Lyonel Perabo - Sorbonne University (original) (raw)

MA Thesis by Lyonel Perabo

The present thesis involves a study of the various ways in which the Northernmost regions of Fenn... more The present thesis involves a study of the various ways in which the Northernmost regions of Fenno-Scandinavia and their inhabitants were depicted as being associated with the supernatural in pre-Modern literature. Its findings are based on an exhaustive study of the numerous texts engaging with this subject, ranging from the Roman era to the publication of the Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus of Olaus Magnus in 1555. The thesis presents and analyses the most common supernatural motifs associated with this Far- Northern area, which include animal transformation, sorcery and pagan worship, as well as speculating about their origins, and analyzes the ways in which such ideas and images evolved, both over time and depending on the nature of the written sources in which they appear. The author argues that Northern Fenno-Scandinavia was thought of as a wild, supernatural and pagan land because of the differences in languages, ways of living and magical practices of its inhabitants, an image partially mirrored in literary texts, some of which are of considerable antiquity. The thesis also notes the way in which the supernatural images associated with the Sámi and Finnic peoples seem to have also become attached to the other Germanic-related people living in the north of Norway, who are also often depicted as supernatural “others” equipped with supernatural or magical skills in the literature.

Peer-reviewed articles by Lyonel Perabo

Scandia , 2023

This article [written in French] is an in-depth study of the characteristics of the translation o... more This article [written in French] is an in-depth study of the characteristics of the translation of the Poetic Edda in the French language from the eighteenth century to the present day. In a context where the reception of Norse myths and their influence upon popular culture has become a fully fledged field of study, it is judicious to investigate the translation process of the eddic poems as well as their impact. If this topic has already been addressed abroad (i.e. not in France), there exist so far no similar studies in the French language. This article will therefore approach this topic in an exhaustive and systematic fashion. I will begin by presenting the translations, their authors, their sources, as well as their influences within their own historical contexts, all the while comparing them to a control group consisting of English-language translations of the Poetic Edda. During this process, the main characteristics of eddic translation such as the adaptation of heiti and kenningar, the eventual inclusion of notes, and the arrangement of the poems will be examined. This article will then be rounded off with a synthesis displaying the characteristics and accomplishments of close to three centuries of eddic translations in the French language, before asking the question of what future translations could bring to the field.

Apardjón, 2020

Gunnhildr konungamóðir is arguably one of the most pivotal characters within Old Norse saga liter... more Gunnhildr konungamóðir is arguably one of the most pivotal characters within Old Norse saga literature. Described, among other things, as a queen, a witch, a
mother, a lover, and an opponent, she plays key roles in numerous Old Norse narratives including Heimskringla (A Collection of Kings’ Sagas) and Egils saga Skalla-
Grímssonar (Saga of Egil). While stories about the life and the deeds of this notorious queen abound, there are nevertheless some aspects of her character that are still debated, like, as will be demonstrated, her origins. Based on saga evidence, Gunnhildr was initially understood
to have originated from north Norway. However, since the nineteenth-century discovery of a contradictory source stating that she was originally Danish, the scholarly debate has mostly veered away from the North-Norwegian theory to adopt its Danish counterpart. The present paper delves into the sources discussing the question of Gunnhildr’s origin and assesses the way modern scholarship has addressed this issue. This paper also aims to investigate the status of Gunnhildr as an embodiment of perceived ‘otherness’ and how this status might have influenced the debate about her origins. As far as history-writing goes, Gunnhildr has been analysed through a number of historiographical lenses, and the majority of scholars have been of the opinion that she was of Danish origin. Yet, only one primary source, Historia Norwegiae (The History of Norway) supports such an interpretation, while all the other sources that describe her origins state that she came from north Norway. This paper
contrasts the dominant opinion about the queen’s origins through the use of contradictory sources and specific historiographical traditions. The arguments most often advanced in favour of Gunnhildr’s Danish origins will therefore be brought forth and discussed before presenting a number of opposing arguments which support the theory that she might instead be of North-Norwegian origin. This paper then concludes with a short synthesis of the various points discussed and introduces a number of complementary issues which could be subject of further research.

Scandia, 2019

This article aims to cast a light upon the colorful yet largely unknown shape-changing motifs fou... more This article aims to cast a light upon the colorful yet largely unknown shape-changing motifs found in Old Norse-Icelandic literature as well as in related literary works conceived from Classical times until the middle of the 16th century. This essay analyzes the different sub-types of supernatural transformations and which kinds of texts they most commonly appear in and will posit as to their potential origins, genesis, and development within the context of Medieval Norse-Icelandic literature.

Peer-reviewed translations by Lyonel Perabo

Apardjón, 2024

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single king in possession of a good fortune, must ... more It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single king in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of his retainer’s wife’ — or so it seems in ‘The Tale of Sigurðr Slobberer’ (Sigurðar þáttr slefu), a short, self-contained narrative that survives only in the fourteenth-century manuscript GKS 1005 fol., better known as Flateyjarbók. To the best of our knowledge, no translation of Sigurðar þáttr into English has previously been published, and the tale has received little critical attention. Though versions of the basic narrative appear in several other texts, Sigurðar þáttr slefu is unique in the prominence it gives to the main female character, Ólǫf. In contrast to the other accounts, where Ólǫf’s main function is to serve as the cause of conflict between men, Sigurðar þáttr slefu depicts her as a woman who acts effectively to protect herself and her daughter from royal malice. We believe her story deserves a wider audience, and we offer here a translation of the þáttr along with a brief discussion of its context and significance.

Scandia, 2022

Francais: Hrafnagaldur Óðins («le chant des corbeaux d’Óðinn»), aussi connu sous le nom de Forspj... more Francais: Hrafnagaldur Óðins («le chant des corbeaux d’Óðinn»), aussi connu sous le nom de Forspjallsljóð («la conversation-prélude») est un poème islandais de quelques 200 lignes, composé en vers eddiques allitératifs fornyrðislag que l’on retrouve dans une quarantaine de manuscrits islandais et suédois, copiés entre le XVIIème et le XIXème siècle. Si ce poème, connu depuis longtemps pour son lyrisme presque cryptique et ses origines obscures a récemment suscité un regain d’intérêt à travers plusieurs éditions et traductions en langues variées (y compris le français), particulièrement dans les espaces digitaux, Hrafnagaldur Óðins n’a jamais reçu l’attention qu’il mérite dans le monde académique francophone. Cette nouvelle traduction, basée sur la toute dernière édition du poème se focalise tout particulièrement sur la question de l’interprétation de certains passages au sens intrinsèquement ambigu. Les nombreux exégèses, traductions et éditions publiés au cours des siècles serviront d’outils à rédiger le commentaire le plus exhaustif possible. Cette version française de cet énigmatique poème a également pour double objectif d’en faciliter la recherche académique en langue française et de le mettre à portée d’un publique francophone intéressé par la poésie scandinave et la mythologie nordique, mais qui pourrait être dissuadé de donner une chance à ce poème du fait de son extrême complexité.

Mots clés: Hrafnagaldur Óðins, edda poétique, mythologie nordique, traduction

English: Hrafnagaldur Óðins (“Óðinn’s ravens’ song”), also known as Forspjallsljóð (“the prelude-conversation”) is an Icelandic poem made of some 200 lines composed in the eddic verse fornyrðislag which is found in about forty Icelandic and Swedish manuscripts copied between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries. While this poem, long-known for its near-cryptic lyricism and its obscure origins recently gained newfound popularity through a number of editions and translations in various languages (including french) and especially so within digital spaces, Hrafnagaldur Óðins never received the attention it deserved in the french-speaking academic world. This new translation, based upon the latest edition of the poem is especially focused on the issue of the interpretation of certain passages whose meaning is inherently ambiguous. The numerous exegeses, translations and editions published throughout the centuries will be used to compose a commentary as exhaustive as possible. This french-language version of this enigmatic poem has a double objective as well: to facilitate its study in a french-language context as well as make it available to a french-speaking which is interested in Scandinavian poetry and norse mythology but which might be dissuaded to give this poem a chance due to its extreme complexity.

Keywords: Hrafnagaldur Óðins, poetic edda, norse mythology, translation

Online translations by Lyonel Perabo

Mimisbrunnr.info, 2024

Litla Skálda – the name means something like “a little bit about poetry” – is a medieval Icelandi... more Litla Skálda – the name means something like “a little bit about poetry” – is a medieval Icelandic text that contains a succinct list of kennings and heiti that could be used in composing skaldic poetry. For anyone unfamiliar with Old Norse literature, that description may not be very helpful – what are kennings, heiti, and for that matter “skaldic” poetry? This Introduction begins with a short overview of these concepts before discussing Litla Skálda and related texts. An additional section describes the approach taken here to the translation of Litla Skálda. A final addendum discusses an obscure term for “heart” that appears in the text.

Mimisbrunnr.info, 2023

Lokrur is preserved in a vellum manuscript from the 16th century, AM 604g 4to, which contains fou... more Lokrur is preserved in a vellum manuscript from the 16th century, AM 604g 4to, which contains four other rímur in addition to Lokrur: Þrændlur (“On Þrændr”), Rímur af Sörla sterka (“Rímur of Sörli the Strong”), Þrymlur (“On Þrymr”), and Völsungsrímur (“Rímur about Völsungr the Unborn”). The book containing the manuscript was sent to Árni Magnússon in 1707 by the alþing and is known as Staðarhólsbók, having originally come from Pétur Bjarnason at Staðarhóll. It has since been split up into eight separate books, all eight of which contain rímur, with the present binding dating from 1977 (Handrit.is).

Lokrur draws its content from the story of Þórr‘s visit to Útgarða-Loki in Gylfaginning in the the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, but the poet has made significant changes to the framework of the story. Haukur Þorgeirsson points out that the gods are set up for a far more devastating and spectacular fall by the way they are introduced in the poem, which begins by talking about how the Æsir are victorious, Þórr always causes jötnar to silently flee, and Loki has tricks for every occasion, none of which in any way eventuates as the poem progresses. In contrast to the version in Gylfaginning, where no reason is given for the journey, Lokrur gives the story a more intelligible motivation by having Þórr decide to make the trip himself while Loki attempts to talk him out of it. This also cleverly inverts Loki’s incitement of Þórr to make the trip to Geirröðargarður, known to us from both Skáldskaparmál in the Prose Edda, and Þórsdrápa in the Poetic Edda, both of which Lokrur’s audience would very likely have been familiar with (Þorgeirsson 2018).

The poem uses kennings both to add puzzle-solving interest and to meet metrical requirements. Any character’s relationship to Óðinn is particularly useful to the poet, as it opens up the huge store of Óðinn-names to provide options for alliteration etc. It is no surprise to see Þórr referred to in these verses as Óðinn’s son or his heir, but the kennings for Loki are intriguing: in earlier, skaldic verse, Loki is called Óðinn’s friend (vinr), but in rímur he has become a servant (þjónn) or slave (þræll). Sörla þáttr in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, which, like Lokrur, is considered a late text compared with the skaldic verse quoted in the Prose Edda, likewise depicts Loki as Óðinn’s servant.

Grade papers by Lyonel Perabo

Book Reviews by Lyonel Perabo

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt, 2022

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

wildhunt.org, 2020

A review of Our Troth Volume 1 (Third edition) by Ben Waggoner, originally published on wildhunt.... more A review of Our Troth Volume 1 (Third edition) by Ben Waggoner, originally published on wildhunt.org in 2020

wildhunt.org, 2019

A review of Heathen Garb and Gear by Ben Waggoner & Kveldulf Gunnarson, originally published on w... more A review of Heathen Garb and Gear by Ben Waggoner & Kveldulf Gunnarson, originally published on wildhunt.org in 2019.

Brepolis ISBN: 2503525806 Turnhout; 2007 In his most-quoted paper entitled "How Uniform was the O... more Brepolis ISBN: 2503525806 Turnhout; 2007 In his most-quoted paper entitled "How Uniform was the Old Norse Religion", Stephan Brink discusses and challenges the often-accepted assumption that the pre-Christian religion of Scandinavia was uniform in its mythology and religious practices. After cleverly brushing off the idea that, given that most of our written sources concerning Old Norse Religion come from Iceland, the sources may only represent a distinct Icelandic brand of heathenism (106), Brink presents his core idea: place-names can be used to asses variation and unity of the Old Norse Religion in a wider, pan-Scandinavian context.

The present thesis involves a study of the various ways in which the Northernmost regions of Fenn... more The present thesis involves a study of the various ways in which the Northernmost regions of Fenno-Scandinavia and their inhabitants were depicted as being associated with the supernatural in pre-Modern literature. Its findings are based on an exhaustive study of the numerous texts engaging with this subject, ranging from the Roman era to the publication of the Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus of Olaus Magnus in 1555. The thesis presents and analyses the most common supernatural motifs associated with this Far- Northern area, which include animal transformation, sorcery and pagan worship, as well as speculating about their origins, and analyzes the ways in which such ideas and images evolved, both over time and depending on the nature of the written sources in which they appear. The author argues that Northern Fenno-Scandinavia was thought of as a wild, supernatural and pagan land because of the differences in languages, ways of living and magical practices of its inhabitants, an image partially mirrored in literary texts, some of which are of considerable antiquity. The thesis also notes the way in which the supernatural images associated with the Sámi and Finnic peoples seem to have also become attached to the other Germanic-related people living in the north of Norway, who are also often depicted as supernatural “others” equipped with supernatural or magical skills in the literature.

Scandia , 2023

This article [written in French] is an in-depth study of the characteristics of the translation o... more This article [written in French] is an in-depth study of the characteristics of the translation of the Poetic Edda in the French language from the eighteenth century to the present day. In a context where the reception of Norse myths and their influence upon popular culture has become a fully fledged field of study, it is judicious to investigate the translation process of the eddic poems as well as their impact. If this topic has already been addressed abroad (i.e. not in France), there exist so far no similar studies in the French language. This article will therefore approach this topic in an exhaustive and systematic fashion. I will begin by presenting the translations, their authors, their sources, as well as their influences within their own historical contexts, all the while comparing them to a control group consisting of English-language translations of the Poetic Edda. During this process, the main characteristics of eddic translation such as the adaptation of heiti and kenningar, the eventual inclusion of notes, and the arrangement of the poems will be examined. This article will then be rounded off with a synthesis displaying the characteristics and accomplishments of close to three centuries of eddic translations in the French language, before asking the question of what future translations could bring to the field.

Apardjón, 2020

Gunnhildr konungamóðir is arguably one of the most pivotal characters within Old Norse saga liter... more Gunnhildr konungamóðir is arguably one of the most pivotal characters within Old Norse saga literature. Described, among other things, as a queen, a witch, a
mother, a lover, and an opponent, she plays key roles in numerous Old Norse narratives including Heimskringla (A Collection of Kings’ Sagas) and Egils saga Skalla-
Grímssonar (Saga of Egil). While stories about the life and the deeds of this notorious queen abound, there are nevertheless some aspects of her character that are still debated, like, as will be demonstrated, her origins. Based on saga evidence, Gunnhildr was initially understood
to have originated from north Norway. However, since the nineteenth-century discovery of a contradictory source stating that she was originally Danish, the scholarly debate has mostly veered away from the North-Norwegian theory to adopt its Danish counterpart. The present paper delves into the sources discussing the question of Gunnhildr’s origin and assesses the way modern scholarship has addressed this issue. This paper also aims to investigate the status of Gunnhildr as an embodiment of perceived ‘otherness’ and how this status might have influenced the debate about her origins. As far as history-writing goes, Gunnhildr has been analysed through a number of historiographical lenses, and the majority of scholars have been of the opinion that she was of Danish origin. Yet, only one primary source, Historia Norwegiae (The History of Norway) supports such an interpretation, while all the other sources that describe her origins state that she came from north Norway. This paper
contrasts the dominant opinion about the queen’s origins through the use of contradictory sources and specific historiographical traditions. The arguments most often advanced in favour of Gunnhildr’s Danish origins will therefore be brought forth and discussed before presenting a number of opposing arguments which support the theory that she might instead be of North-Norwegian origin. This paper then concludes with a short synthesis of the various points discussed and introduces a number of complementary issues which could be subject of further research.

Scandia, 2019

This article aims to cast a light upon the colorful yet largely unknown shape-changing motifs fou... more This article aims to cast a light upon the colorful yet largely unknown shape-changing motifs found in Old Norse-Icelandic literature as well as in related literary works conceived from Classical times until the middle of the 16th century. This essay analyzes the different sub-types of supernatural transformations and which kinds of texts they most commonly appear in and will posit as to their potential origins, genesis, and development within the context of Medieval Norse-Icelandic literature.

Apardjón, 2024

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single king in possession of a good fortune, must ... more It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single king in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of his retainer’s wife’ — or so it seems in ‘The Tale of Sigurðr Slobberer’ (Sigurðar þáttr slefu), a short, self-contained narrative that survives only in the fourteenth-century manuscript GKS 1005 fol., better known as Flateyjarbók. To the best of our knowledge, no translation of Sigurðar þáttr into English has previously been published, and the tale has received little critical attention. Though versions of the basic narrative appear in several other texts, Sigurðar þáttr slefu is unique in the prominence it gives to the main female character, Ólǫf. In contrast to the other accounts, where Ólǫf’s main function is to serve as the cause of conflict between men, Sigurðar þáttr slefu depicts her as a woman who acts effectively to protect herself and her daughter from royal malice. We believe her story deserves a wider audience, and we offer here a translation of the þáttr along with a brief discussion of its context and significance.

Scandia, 2022

Francais: Hrafnagaldur Óðins («le chant des corbeaux d’Óðinn»), aussi connu sous le nom de Forspj... more Francais: Hrafnagaldur Óðins («le chant des corbeaux d’Óðinn»), aussi connu sous le nom de Forspjallsljóð («la conversation-prélude») est un poème islandais de quelques 200 lignes, composé en vers eddiques allitératifs fornyrðislag que l’on retrouve dans une quarantaine de manuscrits islandais et suédois, copiés entre le XVIIème et le XIXème siècle. Si ce poème, connu depuis longtemps pour son lyrisme presque cryptique et ses origines obscures a récemment suscité un regain d’intérêt à travers plusieurs éditions et traductions en langues variées (y compris le français), particulièrement dans les espaces digitaux, Hrafnagaldur Óðins n’a jamais reçu l’attention qu’il mérite dans le monde académique francophone. Cette nouvelle traduction, basée sur la toute dernière édition du poème se focalise tout particulièrement sur la question de l’interprétation de certains passages au sens intrinsèquement ambigu. Les nombreux exégèses, traductions et éditions publiés au cours des siècles serviront d’outils à rédiger le commentaire le plus exhaustif possible. Cette version française de cet énigmatique poème a également pour double objectif d’en faciliter la recherche académique en langue française et de le mettre à portée d’un publique francophone intéressé par la poésie scandinave et la mythologie nordique, mais qui pourrait être dissuadé de donner une chance à ce poème du fait de son extrême complexité.

Mots clés: Hrafnagaldur Óðins, edda poétique, mythologie nordique, traduction

English: Hrafnagaldur Óðins (“Óðinn’s ravens’ song”), also known as Forspjallsljóð (“the prelude-conversation”) is an Icelandic poem made of some 200 lines composed in the eddic verse fornyrðislag which is found in about forty Icelandic and Swedish manuscripts copied between the seventeenth and the nineteenth centuries. While this poem, long-known for its near-cryptic lyricism and its obscure origins recently gained newfound popularity through a number of editions and translations in various languages (including french) and especially so within digital spaces, Hrafnagaldur Óðins never received the attention it deserved in the french-speaking academic world. This new translation, based upon the latest edition of the poem is especially focused on the issue of the interpretation of certain passages whose meaning is inherently ambiguous. The numerous exegeses, translations and editions published throughout the centuries will be used to compose a commentary as exhaustive as possible. This french-language version of this enigmatic poem has a double objective as well: to facilitate its study in a french-language context as well as make it available to a french-speaking which is interested in Scandinavian poetry and norse mythology but which might be dissuaded to give this poem a chance due to its extreme complexity.

Keywords: Hrafnagaldur Óðins, poetic edda, norse mythology, translation

Mimisbrunnr.info, 2024

Litla Skálda – the name means something like “a little bit about poetry” – is a medieval Icelandi... more Litla Skálda – the name means something like “a little bit about poetry” – is a medieval Icelandic text that contains a succinct list of kennings and heiti that could be used in composing skaldic poetry. For anyone unfamiliar with Old Norse literature, that description may not be very helpful – what are kennings, heiti, and for that matter “skaldic” poetry? This Introduction begins with a short overview of these concepts before discussing Litla Skálda and related texts. An additional section describes the approach taken here to the translation of Litla Skálda. A final addendum discusses an obscure term for “heart” that appears in the text.

Mimisbrunnr.info, 2023

Lokrur is preserved in a vellum manuscript from the 16th century, AM 604g 4to, which contains fou... more Lokrur is preserved in a vellum manuscript from the 16th century, AM 604g 4to, which contains four other rímur in addition to Lokrur: Þrændlur (“On Þrændr”), Rímur af Sörla sterka (“Rímur of Sörli the Strong”), Þrymlur (“On Þrymr”), and Völsungsrímur (“Rímur about Völsungr the Unborn”). The book containing the manuscript was sent to Árni Magnússon in 1707 by the alþing and is known as Staðarhólsbók, having originally come from Pétur Bjarnason at Staðarhóll. It has since been split up into eight separate books, all eight of which contain rímur, with the present binding dating from 1977 (Handrit.is).

Lokrur draws its content from the story of Þórr‘s visit to Útgarða-Loki in Gylfaginning in the the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, but the poet has made significant changes to the framework of the story. Haukur Þorgeirsson points out that the gods are set up for a far more devastating and spectacular fall by the way they are introduced in the poem, which begins by talking about how the Æsir are victorious, Þórr always causes jötnar to silently flee, and Loki has tricks for every occasion, none of which in any way eventuates as the poem progresses. In contrast to the version in Gylfaginning, where no reason is given for the journey, Lokrur gives the story a more intelligible motivation by having Þórr decide to make the trip himself while Loki attempts to talk him out of it. This also cleverly inverts Loki’s incitement of Þórr to make the trip to Geirröðargarður, known to us from both Skáldskaparmál in the Prose Edda, and Þórsdrápa in the Poetic Edda, both of which Lokrur’s audience would very likely have been familiar with (Þorgeirsson 2018).

The poem uses kennings both to add puzzle-solving interest and to meet metrical requirements. Any character’s relationship to Óðinn is particularly useful to the poet, as it opens up the huge store of Óðinn-names to provide options for alliteration etc. It is no surprise to see Þórr referred to in these verses as Óðinn’s son or his heir, but the kennings for Loki are intriguing: in earlier, skaldic verse, Loki is called Óðinn’s friend (vinr), but in rímur he has become a servant (þjónn) or slave (þræll). Sörla þáttr in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, which, like Lokrur, is considered a late text compared with the skaldic verse quoted in the Prose Edda, likewise depicts Loki as Óðinn’s servant.

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt, 2022

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

The Wild Hunt , 2021

A review published on The Wild Hunt website.

wildhunt.org, 2020

A review of Our Troth Volume 1 (Third edition) by Ben Waggoner, originally published on wildhunt.... more A review of Our Troth Volume 1 (Third edition) by Ben Waggoner, originally published on wildhunt.org in 2020

wildhunt.org, 2019

A review of Heathen Garb and Gear by Ben Waggoner & Kveldulf Gunnarson, originally published on w... more A review of Heathen Garb and Gear by Ben Waggoner & Kveldulf Gunnarson, originally published on wildhunt.org in 2019.

Brepolis ISBN: 2503525806 Turnhout; 2007 In his most-quoted paper entitled "How Uniform was the O... more Brepolis ISBN: 2503525806 Turnhout; 2007 In his most-quoted paper entitled "How Uniform was the Old Norse Religion", Stephan Brink discusses and challenges the often-accepted assumption that the pre-Christian religion of Scandinavia was uniform in its mythology and religious practices. After cleverly brushing off the idea that, given that most of our written sources concerning Old Norse Religion come from Iceland, the sources may only represent a distinct Icelandic brand of heathenism (106), Brink presents his core idea: place-names can be used to asses variation and unity of the Old Norse Religion in a wider, pan-Scandinavian context.

Folklore Fellows' Communications Academia Scientiarum Fennica 210 Pages, Softcover ISBN: 951 -41 ... more Folklore Fellows' Communications Academia Scientiarum Fennica 210 Pages, Softcover ISBN: 951 -41 -0809 -4 1997; Helsinki In one of his latest publications to date, John Lindow, professor of Scandinavian Studies for more than thirty years at the University of Berkeley -California decides to research the myth of Baldr's death in order to shine a light to some less-known aspects of Old Norse mythology and culture. The relatively short (172 actual pages) book makes good use of mediaeval Icelandic Sagas and the Eddas as well as various other Germanic written sources while calling upon the fields of philology, comparative religion or even archaeology in order to fuel its narrative. Starting with a chapter ("AEsir and Vanir: Religion, Myth, Mythology, Mythography") dedicated to Norse mythology as a whole, Lindow presents some of the key concepts of the mythology such as the critical theme of duality and confrontation ( 14 -16) or the opposition between centrality and periphery (17 -18). In the second part of this introductory chapter (20 -28) Lindow presents the principal sources for the myth of Baldr´s death, starting from the early Eddic poem Völuspá and the famed skaldic stanzas of Úlfr Uggason's Húsdrápa. The author also reviews later prose works such as Snorri´s Gylfaginning and Saxo Grammaticus´ Gesta Danorum. The last part of the

Folklore Fellows' Communications Academia Scientiarum Fennica 589 + 286 pages, Softcover

Munin Conference on Academic Publishing, 2021

Following the completion of a bachelor in History, started in France but completed in Tromsø as a... more Following the completion of a bachelor in History, started in France but completed in Tromsø as an exchange student, I started to develop an interest for Scandinavian History and culture, which translated in me moving to Iceland to enroll in the Old Norse Religion MA program at the university of Iceland in 2013. After graduation, three years later, I began the life of an unaffiliated early-career scholar eager to make use of my newly-acquired knowledge. Since then, I have met with a number of obstacles related to access to scientific publications and source material, as well as discovered and developed ways around such problems.

Working largely outside the framework of a higher-education establishment, my academic experience has so far been characterized by the mixing of traditional research methods and resources with more informal approaches. Finding primary sources, always a capital task for researchers of older History, is the perfect example of how contemporary Old Norse scholars combine long-established resources such as scholarly editions and manuscript transcription with less well-established web-based material such as amateur translations and commentaries.

Online support and networking groups, largely operating via social media pages also do play an important role in facilitating collaboration between scholars, wanna-be scholars, and other enthusiasts, as well as making less-accessible resources more widely-distributed. One such example of collaborative internet-based academic project is the current Old Norse translation network I have been a part of since last year. Gathering individuals currently or formerly employed in academia, as well as enthusiastic amateurs and prospective academics, it makes for a relevant case study. This can be used to demonstrate how contemporary Old Norse scholars must operate in a hybrid field where the ever-growing amount of online resources must nevertheless be critically balanced with traditional published sources in order to conduct research.

The Munin conference on academic publishing, 2021

Following the completion of a bachelor in History, started in France but completed in Tromsø as a... more Following the completion of a bachelor in History, started in France but completed in Tromsø as an exchange student, I started to develop an interest for Scandinavian History and culture, which translated in me moving to Iceland to enroll in the Old Norse Religion MA program at the university of Iceland in 2013. After graduation, three years later, I began the life of an unaffiliated early-career scholar eager to make use of my newly-acquired knowledge. Since then, I have met with a number of obstacles related to access to scientific publications and source material, as well as discovered and developed ways around such problems.

Working largely outside the framework of a higher-education establishment, my academic experience has so far been characterized by the mixing of traditional research methods and resources with more informal approaches. Finding primary sources, always a capital task for researchers of older History, is the perfect example of how contemporary Old Norse scholars combine long-established resources such as scholarly editions and manuscript transcription with less well-established web-based material such as amateur translations and commentaries.

Online support and networking groups, largely operating via social media pages also do play an important role in facilitating collaboration between scholars, wanna-be scholars, and other enthusiasts, as well as making less-accessible resources more widely-distributed. One such example of collaborative internet-based academic project is the current Old Norse translation network I have been a part of since last year. Gathering individuals currently or formerly employed in academia, as well as enthusiastic amateurs and prospective academics, it makes for a relevant case study. This can be used to demonstrate how contemporary Old Norse scholars must operate in a hybrid field where the ever-growing amount of online resources must nevertheless be critically balanced with traditional published sources in order to conduct research.

While in the realm of norse and saga research, the relationship between berserkir and bears, alon... more While in the realm of norse and saga research, the relationship between berserkir and bears, alongside that of úlfhéðnar and wolves, has been thoroughly documented and debated (Samson 2011; Beard 1980), it cannot be said that the bear itself has received quite as much focus. In this presentation partially based on my 2016 MA thesis (Perabo 2016: 168-179), I will describe the way the bear appears in Medieval Norse-Icelandic sagas, Latin texts, and other related documents, as

While in the realm of norse and saga research, the relationship between berserkir and bears, alon... more While in the realm of norse and saga research, the relationship between berserkir and bears, alongside that of úlfhéðnar and wolves, has been thoroughly documented and debated (Samson 2011; Beard 1980), it cannot be said that the bear itself has received quite as much focus. In this presentation partially based on my 2016 MA thesis (Perabo 2016: 168-179), I will describe the way the bear appears in Medieval Norse-Icelandic sagas, Latin texts, and other related documents, as
well as present a rough typology of various motifs associated with the animal in these texts using philological as well as narrative data analysis. As it is presented in the corpus, the bear tends to be associated with peripheral territories, especially the far north, and its appearance in a narrative is rarely anodyne. In a number of cases, bear hunting and bear-killing seems to take on some sort of ritualistic veneer, and accounts of the consumption of bear flesh is often linked with not only
berserkrgang, but other devious behaviors as well (Aðalheiður Guðmundsdóttir 2007). The issue of bear shape-changing will also be explored as a motif that lies at the intersection of the concepts of
berserkr, and hamrammr (Oxley 2019). Finally, through the famous account of Hrólfs saga kraka, I will attempt to demonstrate whether saga accounts featuring bears could be, as some scholars have
proposed, linked with Sámi, or Finnic motifs and accounts (Tolley 2007).

The subject of today’s talk will be Eddic poems, how they were discovered, how they were publishe... more The subject of today’s talk will be Eddic poems, how they were discovered, how they were
published, edited, and spread in the English-speaking world. while the Poetic Edda is well-known
as a piece of literature, knowledge of the transmission, preservation, and translation of these texts
remain somewhat hard to find. This talk will present the numerous english-language translations
and editions of the Poetic Edda and comment on their characteristics, processes, scopes, and
limitations. The presentation will end with a discussion of the various issues inherent to translation
and the different approaches one can take when attempting to translate the Poetic Edda.

Based on a literary and historical perspective, this talk will explore what in actuality are the ... more Based on a literary and historical perspective, this talk will explore what in actuality are the famous “Viking Sagas” in a way that is fitting both for complete newcomers and connoisseurs of Norse culture. The origin of the various subgenera of sagas such as kings’ sagas, legendary sagas and chivalric sagas will all be discussed, alongside the transmission of skaldic poetry, the historicity of saga narratives and much more. In addition, a special focus will be put on the place of supernatural and Heathen motives in this literary tradition and how much faith can modern Pagans and Heathens have in these age-old tales.

Paper presented for the Viking Archeology course examination at Háskoli Íslands the 8th of April ... more Paper presented for the Viking Archeology course examination at Háskoli Íslands the 8th of April 2014. Professor: Ori Vésteinsson.