Books by Tommy Kuusela
This thesis is the first study to examine the interaction between gods and giants in Old Norse my... more This thesis is the first study to examine the interaction between gods and giants in Old Norse mythology from the perspective of Iron Age halls. Its central aim is to contextualise Old Norse mythological narratives that describe the interactions between gods and giants in a hall environment, and to show how the mythological depictions can be compared to the norms and rules found in Iron Age hall culture, especially in connection with its warrior ideology. The relationships observed also apply to the Iron Age’s aristocratic sovereigns and their dynamic dealings – both peaceful and martial – found in the connection and rivalry between different halls and hall owners. The giants are related to the concept of “the Other”, and as hall-owners can thus be contextualised with real social relations in Iron Age society. The investigation centers arounds key topics from the perspective of a hall setting, departing from mythic traditions regarding Óðinn and Þórr as guests in the halls of giants. These topics include grið within the hall; the good and generous host; the dangerous and hostile guest; the hall as an arena for knowledge and mead; and finally the destruction of halls as an attack on the hall owner’s fame and honour. Similarities and differences between myths about Óðinn’s and Þórr’s interaction with hall-owning giants are examined in depth, and it is argued that Óðinn embodies wisdom and extracts knowledge or valuables from the giants by cunning tricks or manipulation, having (usually) travelled there alone and in disguise. Þórr, on the other hand, is argued to embody physical strength, honour, glory and courage, and his dealings with the giants revolve around these issues. He seldom seems to travel alone or under cover, and when his courage or honour is threatened, his response is to kill his host (and his retinue) and to destroy the giant’s hall. It is argued that the Old Norse conception of the world is to be understood as neither dualistic or monistic. Instead, it is proposed that the myths can be understood from a perspective of conflicts that are temporal and not permanent in nature.
Edited Books by Tommy Kuusela
Träd i Sverige. Kulturhistoriska och samtida perspektiv. Edited by Annika Karlholm, Tommy Kuusela,, Kristina Neumüller, Eva Thelin (Institutet för språk och folkminnen: Uppsala), 2024
From images to action. On crafting a resin box by materializing a drawing I am a craftswoman and ... more From images to action. On crafting a resin box by materializing a drawing I am a craftswoman and I make films on the cultural history of craftmanship. These films are made public on Youtube under the alias Olors. Olors is also the name of the farm I grew up on; thus, I am Olors-Kristin. I make these films in an effort to bring history to life and to disseminate knowledge about the variety of techniques of craftmanship and about different ways of thinking about handicraft. Historically, it has not been possible to read about and study handicraft and craftmanship; rather, these skills have been transferred and handed down from one generation to the next: by word of mouth, from hand to hand. The sound, the smell and the feeling in one's fingertips all help the craftsman or craftswomen in the direction of the intended target. For the Tree symposium I was asked to make a film inspired by some of the objects that are depicted in the five booklets of illustrations accompanying the Ordbok över folkmålen i Övre Dalarna, published by the the Institute for Language and Folklore (Isof). I made the kådryve the main character of the film. The compound name consists of two parts, kåd-(cf. standard Swedish kåda 'resin', which has traditionally been used as chewing gum) and-ryve 'box'. A kådryve is a simple but ingenious box made of birch bark, where the carpenter's knowledge of the material has been crucial. The box practically produces itself. The film is available on Youtube in both a Swedish and an English version.
This scholarly collection explores historical and contemporary folk belief and traditions of the ... more This scholarly collection explores historical and contemporary folk belief and traditions of the supernatural around the globe. From fairies on the island of Fetlar to encounters with the Haiwaiian goddess Pele to Swedish ghost pigs and manhole cover traditions to para-genealogy to religious songs of Braj to Silesian legal theories of vampirism, this book sheds new light on murky and contested areas of scholarship within the disciplines of folklore, anthropology, and history. Chapter authors: Arngrímur Vídalín, Andrew Jennings, Tommy Kuusela, Fredrik Skott, Kirsten Møllegaard, Barbara Annan, Tulika Chandra, and Giuseppe Maiello.
Table of Contents:
"Preface" by Tommy Kuusela & Giuseppe Maiello
1. "Some Thoughts on the Supernatural, the Fantastic and the Paranormal in Medieval and Modern Literature" by Arngrímur Vídalín
2. "Memories and Metamorphoses: A Short Introduction to the Supernatural. Tales and Beliefs from Fetlar in Shetland" by Andrew Jennings
3. “He Met His Own Funeral Procession”: The Year Walk Ritual in
Swedish Folk Tradition" by Tommy Kuusela
4. "Folklore of Manhole Covers: Fears, Hopes and Everyday Magic in Contemporary Sweden" by Fredrik Skott
5. "Chicken Skin Stories: Folk Belief in Contemporary Hawai’i" by Kirsten Møllegaard
6. "Reports of the Supernatural in Genealogy" by Barbara Annan
7. "Traits of Transmission and Preservation: Interpreting Digital Versions of Folktales and Folk Songs from India" by Tulika Chandra
8. "Carl Ferdinand Schertz’s Legal Analysis of Vampirism" by Giuseppe Maiello
Articles on Old Norse Religion by Tommy Kuusela
Folklore and Old Norse Mythology, edited by Frog and Joonas Ahola, 2021
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Chapter in: Myth, Materiality, and Lived Religion: In Merovingian and Viking Scandinavia. Ed. Wikström af Edholm, K., Jackson, P., Nordberg, A., Sundqvist, O. & Zachrisson, T. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press, 2019
Scripta Islandica , 2017
This article argues that the enigmatic figure Mímir – and his various name forms – is to be consi... more This article argues that the enigmatic figure Mímir – and his various name forms – is to be considered a wise giant and an oracle that Óðinn consults for knowledge in critical times. Mímir shares this aspect with other wise giants such as Vafþrúðnir. This discussion is based upon the relationship between knowledge, death, the realm of the dead, and the mead of poetry. It is proposed that Óðinn himself beheads Mímir with the sole purpose of animating his head, thereby securing his wisdom. The article compares Mímir’s head with other decapitated heads known from folklore, primarily from Irish sources. It is argued that Mímir subsists on the threshold between life and death and that this gives him the ability to see into the realm of the dead and draw on their knowledge.
![Research paper thumbnail of 'Den som rider på Freyfaxi ska dö': Freyfaxis död och rituell nedstörtning av hästar för stup ['The one who rides on Freyfaxi shall die': the death of Freyfaxi and ritual pushing down of horses from cliffs]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fattachments.academia-assets.com%2F40849017%2Fthumbnails%2F1.jpg&q=12&output=webp&max-age=110)
In this article, it is argued that the short episode of Hrafnkels saga describing the horse Freyf... more In this article, it is argued that the short episode of Hrafnkels saga describing the horse Freyfaxi as sacred and Hrafnkell’s relation with Freyr, is based on old Germanic traditions that have survived in oral tradition, until the saga was written down. The manner in which the horse is killed is compared with execution through throwing horses off a cliff in later Norwegian folk traditions, and with Nordic medieval techniques for killing sorcerers or other menacing persons, where the executioners tried to avoid the evil eye by putting a sack over the victim’s head. It is also argued that sacred horses can be found in other Germanic, and within a broader comparison in Indo-European, traditions. Therefore it is likely based on an old motif. The burning of the god Freyr’s hof is contradictory within the saga itself, because it is said to be carried out by heathens, and must therefore be considered as a much younger invention, probably inserted into the story by an author.
Chapter in: "Krig och fred i vendel- och vikingatida traditioner". Edited by Håkan Rydving & Stefan Olsson, Stockholm University Press 2016, pp. 47-90.
Chapter in: Limes vol. 13/2020: Constructing Masculinity in Old Norse Culture, ed. Remigiusz Gogosz, 2020
last page proofs
The author argues that tales in the Old English poem Beowulf have been passed down orally before ... more The author argues that tales in the Old English poem Beowulf have been passed down orally before being written down, and that the poem blends pagan and Christian elements. Some motifs from a pre-Christian past are still possible to identify. It is argued that certain motifs in Beowulf can be compared with analogous motifs in Old Norse Mythology. The main focus is the descriptions of Grendel and his mother, both referred to with terms for giants such as Old English þyrs and eoten, related to Old Norse þurs and jǫtunn. The author compares general descriptions of giants in the poem and concludes that the poet makes sure to differ between Biblical giants and traditional giants. The latter group is not described as monsters; they have many elements in common with mythological giants known from Old Norse mythology, giants are also used as poetical metaphors in descriptions of enemies.
![Research paper thumbnail of 'Med trehövdad turs skall du leva': sexuellt betvingande trolldom i nordisk mytologi och religion. ['You shall live with a three-headed þurs': Sexual Magic in Nordic Mythology and Religion].](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fattachments.academia-assets.com%2F39029918%2Fthumbnails%2F1.jpg&q=12&output=webp&max-age=110)
"The aim of this article is to explore two case studies of Old Norse sexual charms and curses. Th... more "The aim of this article is to explore two case studies of Old Norse sexual charms and curses. The first case is a curse described in Skírnismál which is used by Skírnir to break
Gerðr’s will, and the second is a description by Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum of how Óðinn used sorcery to break Rind’s will and rape her. The main argument is that the terminology and worldview found therein are possible to trace in other sources, where
sorcery is employed to break the will of young women and force them to have sexual intercourse with the one who uttered or carved the charm or curse. With evidence taken
from runic inscriptions and accounts of love magic from saga literature, as well as younger folkloristic examples, it is argued that this is not only a mythic motif, but something that was practiced at a societal level. It is also argued that many of the charms and curses contain foul language that serves the purpose to reinforce the charms and make them
more potent."
![Research paper thumbnail of Varulven i fornnordisk tradition [The Werewolf in Old Norse Tradition]](https://images.weserv.nl/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fattachments.academia-assets.com%2F33584709%2Fthumbnails%2F1.jpg&q=12&output=webp&max-age=110)
Ella Odstedts studie Varulven i svenskfolktradition är ett imponerande arbete. Hon behandlar dock... more Ella Odstedts studie Varulven i svenskfolktradition är ett imponerande arbete. Hon behandlar dock nästan inte alls medeltida källor och har valt att avgränsa sig mot fornvästnordiskt område. Inom det sistnämnda finns ett rikt källmaterial som producerats på främst Island, varifrån vi känner både det som vi kallar den isländska sagalitteraturen och många av de dikter som ligger till grund för vår förståelse av den fornnordiska kulturen. Att hon avgränsat sig är fullt naturligt eftersom syftet trots allt är att skildra varulvsföreställningar i den yngre svenska folktraditionen, men hon tillägger att på grundval av »de bestämda vittnesbörd, som föreligga från västnordiskt område under denna tid [medeltid] måste man dock antaga, att de~sa föreställningar under samma tid också varit fullt levande hos vårt folk.» 282 Det kan således vara ett värdefullt komplement till Odstedts forskning att skissera föreställningarnas äldre historia, och då i ett något vidare geografiskt område. Föreliggande bidrag ämnar göra just detta. 28 3 2 82 s. 27.
Articles on Folklore by Tommy Kuusela
Skogshistoriska sällskapets årsskrift, 2023
Träd i Sverige. Kulturhistoriska och samtida perspektiv. Edited by Annika Karlholm, Tommy Kuusela, Kristina Neumüller, Eva Thelin (Institutet för språk och folkminnen: Uppsala), 2024
Abstract: Passing through trees as a magical cure against illness
Up until the early 20th centur... more Abstract: Passing through trees as a magical cure against illness
Up until the early 20th century, the insufficiencies of medical services left most of the rural population dependent on traditional folk medicine and healing rituals conducted by the cunning folk – older men and women who were specialists in healing and experts of magical charms and rituals. Traditional folk medicine included forms of ritual healing where prayers, charms or spells accompanied rituals as means of treatment. “Passing through” or “passing under” were amongst the most persistent and widespread healing practices to have survived and recorded in the folklore archives. The practice meant that a sick person had to pass through – usually by crawling or being lifted through – a natural or man-made opening in a tree, through rocks or the earth itself, normally at dawn or midnight. This article is based on approximately 300 accounts from the Dialect and Folklore Archives in Uppsala describing the method of passing through trees. According to the archival sources, it was a common method for curing rickets, especially in young children, but it could also be used to cure a variety of other illnesses and for protection against sorcery. The article also explores other uses of the ritual of “passing through”, and discusses offerings that were left at the healing trees after the ritual had been completed.
Keywords: healing trees, passing through, folklore, folk belief, cunning folk, ritual, healing, folk medicine
Gothique. Myriad Manifestations. A Study of the Various Forms of the Gothic. Edited by Aparajita Hazra. , 2023
The Wild Hunt for Numinous Knowledge: Perspectives on and from the Study of Pre-Christian Nordic Religions in Honour of Jens Peter Schjødt (, 2022
This paper explores narratives about eating the flesh of a dragon or white serpent. It is argued ... more This paper explores narratives about eating the flesh of a dragon or white serpent. It is argued that these narratives can be interpreted as examples of initiation. The snake’s association with wisdom is a common motif in Scandinavian folklore, stretching back at least to the Middle Ages. The author argues that folklore accounts of eating a white snake correspond symbolically to initiation. Different texts explain and legitimise how certain persons gain abilities such as wisdom, second sight, and the ability to understand the language of birds or other animals. This motif shows continuity over time and space, and does not have to have taken place as an actual ritual for the interpretation to be valid, particularly as, in the 19th century, such stories legitimised such people’s position in society as ‘cunning folk’.
Chapter in: Vardagsliv i kåta och stuga. Bidrag från Vilhelminabiennalen 23-24 september 2019, red. Susanne Haugen & Robert Eckeryd/Oknytt. Johan Nordlander-sällskapets tidskrift 1-2/2021, 2021
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Books by Tommy Kuusela
Edited Books by Tommy Kuusela
Table of Contents:
"Preface" by Tommy Kuusela & Giuseppe Maiello
1. "Some Thoughts on the Supernatural, the Fantastic and the Paranormal in Medieval and Modern Literature" by Arngrímur Vídalín
2. "Memories and Metamorphoses: A Short Introduction to the Supernatural. Tales and Beliefs from Fetlar in Shetland" by Andrew Jennings
3. “He Met His Own Funeral Procession”: The Year Walk Ritual in
Swedish Folk Tradition" by Tommy Kuusela
4. "Folklore of Manhole Covers: Fears, Hopes and Everyday Magic in Contemporary Sweden" by Fredrik Skott
5. "Chicken Skin Stories: Folk Belief in Contemporary Hawai’i" by Kirsten Møllegaard
6. "Reports of the Supernatural in Genealogy" by Barbara Annan
7. "Traits of Transmission and Preservation: Interpreting Digital Versions of Folktales and Folk Songs from India" by Tulika Chandra
8. "Carl Ferdinand Schertz’s Legal Analysis of Vampirism" by Giuseppe Maiello
Articles on Old Norse Religion by Tommy Kuusela
Gerðr’s will, and the second is a description by Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum of how Óðinn used sorcery to break Rind’s will and rape her. The main argument is that the terminology and worldview found therein are possible to trace in other sources, where
sorcery is employed to break the will of young women and force them to have sexual intercourse with the one who uttered or carved the charm or curse. With evidence taken
from runic inscriptions and accounts of love magic from saga literature, as well as younger folkloristic examples, it is argued that this is not only a mythic motif, but something that was practiced at a societal level. It is also argued that many of the charms and curses contain foul language that serves the purpose to reinforce the charms and make them
more potent."
Articles on Folklore by Tommy Kuusela
Up until the early 20th century, the insufficiencies of medical services left most of the rural population dependent on traditional folk medicine and healing rituals conducted by the cunning folk – older men and women who were specialists in healing and experts of magical charms and rituals. Traditional folk medicine included forms of ritual healing where prayers, charms or spells accompanied rituals as means of treatment. “Passing through” or “passing under” were amongst the most persistent and widespread healing practices to have survived and recorded in the folklore archives. The practice meant that a sick person had to pass through – usually by crawling or being lifted through – a natural or man-made opening in a tree, through rocks or the earth itself, normally at dawn or midnight. This article is based on approximately 300 accounts from the Dialect and Folklore Archives in Uppsala describing the method of passing through trees. According to the archival sources, it was a common method for curing rickets, especially in young children, but it could also be used to cure a variety of other illnesses and for protection against sorcery. The article also explores other uses of the ritual of “passing through”, and discusses offerings that were left at the healing trees after the ritual had been completed.
Keywords: healing trees, passing through, folklore, folk belief, cunning folk, ritual, healing, folk medicine
Table of Contents:
"Preface" by Tommy Kuusela & Giuseppe Maiello
1. "Some Thoughts on the Supernatural, the Fantastic and the Paranormal in Medieval and Modern Literature" by Arngrímur Vídalín
2. "Memories and Metamorphoses: A Short Introduction to the Supernatural. Tales and Beliefs from Fetlar in Shetland" by Andrew Jennings
3. “He Met His Own Funeral Procession”: The Year Walk Ritual in
Swedish Folk Tradition" by Tommy Kuusela
4. "Folklore of Manhole Covers: Fears, Hopes and Everyday Magic in Contemporary Sweden" by Fredrik Skott
5. "Chicken Skin Stories: Folk Belief in Contemporary Hawai’i" by Kirsten Møllegaard
6. "Reports of the Supernatural in Genealogy" by Barbara Annan
7. "Traits of Transmission and Preservation: Interpreting Digital Versions of Folktales and Folk Songs from India" by Tulika Chandra
8. "Carl Ferdinand Schertz’s Legal Analysis of Vampirism" by Giuseppe Maiello
Gerðr’s will, and the second is a description by Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum of how Óðinn used sorcery to break Rind’s will and rape her. The main argument is that the terminology and worldview found therein are possible to trace in other sources, where
sorcery is employed to break the will of young women and force them to have sexual intercourse with the one who uttered or carved the charm or curse. With evidence taken
from runic inscriptions and accounts of love magic from saga literature, as well as younger folkloristic examples, it is argued that this is not only a mythic motif, but something that was practiced at a societal level. It is also argued that many of the charms and curses contain foul language that serves the purpose to reinforce the charms and make them
more potent."
Up until the early 20th century, the insufficiencies of medical services left most of the rural population dependent on traditional folk medicine and healing rituals conducted by the cunning folk – older men and women who were specialists in healing and experts of magical charms and rituals. Traditional folk medicine included forms of ritual healing where prayers, charms or spells accompanied rituals as means of treatment. “Passing through” or “passing under” were amongst the most persistent and widespread healing practices to have survived and recorded in the folklore archives. The practice meant that a sick person had to pass through – usually by crawling or being lifted through – a natural or man-made opening in a tree, through rocks or the earth itself, normally at dawn or midnight. This article is based on approximately 300 accounts from the Dialect and Folklore Archives in Uppsala describing the method of passing through trees. According to the archival sources, it was a common method for curing rickets, especially in young children, but it could also be used to cure a variety of other illnesses and for protection against sorcery. The article also explores other uses of the ritual of “passing through”, and discusses offerings that were left at the healing trees after the ritual had been completed.
Keywords: healing trees, passing through, folklore, folk belief, cunning folk, ritual, healing, folk medicine
Skriven för utställningen Föreställningsvärldar (27 september 2020 — 28 februari 2021).
This text was written as a pamphlet for the exhibition World views (27 Sep 2020 - 28 Feb 2021) at Västerbottens Museum.
The farmers in Sweden have always treasured cows, even though they rarely produced rich amounts of milk, skin or meat. This article examines the folklore, magical rites and customs, for protecting and handling cows in 19th and early 20th century pre-industrial Sweden. A common notion was that cows were sensitive and vulnerable animals; therefore, there existed all kinds of safety measures and magical rites for making sure that they got as much protection and help as possible. This also applied to notions of diseases and cures, that some ailments or injuries was the result of sorcery or the harmful interference of supernatural beings or witches. Therefore, magical charms and customs was the most effective cure. When a farmer bought a new cow to his farm, it was important to follow certain rituals and customs to make sure that she did not start longing for her earlier home. There is a large number of customs and magical rites described in the folklore archives for protecting and making sure that crucial elements in the breeding and handling of cows worked properly, as well as the milking of cows and protecting the milk from witches, the evil eye or supernatural beings. Another topic is liminal phases when the cows were extra sensitive and vulnerable from the supernatural, for example, during calving or when the cows were released for summer pasture. This article examines hundreds of such folklore accounts, based on the collections of The Archives of Dialect- and Folklore Archive in Uppsala.
Link: https://bragelaboratorium.com/2020/06/22/arsgang-eller-arsgaanjin-en-spadomsritual-i-sverige-och-i-finland-och-dess-andra-liv-i-ett-mobilspel/
https://folklorethursday.com/folktales/gloson-the-swedish-ghost-pig-that-will-cleave-you-in-half/
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2020-02-07-coronavirus-ryktesspridning-och-vandringssagner.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-12-16-gloson-det-fruktade-spoksvinet.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-06-26-blodiga-trollformler.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-04-14-drakar---standigt-aktuella-vasen.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-04-13-white-walkers-draugar-och-spoksoldater.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-04-12-fimbulwinter-is-coming.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2019-04-04-karleksmagi-genom-tiderna.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2018-12-10-vem-var-lucia.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2018-07-11-kappa---ett-japanskt-folktrovasen.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2017-12-22-hur-kom-jultomten-till-sverige.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2017-11-23-skramselvasen-i-aldre-tid.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2017-09-14-uttern-ludde.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2017-01-19-skatan.html
http://www.isof.se/om-oss/vara-bloggar/folkminnesarkiven-berattar/arkivberattelser/2016-12-20-regnbagen.html
difficult accidents, and the number would be far greater if reports of minor accidents or accounts of uncanny feelings were taken into consideration. Skarvberget is a part of Ödmården, a region with a rich history that goes back to the middle ages. Some people in the district have an explanation for the misfortunes and they believe that it is caused by the hidden people (Swedish: vittra), supernatural beings living underneath the ground. According to these narratives, the hidden people are angered at the motorway that crosses their dwellings and lashes out in anger at the humans. This explanation could be read in many Swedish newspapers in 2014, although it was reported with some irony. In this paper, I will examine the different reports and compare them with older folklore accounts from the area, and put the given explanations into a wider context. I will also look into similar reports from Iceland, where supernatural beings (Icelandic: huldufólk) have been reported to act out and hinder constructions of roads and buildings. Records of this kind of
conflict are mentioned as early as the Icelandic Sagas. A brief summary of the hidden people (Swedish: vittra, vättar, de underjordiska) in Swedish folklore will be presented as well.
Biography: Tommy Kuusela is a PhD Fellow in History of religions at Stockholm University and works as a Research Archivist at the Institute for Language and Folklore in Uppsala. He is currently working on a dissertation on the interaction between giants and gods from the
perspective of a hall culture in Old Norse mythology, which will be defended in 2017. He has published articles on animals, Old Norse religion, as well as Swedish folk tradition, and on J.R. R. Tolkien. He is the co-editor of Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural (Beewolf
Press 2016).
E-mail: tommy.kuusela@sprakochfolkminnen.se
Description of the Conference:
This year the Mythology Conference will be held in Stockholm on the 4th and 5th of November. The title for this conference is ‘Myth, materiality, and lived religion’. The conference will focus on the material dimension of Norse mythology and the role played by religion in everyday life.
What do myths tell us about the material culture of the periods in which they were narrated? Can the mention of specific items in the myths help us to date the Eddic poems? Can material things and iconographic expressions increase our knowledge of Norse mythology? What significance did the material dimensions of the myths have for Viking Age and Medieval people both in ritual contexts and in everyday life?
Other classic issues will also be addressed, such as the question of whether the mythical traditions preserved in the medieval texts can really inform us about pre-Christian mythology and religion.
Some of the world's foremost myth scholars will speak and respond at the conference, such as Professor Margaret Clunies Ross from The University of Sydney, Professor John Lindow from The University of California, Berkeley, and Professor Rudolf Simek from The University of Bonn.
oracular method was a ritual known as year walk, and those who ventured on this perilous journey were known as year walkers. In this paper I will present this forgotten tradition. My source material consists of hundreds of accounts from the Swedish folklore archives.
My research on this topic can be found in the book "Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural" Edited by Tommy Kuusela & Giuseppe Maiello (Beewolf Press 2016).
(the article is based on a conference held in Shetland, 2014).
Tommy Kuusela, PhD-Candidate, History of Religions, Stockholm University
Dikten förmedlar en viktig föreställning om jättar, sannolikt en mycket gammal sådan, där visdomsaspekten är ett framträdande drag. Vaftrudners minne sträcker sig tillbaka till en mytisk urtid innan gudarna fanns till, han äger också esoterisk kunskap och har skådat in i dödsrikets mysterier. Vaftrudner är inte ensam, andra jättar beskrivs på liknande sätt. I detta föredrag avser Kuusela att lyfta fram denna i forskningen ofta förbisedda del av jättar i fornnordisk mytologi.
Jag tänker mig att dikten, i likhet med vad äldre forskare framhållit, ursprungligen var förkristen och att den traderats muntligt innan den nedtecknades, samtidigt som de kristna inslagen kan betraktas som ett yngre ramverk kring en äldre kärna. Diktens handling utspelar sig aldrig i Storbritannien; geografiskt sträcker sig handlingen från Skandinavien till delar av norra kontinenten.
Min utgångspunkt är diktens framställning av jättar och jag vill påvisa att motiv knutna till dem, i stor utsträckning överensstämmer med fornnordiska mytiska föreställningar om dessa väsen. När den monstruösa Grendel (med epitet feng. þyrs som korresponderar med fvn. þurs) angriper den danske kungahallen, bryter natur in och omkullkastar den ordning som annars säkerställs av kungen. Grendel, en representant för kaotisk natur, kommer från sumpmarkerna (feng. mōras), han beskrivs intressant nog som feng. mearc-stapa ’gränsströvaren’ eller ’den som vandrar i det öde gränslandet’. Det krävs en utomstående hjälte, i det här fallet den mäktige Beowulf, för att tränga djupt in i och besegra, såväl som tygla, hotet från obygden."
This paper has been accepted for publication in Chaos
"Year walk was a complex form of divination in Swedish folk tradition. The source material consists of collections from different Swedish folklore archives. The tradition of year walking is predominantly recorded from Southern Sweden, and was usually practised at Christmas or New Year’s Eve. Different regions of Sweden give contrasting explanations for how this was accomplished. From the provinces of Småland and Blekinge, the year walker was supposed to lock himself up in a dark room, without speaking to anyone nor taste food or drink. At midnight, he (or she) walked to the parish church – or a cluster of different churches – and circled it three times (or more), then he (or she) blew into the church’s key hole. With this the year walker temporarily lost his (or her) Christianity. When this happened, supernatural beings appeared and challenged the year walker. If the walker managed these tests, glimpses of the future could appear; either in vision or by sounds. These could be interpreted as glimpses of what would happen the following year. The phenomena could vary greatly regionally or even in the same district. In this paper, I will compare the old tradition with how the tradition is interpreted in a new Swedish computer game called ‘Year Walk’, and see how the tradition is viewed in a contemporary popular culture."
This talk has been turned into a chapter, “He met his own funeral procession: The Year walk-ritual in Swedish folk tradition" in Tommy Kuusela & Giuseppe Maiello. Folk Belief and Traditions of the Supernatural. Beewolf Press 2016, pp. 58-91, (look above, it can be accessed for free on my Academia page)."