NORDIC MYTHOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTION

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1 NORDIC MYTHOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTION Nordic Mythology is a course in English for international students. It is a course within the science of religion, and it deals with the religion in Denmark before the introduction of Christianity. In the course we will read some poems concerning pre-christian deities from Iceland as well as the medieval Icelandic writer Snorri, which makes it possible to get a glimpse of the mythology of the Scandinavians before Christianity. The gods Odin, Thor, Vanir, Loki and Balder will be accentuated. We will also go beyond mythology and try to get an idea about the religious rituals and the religious experts of the Norsemen. The course includes an excursion to Ladby, Trelleborg and Roskilde and an excursion to Scania in Sweden, where we will visit a couple of burial places in the shape of a ship and also some well-preserved runic stones.

2 Location: Time: University of Copenhagen, Amager, Karen Blixens Plads 8, room 15A-2-11 Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. First lecture is September 11 th and last lecture is November 20 th. Furthermore, there will be two excursions on Saturday September 15 st and on Saturday October 6 th. A total of 10 lectures and 2 excursions. Coordinator: The course is organized by The Saxo Institute. The Coordinator is Bettina Sejbjerg Sommer, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen. Lecturer: Assistants: Website: Facebook: Bettina Sejbjerg Sommer, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies There will be a teaching assistant from Danish Culture Courses, who will assist with practical matters. dcc@hum.ku.dk Registration: Find the registration form on our website, fill it in electronically and send it to dcc@hum.ku.dk from your alumni-mail. The deadline is October 4 th The course is only offered to international students enrolled at the University of Copenhagen through IUS (International Education & Grants) or through Open University: We can only admit 60 students at this course. Students will be admitted according to the date, they hand in the registration form. Exchange students are expected to take on a full course load of 30 ECTS each semester. It can however be difficult to sign up for precisely 30 ECTS. Therefore the University of Copenhagen has approved a minimum and maximum range of 22.5 ECTS and 35 ECTS per semester. If you exceed that, you have to withdraw from one of your courses in order to sign up for Danish Culture Course. Once you have room for the amount of ECTS of the exam form you wish to sign up for, please fill in a DCC registration form and send it to dcc@hum.ku.dk from your KU-mail, and we will make sure you will be enrolled in the course. The DCC deadline for changes and new registrations is October 4 th Examination: When you register for the course you are automatically registered for the exam. Early Danish History and Religion - HDCB01061E:

3 Form of exam: Written take-home assignment, optional subject, following active student participation. The subject of the assignment is agreed between the student and the teacher. Assessment: Internal exam with one examiner, the 7-point grading scale. Exam language: English. Extent: Max. 20 standard pages. Group exam: The exam can only be taken individually. Special provisions: Active student participation consists of a synopsis of 2-3 standard pages. Make-up exam/re-exam (if not fulfilling requirement for active student participation): Written take-home assignment, optional subject. The subject of the assignment is agreed between the student and the teacher. Assessment: Internal exam with one examiner, the 7-point grading scale. Exam language: English. Extent: standard pages. Group exam: The exam can only be taken individually The assignment must be uploaded in Digital Exam no later than December 20 th at 12 p.m. (noon). After evaluation of the exam the grade or result is automatically added to your transcript and reported to your home university by IUS (International Education & Grants). The grade will be published on KU-net Self Service four weeks after deadline for submission of exam paper. Literature: Your personal syllabus consists of a binder and a book unless otherwise arranged. The binder will be sold at Publi@kom in room 11A-0-02 at KUA2. The book Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson can be purchased at Academic Books. A collection of pertinent books is available in the reference library. These books are only to be studied in the library, cf. list of books, which you can find in the Absalon room. The location is Saxo Knowledge Center 13B 2 nd floor at KUA2. IMPORTANT DATES: Oct. 4 th : Nov. 20 th : Dec. 13 th : Dec. 20 th : Deadline for registration, change of exams and withdrawal. Deadline for uploading approved synopsis on Absalon. End-of-term Celebration Deadline for submission of exam papers at 12 p.m. (noon) in Digital Exam

4 SCHEDULE Sep. 11 th Lecture 1: Introduction. Timeline. Sources Sep. 15 th Excursion: Ladby, Trelleborg and Roskilde Sep. 18 th Lecture 2: World of the Gods Sep. 25 th Lecture 3: Odin Oct. 2 th Lecture 4: Thor Oct. 6 st Excursion: Ales Stenar in Southern Sweden Oct. 9 th Lecture 5: Vanir Oct. 23 th Lecture 6: Loki and Balder Oct. 30 th Lecture 7: Worship and Ritual Nov. 6 th Lecture 8: Magic, Seeresses and Everyday Religion Nov. 13 th Lecture 9: Death Nov. 20 th Lecture 10: Nordic Myth in Modern Times: Neopaganism and Popular Culture The programme is subject to alteration.

5 PROGRAMME Lecture 1: (Sep. 11 th ) Introduction. Timeline. Sources. The historical background for the Viking Age will be delineated, and the various merits of our main sources for Nordic Mythology will be discussed as well as the societies, where they originated. Together we will read a poem from the late Viking early Medieval times. In this way, we can also introduce the best ways to read the poetic sources. Expected readings in binder: The poem The List of Rig and the Beginning of Snorri s Ynglingasaga. Excursion: (Sep. 15 th ) An Excursion to Ladby, Trelleborg and Roskilde On this excursion, we will visit some of the most impressive Viking sites in Eastern Denmark. From ancient fortifications and settlements to Viking ships and ship burials. We meet at Njalsgade in front of KUA2. Time will be announced. Please bring your own lunch. Lecture 2: (Sep. 18 th ) World of the Gods Based on two main sources we will look at the cosmology as it is shown in the poems and in the writings of Snorri Sturluson (killed 1224) and discuss the different world-views of the pre-christian Norsemen. Expected readings in binder: The poem The Seeresss Prophecy and Gylfaginning pp Davidson: Gods and Myths, The World of the Northern Gods, pp Lecture 3: (Sep. 25 th ) Odin Odin is the main god in the sources, an enigmatic sinister deity uniting such apparently disparate spheres as trade, death and poetry spheres that to the Vikings were intimately connected. Expected readings in binder: The poem Sayings of the High One, and Gylfaginning pp Skáldskaparmál p Davidson: Gods and Myths, pp and

6 Lecture 4: (Oct. 2 th ) Thor Probably the most worshipped god of the Vikings and certainly the deity of the ordinary free men, Thor s main realm seem to be that of physical strength, but it soon becomes obvious that his sphere is actually the upholding of the order of the universe and the world of men. Most of the stories about Thor deal with his battles with the chaotic giants. Expected readings in binder: The poems Thrym s Poem and Hymir s Poem and Gylfaginning pp Excursion: (Oct. 6 th ) An Excursion to Ales Stenar in Southern Sweden On this excursion we will visit ship settings and runic stones in Sweden. Amongst other attractions, we will visit Ales Stenar a great ship setting overlooking the sea. We meet at Njalsgade in front of KUA2. Time will be announced. Please bring your own lunch. IMPORTANT: Bring your passport and visa. Lecture 5: (Oct. 9 th ) Vanir The class of deities responsible for fertility and agriculture, as well as human sexuality. The most important are two deities known simply as The Lord and The Lady, Freyr and Freyja. They are supposedly both brother and sister as well as lovers. Expected readings in binder: Tacitus: Germania, The poem Skirnir s Journey and Gylfaginning pp Davidson: Gods and Myths, pp Lecture 6: (Oct. 23 th ) Loki and Balder The slaying of the innocent god Balder sets off the beginning of the destruction of the gods and their world. In some versions, the enigmatic Loki is given the blame for this. Loki is bound in the underworld as punishment. Expected readings in binder: The poems Baldr s Dreams and Loki s Quarrel. Also Saxo and Gylfaginning pp Davidson: Gods and Myths, pp Lecture 7: (Oct. 30 rd ) Worship and Ritual We shall examine recent archaeological evidence, which has radically changed our knowledge of Nordic cult, temples and religious practise. We will also read an account of a temple in Sweden, one of our only descriptions of organised worship in the pre-christian era. Based on

7 hearsay it nevertheless contains information that can be corroborated from other sources and probably provides a glimpse of actual ritual behaviour. Expected readings in binder: Adam of Bremen, Eirik s Saga and the Saga of Hákon the Good. Lecture 8: (Nov. 6 th ) Magic, Seeresses and Everyday Religion An important religious practice seems to have been the magic known as Seidr, practised by female seeresses known as a Völva. As well as the worship of the gods, each household probably also practiced other forms of private house cult. We will examine the few vague hints of such a cult, mentioning elves and an interesting object know as a Völsi. Expected readings in binder: Völsa tháttr. Lecture 9: (Nov. 13 th ) Death The only direct eyewitness to Nordic rituals was an Arabic scholar named Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who saw a Viking funeral in 922 or 923. The description is rightly famous as it is breath taking. It is possible to corroborate a few of the details with Nordic sources and provide a reasonably solid introduction to the Viking view of death. Expected readings in binder: Ibn Fadlan Lecture 10: (Nov. 20 th ) Nordic Myth in Modern Times: Neopaganism and Popular Culture Expected readings: Asa worship in Denmark

8 ADDRESSES Danish Culture Courses Contact Information; Lecturer: Coordinator: Bettina Sejbjerg Sommer Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies Contact for General Questions: Assistants: Elisabeth LB Andersen Amanda Feldballe Bernholm Tómas Terney Arason Christian Egelund Idorn Annette Klaaborg Mathilde Duedahl Jørgensen Ann Patricia Breinholm Nielsen Amalie Witt Skovhus Bjørn Søndergaard Karen Blixens Vej 4, room Director: Per Methner Rasmussen, The Saxo Institute Karen Blixens Plads 8, room DK-2300 København S pmr@hum.ku.dk Web-site: Facebook: Exam Secretary: Maria Frantzoulis The Saxo Institute. Karen Blixens Plads 8 DK-2300 København S frantzoulis@hum.ku.dk IUS (International Education & Grants) International Uddannelse og SU Fiolstræde 1 Postboks 1143 DK-1010 København K Phone: inter@adm.ku.dk

NORDIC MYTHOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTION

NORDIC MYTHOLOGY COURSE DESCRIPTION Nordic Mythology is a course in English for international students. It is a course within the science of religion, and it deals with the religion in Denmark before the