old Norse sagas. In this context, these mercenaries are identifiable by Varangian symbols of great honor, immense wealth, and martial prowess, established through repetition in the Scandinavian corpus. However, the roles these characters play in their respective texts are highly individualized and heavily dependent on the surrounding narrative. As a result, they are malleable figures that fascinate due to their elite status and accomplishments, but adapt easily to reflect and explore the values of different time periods, settings, and formats of storytelling due to the lack of concrete history attached to them. The first two chapters center on Varangians abroad, who are predominantly inspired by the most influential literary Varangian, Haraldr Sigurðarson. Chapter one looks at Haraldr himself and the construction of his early years in the poetry and kings' sagas. Chapter two deals with the further development of the Haraldr model into new genres via Bolli Bollason and Þorsteinn drómundr. The third chapter delves into Varangian veterans at home in the North: Bolli, Halldórr Snorrason, Gríss Sæmingsson, and Þorkell Þjóstarsson. These figures are much more diverse in their depictions, drawing heavily on the context of their respective sagas to provide commentary on contemporary rather than historical issues, from political tensions to combat trauma. The fourth chapter approaches two modern works featuring Varangians, the graphic novel Northlanders (2008-2011) and the video game Horizon Zero Dawn (2017), and how these mercenaries are still being leveraged to tell relevant stories in today's world
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Honey and Poison
Get PDFThe Ǫgvaldsnes episode from Oddr munkr's Óláfs saga Tryggavasonar and Acallam na Senórach, two roughly contemporary and somewhat similar texts, show how different strategies have been employed to reframe the pagan past and neutralise the poison of this material that worried early doctors of the church such as St Basil. The two texts propose different answers to Alcuin's oft-cited question about the relationship between Christianity and pagan traditions. Both solutions entail depriving the former divinities of their numinous powers, but each strategy also comes at a price. The Old Norse text opts for demonisation and exclusion while the Irish text strives for domestication and subordination. It is not claimed that these two texts are representative of the ways in which the Old Norse and Irish traditions at large handled this question. Rather, the choices of these strategies are probably dictated by the particular historical circumstances of each author, their respective aims, and the literary circuit to which they belonged. Some parallels with the two main texts and alternative ways of reframing the pagan past are also briefly discussed
Jonas, Hobbes e le forme della paura
No full textThis essay aims at clarifying the concept of Jonas’s heuristic of fear. Although it has been severely criticized, fear remains an aspect of his thought which has drawn little attention, particularly regarding the role it plays in the elaboration of the imperative of responsibility. Jonas elaborates a new concept of fear, moulded by the particular form of uncertainty brought about by the technological age. Although critics have interpreted Jonas’ attempt as an ethics founded on irrationality and emotion, the present analysis shows that Jonas affirms a cognitivist theory of fear. The concept of fear he discusses in The Imperative of Responsibility is not an emotion as an immediate physical and psychological reaction, but a form of evaluative thinking that is part of responsibility. In order to illustrate form and function of fear in Jonas thought, I will refer to the meanings of fear in Hobbes, an author Jonas himself refers to
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