- Germanic Philology, Historical Linguistics, Indo-European Studies, Mythology And Folklore, New Religious Movements, Old Norse Literature, and 22 moreNorse mythology, Old Norse Religion, Germanic Mythology, Classical Mythology, Mythology, Paganism, Germanic linguistics, Medieval Icelandic Literature, General audience, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Comparative mythology, Viking Age Scandinavia, Folklore, Old Norse, Old Norse Language, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Etymology, Scandinavian Archaeology, Pagan Studies, Medieval Scandinavia, Old Norse literature and culture, and Sacred Grovesedit
- Research interests include folklore studies, historical linguistics, new religious movements, ancient Germanic studies, and Indo-European studies.edit
The present paper discusses the place of sacred trees and holy groves in modern Germanic heathenry, a new religious movement that draws inspiration from what is known today about the pre-Christian cultures of Germanic language-speaking... more
The present paper discusses the place of sacred trees and holy groves in modern Germanic heathenry, a new religious movement that draws inspiration from what is known today about the pre-Christian cultures of Germanic language-speaking peoples, and in particular the North Germanic branch during the late Viking Age.
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The present article takes up the topic of what appear to be fragments of longer eddic poems found throughout the Prose Edda. The author argues that these quotations have not simply been composed for the sake of the Prose Edda's narrative,... more
The present article takes up the topic of what appear to be fragments of longer eddic poems found throughout the Prose Edda. The author argues that these quotations have not simply been composed for the sake of the Prose Edda's narrative, supported by parallels between the Prose Edda and Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum. This line of inquiry leads into the question of whether material common to these sources stems directly from oral tradition or reflects the use of an earlier circulating written source, a "proto-Edda".
Research Interests: Comparative Literature, Folklore, Mythology, Germanic Philology, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), and 14 moreScandinavian Studies, Comparative mythology, Viking Age Scandinavia, Old Norse Religion, Old Norse Philology, Old Norse literature and culture, Germanic Studies, Snorri Sturluson, Viking Age, The reception of Old Norse Myth, Old Norse-Old Icelandic Literature, Poetic Edda, Saxo Grammaticus, and Folklore Studies
The present article discusses a historical tendency among scholars to focus on male-gendered deities in the Germanic corpus, a boom period of goddess studies in the 1990s under the influence of Marija Gimbutas, and the place of Great... more
The present article discusses a historical tendency among scholars to focus on male-gendered deities in the Germanic corpus, a boom period of goddess studies in the 1990s under the influence of Marija Gimbutas, and the place of Great Goddess theory in the field of ancient Germanic studies today. Great Goddess theory is argued to remain an influence in ancient Germanic studies, particularly in the field’s tendency to identify goddesses as extensions of a single entity.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Historical Linguistics, Medieval Studies, Indo-European Studies, Paganism, and 15 moreGoddess Spirituality, Scandinavian Studies, Norse mythology, Neo-Paganism and Western Esotericism, Viking Age Scandinavia, Neo-Paganism, Georges Dumezil, Germanic Studies, Ancient Goddesses, Old Europe, Marija Gimbutas, Germanic Paganism, Goddess Studies, Classical Studies, and Great Goddess Theory
Like previous entries in the Goddesses Unknown series, the present article focuses on heretofore little-studied goddesses in the Germanic corpus, in this case the obscure Old Norse goddess Hlín and her association with the widely attested... more
Like previous entries in the Goddesses Unknown series, the present article focuses on heretofore little-studied goddesses in the Germanic corpus, in this case the obscure Old Norse goddess Hlín and her association with the widely attested Germanic goddess Frigg.
Research Interests: Diachronic Linguistics (Or Historical Linguistics), Historical Linguistics, Germanic linguistics, Old Norse Literature, Old Germanic Languages, and 12 moreGermanic Philology, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Scandinavian Studies, Norse mythology, Old Norse Religion, Archaeology of Germanic tribes (Roman period), Ancient Goddesses, Germanic Mythology, Great Goddess, Scandinavian folklore, The Great Mother Goddess and Goddesses, and Frigg
This article investigates recent discussions in the media concerning purported predictions of a "Viking apocalypse". The media attention is contextualized in relation to current trends in modern culture linked to the Viking Age and early... more
This article investigates recent discussions in the media concerning purported predictions of a "Viking apocalypse". The media attention is contextualized in relation to current trends in modern culture linked to the Viking Age and early Germanic religion.
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Mythology, Media Studies, Museum Studies, Old Norse Literature, and 10 moreEschatology and Apocalypticism, Apocalyptic Eschatology, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Eschatology, Norse mythology, Viking Age Scandinavia, Museums, Germanic Studies, contemporary Paganism, and Germanic Paganism
The goddess Ilmr, attested only in Icelandic sources, has been almost completely neglected by scholarship. This article offers a comprehensive review of the evidence and discusses the possible interpretations. It proposes that ecological... more
The goddess Ilmr, attested only in Icelandic sources, has been almost completely neglected by scholarship. This article offers a comprehensive review of the evidence and discusses the possible interpretations. It proposes that ecological conditions in Iceland could be a factor in why this name seems to become increasingly obscure following the settlement period.
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This article attempts to fill a gap in modern Old Norse scholarship by presenting overviews of two highly mysterious figures, the apparent goddess Njörun and the unnamed wife and sister of the major god Njörðr. In doing so, this article... more
This article attempts to fill a gap in modern Old Norse scholarship by presenting overviews of two highly mysterious figures, the apparent goddess Njörun and the unnamed wife and sister of the major god Njörðr. In doing so, this article thematically connects with previous discussion of the Vanir found in earlier issues of RMN Newsletter.
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An article exploring the possibility of a connection between the Vanir gods, specifically the goddess Freyja, with the Scandinavian stone ships and boat burials, and hypothesizing a field (*wangaz) of the dead in early Germanic mythology.
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(Updated Feb. 15, 2021) The first in-depth survey of English language translations of the Poetic Edda of its kind, intended for seasoned researchers, future translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to consult.... more
(Updated Feb. 15, 2021) The first in-depth survey of English language translations of the Poetic Edda of its kind, intended for seasoned researchers, future translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to consult. This PDF edition is based on an ongoing web-based resource, a part of the Mimisbrunnr.info project. Readers can find it at the following URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/eddic-to-english-introduction
Research Interests: Philology, Folklore, Mythology, Translation Studies, Historical Linguistics, and 15 moreNordic Studies, Medieval Studies, Old Norse Language, Eddic Poetry, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Scandinavian Studies, Norse mythology, Old Norse Religion, Germanic Studies, Ancient germanic languages, The reception of Old Norse Myth, Old Norse-Old Icelandic Literature, Poetic Edda, Folklore Studies, and Prose Edda
(Updated Feb. 14, 2021) The first in-depth survey of English language translations of the Prose Edda, intended for seasoned researchers, future translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to consult. This PDF edition... more
(Updated Feb. 14, 2021) The first in-depth survey of English language translations of the Prose Edda, intended for seasoned researchers, future translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to consult. This PDF edition is based on an ongoing web-based resource, a part of the Mimisbrunnr.info project and is updated alongside the site. Readers can find it at the following URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/edda-to-english
Research Interests: Philology, Folklore, Mythology, Translation Studies, Medieval Literature, and 15 moreMedieval History, Germanic linguistics, Old Norse Literature, Paganism, Old Norse Language, Old Germanic Languages, Germanic Philology, Mythology (Old Norse Literature), Norse mythology, Old Norse Religion, Germanic Studies, The reception of Old Norse Myth, Poetic Edda, Scandinavian folklore, and Prose Edda
A print-friendly PDF version of Mimisbrunnr.info's unofficial index for Rudolf Simek's "Dictionary of Northern Mythology" (2007 [1993], Boydell & Brewer). Readers can also find the original, web-based version of the Simdex at the... more
A print-friendly PDF version of Mimisbrunnr.info's unofficial index for Rudolf Simek's "Dictionary of Northern Mythology" (2007 [1993], Boydell & Brewer). Readers can also find the original, web-based version of the Simdex at the following URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/dnm-index
Research Interests: European History, Folklore, Historical Linguistics, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Germanic linguistics, and 15 moreIndo-European Studies, Paganism, Old English Poetry, Viking Age Archaeology, Germanic Philology, Scandinavian Studies, Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Scandinavian Archaeology, Viking Age, Archaeology Of The Migration Period And The Early Middle Ages, Germanic Mythology, Migration Period Archaeology, Scandinavian folklore, and Folklore Studies
Coauthored with Lauren Fountain. The first in-depth survey of English language translations of Ahmad ibn Fadlan's "Risala" of its kind, intended for researchers, translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to... more
Coauthored with Lauren Fountain. The first in-depth survey of English language translations of Ahmad ibn Fadlan's "Risala" of its kind, intended for researchers, translators, and enthusiasts searching for an 'ideal' translation to consult. This PDF edition is based on an ongoing web-based resource, a part of the Mimisbrunnr.info project. Readers can find it at the following URL: https://www.mimisbrunnr.info/ahmad-ibn-fadlan-risala-english-edition-survey
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Originally authored as a general audience-oriented book proposal for the University of Georgia Press, this collection and analysis of ghostlore from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Athens, Georgia area consists of three distinct... more
Originally authored as a general audience-oriented book proposal for the University of Georgia Press, this collection and analysis of ghostlore from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Athens, Georgia area consists of three distinct sections: first, a detailed analysis on the folklore of ghosts at Joseph E. Brown ("Joe Brown") Hall at UGA; second, a historical survey of the "Susie" entity at the Thomas-Carithers House ("The Wedding Cake House", home of the UGA chapter of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority); and third, a broad survey of ghostlore in the region from the late 19th century until today.
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The article explores the possibility of a connection between the Vanir gods, specifically the goddess Freyja, with the Scandinavian stone ships and boat burials.
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The present volume responds to the rising boom of interest in folklore and folklore research in the study of Old Norse mythology. The twenty-two authors of this volume reveal the dynamism of this lively dialogue, which is characterized by... more
The present volume responds to the rising boom of interest in folklore and folklore research in the study of Old Norse mythology. The twenty-two authors of this volume reveal the dynamism of this lively dialogue, which is characterized by a diversity of perspectives linking to different fields and national scholarships.
The chapters open with a general overview of how the concepts of “folklore” and “mythology” have been understood and related across the history of Old Norse studies, which is followed by a group of chapters that discuss and present different approaches and types of source materials, with methodological and theoretical concerns. The interest in folklore is bound up with interests in practice and lived religion, which are brought into focus in a series of chapters relating to magic and ritual. Attention then turns to images that link to mythology and different mythic agents in studies that explore a variety of usage in meaning-making in different forms of cultural expression. The next group of studies spotlights motifs, with perspectives on synchronic usage across genres and different media, cross-cultural exchange, and long-term continuities. The volume culminates in discussions of complex stories, variously in oral traditions behind medieval sources and relationships between accounts found in medieval sources and those recorded from more recent traditions.
Individually, the chapters variously offer reflexive and historical research criticism, new research frameworks, illustrative studies, and exploratory investigations. Collectively, they illustrate the rapidly evolving multidisciplinary discussion at the intersections of folklore and Old Norse mythology, where the transformative impacts were recently described as a paradigm shift. They open new paths for scholarly discussion with the potential to inspire future research.
The chapters open with a general overview of how the concepts of “folklore” and “mythology” have been understood and related across the history of Old Norse studies, which is followed by a group of chapters that discuss and present different approaches and types of source materials, with methodological and theoretical concerns. The interest in folklore is bound up with interests in practice and lived religion, which are brought into focus in a series of chapters relating to magic and ritual. Attention then turns to images that link to mythology and different mythic agents in studies that explore a variety of usage in meaning-making in different forms of cultural expression. The next group of studies spotlights motifs, with perspectives on synchronic usage across genres and different media, cross-cultural exchange, and long-term continuities. The volume culminates in discussions of complex stories, variously in oral traditions behind medieval sources and relationships between accounts found in medieval sources and those recorded from more recent traditions.
Individually, the chapters variously offer reflexive and historical research criticism, new research frameworks, illustrative studies, and exploratory investigations. Collectively, they illustrate the rapidly evolving multidisciplinary discussion at the intersections of folklore and Old Norse mythology, where the transformative impacts were recently described as a paradigm shift. They open new paths for scholarly discussion with the potential to inspire future research.