Tom Rowsell | University College London (original) (raw)

Tom Rowsell

I studied Anglo Saxon and Norse paganism for my MA and subsequently expanded my understanding of this topic through independent study of the wider Indo-European religious world. I am known more for my history documentaries than for my written work.

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Videos by Tom Rowsell

In this video I will show how the 2nd Merseberg charm, a magic spell from medieval Germany, prove... more In this video I will show how the 2nd Merseberg charm, a magic spell from medieval Germany, proves that ancient Indo-Europeans also had special magical spells to keep their horses alive - by healing them. The examples I give come from a 19th century Swedish spell, an Irish spell from 1938 recorded in the archives of the folklore dept. at UCD, the second battle of Maige Tuired, and Book 4/12 of the Atharva-Veda.

I also look at how the Norse used horses for black magic too - namely the níðstang or shame pole which requires a severed horse's head.

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Papers by Tom Rowsell

The essay looks at historical sources in an attempt to determine the origin of the cult of Woden ... more The essay looks at historical sources in an attempt to determine the origin of the cult of Woden and also to explore the dynastic and religious functions, history and patterns of Woden’s inclusion in Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies.

Hakon Sigurdsson was a unique figure in Icelandic literature during the Viking age. He spear-head... more Hakon Sigurdsson was a unique figure in Icelandic literature during the Viking age. He spear-headed a new type of state-paganism intended to validate his authority and appease the Norwegian population. As the last heathen leader before Olaf Tryggvason assumed power in Norway, he features heavily in saga literature and many examples of heathen ritual and custom are associated with him. In this essay I will attempt to understand the motives behind the portrayals of Hakon jarl and other heathen characters in several sagas and to decipher the symbolic meaning of some literary depictions of heathen ritual.

There are many examples in Njáls saga of characters who fail to adhere to their assigned gender r... more There are many examples in Njáls saga of characters who fail to adhere to their assigned gender role and as a result perpetuate the chain of events that leads the saga to its grisly conclusion. The principle examples of this gender distortion are found in the central characters Njáll and Gunnarr and their wives Hallgerðr and Bergþóra. This essay will examine these sexual themes and the symbolic implications of the inversion of gender roles. The theme of sexuality is played out through sexual insults and symbolic inversion of gender roles through action and appearance. These sexual insults have parallels in the Eddic poem Lokasenna which connects the theme with mythological tradition.

This paper looks at Anglo-Saxon hagiographies and accounts of martyrdom at the hands of Vikings a... more This paper looks at Anglo-Saxon hagiographies and accounts of martyrdom at the hands of Vikings as a form of cultural propaganda.

Drafts by Tom Rowsell

The study will examine the religious background to mortuary rituals associated with the non-crema... more The study will examine the religious background to mortuary rituals associated with the non-cremated inhumation boat burials of Northern Europe in the Vendel period. An analysis of grave goods, animal and human remains, and the material culture common to such boat burials will reveal more about the relationships between England and Sweden at that time. The study will include consideration of similarities between pressbleck/helmet designs, square headed brooches and shields found in these boat burials and will readdress the cultural relationship between Anglian England and the Vendel period Svear of Uppland (Bruce Mitford, 1968). The study will also address the recently discovered Estonian boat burials of the Vendel era (Konsa, 2009) in the context of the super-regional boat burial catalogue (1970) and the boat grave index (1974) each compiled by Müller-Wille.
Comparative analysis of the boats, their material contents and topographical situation (Anderson, 1983) will shed light on the religious rituals behind the funerary custom and provide an explanation, informed by historical sources, for the apparent cultural connection between the Vendel period Svea and the kingdom of East Anglia.