Scandia Journal of Medieval Norse Studies

Sea monsters, navigation and politics at edge of the world: An interpretation of a Olaus Magnus’ "Carta Marina" (1539)

2024-06-18T07:26:53-03:00

A section of the Carta Marina (1539), showing Greenland at the upper edge of the map. (Uppsala University Library, Public Domain Mark 1.0, Own endorsements).

The 16^th century sea map, commonly known as Carta Marina, by the Swedish archbishop in exile, Olaus Magnus, monsters roam the Atlantic. This article offers an interpretation of these monsters as carriers of symbolic meaning, and as messengers of specific, coded messages. Rather than being just figments of myth or superstition, or purely decorative, they must be seen as visual political comments or practical indications of dangerous waters. This interpretation undeniably demystifies the fantastic map, though the possibility of a symbolic meaning do not have to take away from either their decorative quality; og the realm of religious mysticism.

Olaus Magnus’ strategic use of monsters shows that the monsters themselves were not at the centre of his world view. Rather, it was the humans, their role on the sea and their political behaviour. For Olaus Magnus, it was not about the mysterious creatures of the sea - let alone whether they existed or not - but about the viewer of the map's ability to decode the messages they held.

Aren´t they all lying sagas? Unreliable narrators in the Íslendinga sögur

2024-05-06T12:11:43-03:00

Abstract: The traditional view of the saga narrator is someone who is unbiased and detached, as such the audience might assume them to be reliable. This article highlights a series of instances in which the narrator can be shown to be unreliable, either deliberately or accidently. The narrator’s words at any one point may not be revealing the whole picture to the audience, as key facts may be withheld, either to be revealed later or requiring the reader to read between the lines to understand the story-truth. Furthermore, saga-style, with its lack or narrative flourish and tendency to understatement, can be used to mislead the audience. Although some of the most audacious examples of unreliable narrators are found in later sagas, unreliable narrators can be found in classical and celebrated sagas, and as such modern scholars must be circumspect about any and every claim that saga narrators make.

Thor and Ullr in the viking Hebrides? Placenames, landscape and archaeology

2024-08-22T05:58:55-03:00

In this article, I explore the landscape of two potential Norse theonyms to the gods Thor and Ullr in the Hebrides, particularly on the island of Lewis. Using a methodology that combines the local vicinity of the placename with topographical data (relation to bodies of water and agricultural potential) and archaeological evidence, as well as a comparison to known theonyms to Thor and Ullr in Norway, this article explores the potentiality of these placenames as theonyms. I argue that these placenames are likely theonyms to the gods Thor and Ullr. There are further ramifications for Norse theonyms on Lewis. The first is that they represent a different naming system than in the Norwegian homeland, illustrating the non-uniform nature of Scandinavian cultic practices. The second is that they are indicators of political power that is hierarchical but with multiple elite centres in the region.

Secularity and spirit sitting side by side: the pew-ends of St Óláv’s church

2024-07-21T09:20:22-03:00

The aim of this article is to explore the religious, social, and political reasons for the elaborate decoration of the pew-ends of St Óláv’s church in the Faroe Islands. Óláv Haraldsson was a Norwegian king who made his last stand at the battle of Stiklestad in 1030. The king’s sainthood was solidified with his canonisation by the tenth-century Bishop Grimketel. A growing Norwegian political influence in the Faroes fostered the growth of Christianity. The church of St Óláv was built circa the twelfth century. Inside the church of St Óláv, on the Faroese island of Streymoy, once sat a set of beautifully carved wooden pew-ends. After six hundred years, eighteen of these pew-ends now sit in the national museum in Tórshavn. Their carvings depict various imagery, including escutcheons and religious figures, such as the apostles. The general lack of sources written about the Faroe Islands, as well as the Islands’ small population, has led to a lack of research in academia surrounding Faroese history. The carvings and decorations offer information on life in the medieval Faroe Islands. With little being written on these bench ends, this article hopes to analyse the religious, social, and political spheres to indicate reasons for the pew-ends’ decoration in the first place. Ultimately the religious, social, and political contexts of the time are the reasons why these pew-ends were decorated with the carvings that they have.

The Sword in The Stone: The border between fantasy and reality

2024-08-28T10:22:11-03:00

The article examines the topic of stuck swords divided into three groups - legendary, historical artefacts and archaeological research. The legendary and historical swords are the Sword in the Stone of King Arthur, the Gram sword of Sigurd, the Durendal of Roland, the sword of Galgano Guidotti, and the swords found during archaeological excavations from Salme and Köping. The article attempts to examine their history and symbolic significance. A comparison is made in their storylines, paying attention to the similarities on the one hand and the points of contact of someone in historical terms.

The seven deadly sins and the religious simbolism of the medieval bestiary

2024-06-01T12:02:07-03:00

The natural world, with its vast spaces and diverse creatures, emerged as a reliable source of teachings aimed at spiritual growth and the salvation of the soul within the context of the Christian faith. This symbolic dimension, often influenced by ideological conditioning, adds depth to the understanding of the relationship between nature and spirituality. With this in mind, the study delves into the captivating world of animals from the medieval bestiary, highlighting their symbolic connection to vices or violations of religious morals, known as the Seven capital Sins. This exploration reveals a fascinating aspect of medieval Christian doctrine that continues to hold significance within the framework of religious belief today.

Par-delà les pierres précieuses: à propos d’une innovation de la version scandinave de Partonopeu de Blois

2024-09-02T11:39:57-03:00

This study examines in detail an innovation in Partalopa saga, the Scandinavian adaptation of the Old French work Partonopeu de Blois. This innovation consists in the insertion of a list of precious stones in the Scandinavian version, which is therefore absent from the French original. Several avenues are open to determine the origin of this list of precious stones. The most convincing link would be Duggals leiðsla, the Scandinavian version of the Visio Tnugdali. Lastly, a study of the lists of precious stones in the manuscript tradition of Partalopa saga and other riddarasögur would make it possible to pinpoint the stage at which these precious stones were possibly inserted into medieval Icelandic literature for the first time. As far back as we can go, this would date from the archetypal Partalopa saga.

La strega e il furto del latte: una analisi di pitture del secolo XV presenti nella chiesa di Ösmo in Svezia

2024-04-16T20:20:42-03:00

Questo articolo permette di analizzare la figura della strega e degli animali che compongono la rappresentazione visuale della tradizione del Furto del latte che fu riprodotta da Albertus Pictor, nella seconda metà del XV secolo, in alcune chiese della Scandinavia Medievale. Il Furto del latte, attività praticata da una donna dotata di presunti poteri magici o soprannaturali, era una credenza basata su problemi legati al processo di produzione e trasformazione del latte nel periodo medievale. Tenendo conto di ciò, con la nostra ricerca affrontiamo aspetti di questa tradizione che sono rappresentati nei dipinti presenti nella chiesa di Ösmo, in Svezia. In questo senso, abbiamo riflettuto sui motivi per i quali la figura della strega, considerata un soggetto marginale, è stata riprodotta all’interno di una chiesa nello stesso spazio in cui si trova la rappresentazione visuale del Giudizio Universale. Perciò, per comprendere il significato dei dipinti, sono stati utilizzati i concetti della Cultura Materiale e quelli della Cultura Visuale, nello specifico quelli che si riferiscono alla religione.

Os vikings nos jogos de mesa modernos: uma leitura de Jórvík (2016), de Stefan Feld

2024-03-05T16:37:42-03:00

The medieval world is one of the motifs most explored by the so-called “modern boardgames”, with the Viking theme being one of the great and recent attractions, possibly driven by the continuous growth of medieval Scandinavia in different media (LIMA, 2020), a phenomenon that can be understood as “vikingmania” (OLIVEIRA, 2021). In this sense, one of the objectives of this work is to launch research possibilities about the Viking imaginary and “Vikingmania” in modern boardgames. To this end, as the main object of analysis, we chose Jórvík, a game released in 2016, designed by German game designer Stefan Feld with art by artist Marc Margielsky. In comparison to other modern boardgames that explore Viking themes in a very stereotypical and imaginative way, or that focus only on mythological imagery and folklore of Scandinavian culture, Jórvík is the game with the most differentiated thematic focus, presenting a specific moment in the history of the Viking Age: the Scandinavian settlements in the north of England.

Conhecendo pelas pedras: mito, religião e guerra nas estelas de Gotland

2024-08-30T22:31:27-03:00

In Scandinavian research, iconographic materials have been receiving a different, innovative and expanding treatment, especially after major archaeological efforts from the 1960s to the 1990s (archaeology continues to bring to light new objects that raise new questions). These iconographic materials allow not only a new conception of the mythology preserved to the present day, but also and mainly a recent look at traditional written sources. The Gotland stelae (Picture Stones or Carved Stones, in English archaeological terminology) are iconographic records of Norse pagan art and thought. They portray images related to the religion and daily life of the Scandinavian people and are therefore an important document on the religious mentality of the Scandinavians, their mythological conceptions, deities, human sacrifices, life after death and some important symbols for the worship of the god Óðinn. Based on the understanding of the imaginary of some authors who deal with the subject and an oral-image reinterpretation system, we will analyze here some stelae painted on the island of Gotland, also seeking to understand the intentional ‘pedagogical’ function in terms of religious imaginary and how, for example, they structured the image and the faith that warriors killed in battle could enter the hall of the god Óðinn, rewarding their martial life.

O estudo da Escandinávia Medieval e o problema de uma tradução indireta: Análise de um caso prático através da “Ynglinga saga, a história dos deuses e reis nórdicos”

2024-08-28T20:28:31-03:00

The Scandinavian studies have been growing at a regular pace during the last years in brazilian territory. Upon this scene, arises the problem of using translations instead of analyzing the texts in the language that they were written, that is the Old norse. In that regard the present article aims to demonstrate the problems that come with the use of a translation by the historian, through a practical case. For this purpose we analyze the translation of the Ynglinga saga, made by Allan P. Marante which – as is put below – is very problematic, and which leads the reading public to misinformation and the historian through a nefarious path. Besides the analysis we bring a contextualization about the Ynglinga saga and its author, Snorri Sturlusson, as well as about the ambiguity of the work between saga subgenres, which proves itself vital to the comprehension of the text. Through this approach we hope to alert the historians who aim to embark on the study of the medieval norse historical sources.

A moeda, a cruz e a espada: as cidades de Birka e Sigtuna e o processo de Unificação da Suécia Medieval

2024-10-24T08:28:26-03:00

As an introduction, the article discusses the situation in Sweden between 800 and 1500 AD. In this context, the growth of trade and contacts with Europe and the Near East spurred early urbanization in the region. Thus, a connection can be drawn between the founding of cities in medieval Sweden and the process of forming the local kingdom. We will analyze three cases: Birka—the first of these cities—as well as Old Uppsala and Sigtuna. It was thus possible to conclude that the formation of the Swedish kingdom was gradual and fragmented, resulting from complex processes that included the establishment of Christianity and the development of political institutions. Christianity influenced the power structure in Sweden, strengthening the king and changing urban organization with churches and castles. The competition among Denmark, Norway, and Sweden shaped the local monarchies. By the 13th century, a now Christianized Sweden had formalized the election of kings and established taxes and permanent royal councils, distinguishing the clergy and aristocracy as distinct classes. The city, therefore, emerged as the political and cultural center of medieval Sweden. At the same time, Swedish expansion was marked by Christian crusades against "pagans" in the Baltic region, which also facilitated the incorporation (colonization) of Finland and Norrland into the Swedish dominance.

Estudios Nórdicos en lengua española: entrevista a Enrique Bernárdez Sanchís

2024-09-16T10:14:39-03:00

Fotografía: Fundación Juan March, Madrid, 2022.

Enrique Bernárdez Sanchís. Catedrático de lingüística general en la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Es autor de numerosas traducciones de literatura islandesa medieval y de autores nórdicos, así como artículos sobre temas medievales y lingüísticos del mundo nórdico y libros sobre mitología nórdica. En 2008 recibió el premio Hans Christian Andersen por la traducción del danés de los cuentos completos de Hans Christian Andersen. Ha realizado estancias en el extranjero en universidades de los Países Bajos y en la Universidad de Kent y como Visiting Professor e investigador invitado en la Universidad de California, Berkeley. Ha sido director del Departamento de Filología Inglesa de la Universidad Computense de Madrid y director del Real Colegio Complutense en la Universidad de Harvard. Entre sus libros se encuentran Los mitos germánicos (2002), El lenguaje como cultura (2008), Viaje lingüístico por el mundo. Iniciación a la tipología de las lenguas (2016) y Mitología nórdica (2017). También ha editado y traducido Snorri Sturluson: Textos Mitológicos de las Eddas (1983; 1987), Snorri Sturluson: Saga de Egil Skallagrimsson (1984; 1988), Sagas Islandesas (1984) y Saga de Nial (1986).

The return of viking symbols: Vom Zauber der Zeichen: Die historischen Hintergründe von graphischen Zeichen, Symbolen und Ornamenten in der modernen Wikinger- und Mittelalterszene (A. Pesch)

2024-09-16T10:18:03-03:00

Book cover: AntikMakler Archäologie und Geschichte, Rosenbach, 2024.

Man has always produced symbols, from prehistoric times to the times of space conquest. The world's most important religions have also always expressed strong artistic and cultural identities through symbols. The ancient scandinavians were no different. One might wonder tough: to what extent did Viking symbols – and their constant presence in movies, media, medieval festivals and even tattoos – really have the same meaning which is attributed to them in these media? This is the central issue that German archaeologist Alexandra Pesch investigates throughout her 130-page book.

Em busca das origens de Beowulf: The Nordic Beowulf (B. Gräslund)

2024-09-18T09:00:20-03:00

Bo Gräslund é um arqueólogo e professor universitário aposentado, tendo seus quase noventa anos de idade. Ele é casado com a arqueóloga Annie-Sofie Gräslund, importante nome nos estudos das pedras rúnicas suecas. Mas embora Bo Gräslund tenha sido arqueólogo, ele em alguns momentos se interessou por temas mitológicos e literários, condição essa que ele chegou a defender que alguns mitos como o Fimbulvertr e o Ragnarök seriam baseados em acontecimentos climáticos reais, ocorridos durante o século VI d.C. Esse aspecto é importante a ser salientado, pois no seu livro The Nordic Beowulf, ele defendeu uma série de hipóteses de que aquela trama teria sido baseada em acontecimentos reais.

Rompendo as algemas da escravidão escandinava: Thraldom, a History of the Slavery in the Viking Age (S. Brink)

2024-10-21T08:04:06-03:00

Em seu último livro publicado em língua anglófona no ano de 2021, Thraldom: a History of the Slavery in the Viking Age, o filólogo sueco Stefan Brink – conhecido pela organização de diversas obras de referência na escandinavística como, por exemplo, o livro The Viking World, publicado pela Routledge, em 2008 – ofereceu ao público acadêmico aquela que pode ser vista como a principal obra abordando a temática da escravidão durante o Período Viking. O elogio, embora possa soar de forma desmedida, não é mera bajulação. Quando nos deparamos com a quantidade de documentação primária mobilizada para a discussão ao longo dos 17 capítulos que a obra contém, nota-se que a pesquisa do autor é digna do louvor que lhe atribuo. Comparando os registros escritos presentes nas leis provinciais, textos literários em nórdico antigo, inscrições rúnicas e demais fontes medievais com análises etimológicas dos termos contemporâneos durante o passado investigado, Stefan Brink promove reflexões significativas acerca das avaliações sobre a noção de thrall quando comparadas à cultura material por meio de um aporte histórico-antropológico. Sempre atento aos estudos já promovidos por nomes de peso do campo como Ruth Mazo Karras e Tore Iversen, a obra tem um trajeto de investigação instigante.

Sagas, mitos, poemas e histórias: Cultural Legacies of Old Norse Literature (C. Crocker)

2024-08-28T13:37:35-03:00

A resenha busca expor de forma sintética as principais ideias e pesquisas presentes no livro intitulado Cultural Legacies of Old Norse Literature. Organizada por Christopher Crocker e Dustin Geeraert, a coletânea mergulha de forma crítica na herança literária nórdica, reunindo ensaios que exploram a influência contínua das sagas, mitos e poemas nórdicos na cultura e pesquisas academia contemporâneas, destacando a convergência entre passado e presente. A resenha ressalta a relevância dos capítulos ao abordar como essas narrativas foram preservadas, transformadas e reinterpretadas ao longo dos séculos, mostrando sua importância na formação de identidades culturais e literárias. É uma leitura essencial para entusiastas da literatura nórdica e pesquisadores escandinavístas.

A escrita rúnica e sua História: As runas desvendadas (H. Pires)

2024-09-24T08:42:56-03:00

O público de apreciadores e estudisosos sobre runas - sejam magistas, folcloristas, historiadores ou apenas curisosos – tiveram uma boa surpresa quando, em dezembro de 2023, o historiador português Hélio Pires lançou o livro “Runas desvendadas: dois milénios de história e mistério”. Para os estudos lusófonos em cultura viking e escandinava, este é um marco importante porque, além de ser uma publicação que trata do estudo científico sobre runas, também atinge diversos públicos que usam as runas para divinação, magia, neopaganismo e toda a diversidade de usos contemporâneos que as runas receberam.

A linguagem das sagas e Eddas: Lendo em Nórdico (T. Moosburger)

2024-10-15T07:55:51-03:00

Os serviços de streaming, as prateleiras das livrarias – físicas e virtuais -, jogos de tabuleiro e eletrônicos, sem contar as festas e encontros envolvendo a cultura pop, nos apresentam as mais diversas representações e interpretações sobre os nórdicos antigos que viveram durante a Era Viking. Equivocadamente generalizados como “vikings”, utilizando um termo que, grosso modo, define uma atividade ocupacional, e não todos os habitantes da Dinamarca, Islândia, Noruega e Suécia dos séculos VII a XI. Nos filmes e séries e na maioria dos livros traduzidos a língua que os antigos nórdicos falam é inglês. Parcas são as produções fílmicas em línguas escandinavas modernas, mas em meio a esse cenário aparece um interesse pela língua que era falada originalmente pelos nórdicos antigos, em que em foram escritas as sagas, a poesia escáldica e as Eddas, despertando a necessidade de se estudar a língua nórdica antiga.

Fragmentos da Literatura Islandesa: Três sagas islandesas (T. Moosburger)

2024-10-24T08:35:21-03:00

Foi lançado pela Editora UFPR a segunda edição da antologia de sagas islandesas organizada e traduzida por Théo de Borba Moosburger, como parte da série Outras Letras. A obra já era conhecida pelos leitores brasileiros, diletantes e acadêmicos, e ganha uma nova edição que além de renovar a circulação do livro, ganhou um prefácio, assinado por Patrícia Pires Boulhosa, além de uma nota à segunda edição do próprio organizador e tradutor da antologia.

A Dinamarca nos tempos antigos: Odin, uma história arqueológica da Dinamarca viking (J. Langer)

2024-09-18T08:58:54-03:00

O mais recente livro do professor Dr. Johnni Langer nos apresenta uma história da Dinamarca ao longo de alguns séculos, sendo resultado de anos de pesquisa sobre este país, sua história e povo. Nos anos de 2018 e 2019 o professor Langer visitou as terras dinamarquesas, indo a museus, sítios arqueológicos, lugares históricos, vilas vikings, coletando dados para suas pesquisas. Após anos de trabalho, agora temos em mãos o livro Odin: Uma história arqueológica da Dinamarca viking, uma obra pioneira em língua portuguesa por ser o primeiro livro a dedicar-se ao estudo específico da Dinamarca nesse período medieval, tanto por sua abordagem teórico-metodológica a partir da história e arqueologia, além dos estudos sobre Odin com base na cultura material dinamarquesa.

Editorial Note

2024-09-16T10:12:29-03:00

Runesten ved Roskilde Landevej (The runes at Roskilde Highway), Laurits Andersen Ring, 1912, oil on canvas. Privately owned.

The past in the present. The image that opens this editorial, a painting by Laurits Andersen Ring, refers to these connections that History always makes with contemporary society. It presents a reproduction of the Kallerup Stone (DR 250), which bears one of the oldest texts written in Denmark that dates from the beginning of the Viking Age, located in Hedehusene (Zealand Island). Nowadays, the Kallerup runestone stands next to the Ansgar Church in Hedehusene.

Women of the Viking World, University of Liverpool (27–28 August, 2024)

2024-09-20T18:35:06-03:00

Poster: University of Liverpool, 2024.

Over the course of two days in late August, 2024, the Central Teaching Hub at the University of Liverpool (UK) became the stage for a conference on the women of the Viking World, gathering scholars from nearly twenty countries, and organized by a trio of inspired postgraduate students at the same university.