Viking Era Ritual & Religion

Catalog description

An examination of the pre-Christian religious beliefs and practices of the diverse Scandinavian peoples of the Viking Age (circa 700 to 1050 CE). With a focus on the surviving myths about Odinn and Frigg, Thor and Sif, Freya, Loki and others, the course will reflect upon Norse perceptions of deity, cosmology (the creation and final destruction of the world), the inner structure of the human person, the role of fate in the lives of the gods and humans, the practice of divination/magic, ritual sacrifice, and communal ethical norms. These ideas and practices will be placed within the context of a rapidly evolving cultural, social and religious context very different from our own, enabling the class to think about questions of religious diversity, truth, and the evolution of religious ideas and practices.