Iceland's Folklore and Witchcraft

Catalog description

Intensive two-week summer course taught in Iceland offering an overview of how concepts of magic, wisdom, knowledge of the world and the occult shaped folklore, society, and material culture in Iceland compared with similar phenomena elsewhere, and covering from the Middle Ages to the post-reformation era (17th & 18th centuries), and up to the early 20th century. Through readings (in translation) and field trips around the island, students will investigate traditional dwellings, rituals, burials, production of food and commodities, human interactions with the harsh natural environment, and the effects these activities and places had on culture and beliefs, including ghosts, revenants, elves, and trolls.