Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology: Myth and Environment in Early Iceland

Mathias Nordvig

doi:10.1017/9781641892933

Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology details how Viking Age Icelanders, migrating from Scandinavia to a new and volcanically active environment, used Old Norse mythology to understand and negotiate the hazards of the island. These pre-Christian myths recorded in medieval Iceland expound an indigenous Icelandic theory on volcanism that revolves around the activities of supernatural beings, such as the fire-demon Surtr and the gods Odin and Thor. Before the Icelanders were introduced to Christianity and its teachings, they formulated an indigenous theory of volcanism on basis of their traditional mythology much like other indigenous peoples across the world.

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Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology

Myth and Environment in Early Iceland

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

Introduction
pp 1-4

Chapter 1 - Old Norse Mythology Between Environment and Literature
pp 5-32

Chapter 2 - An Indigenous Theory of Volcanism in Iceland
pp 33-54

Chapter 3 - Volcanism in Old Norse Cosmogony
pp 55-72

Chapter 4 - Volcanoes in the Social Order of Old Norse Mythology
pp 73-118

Chapter 5 - Volcanoes as a Cosmological Principle in Old Norse Mythology
pp 119-136

Bibliography
pp 137-152

Index
pp 153-156

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Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology

Myth and Environment in Early Iceland

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