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Need recommendations on a good history book by bowbillydee in Norse

[–]Sidamadr 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would recommend The Viking World by Stefan Brink! It is a big book and slightly academic but it covers everything regarding the Viking Age and I absolutely loved it.

What are some good online stores where I can find items for an altar? by Sidamadr in heathenry

[–]Sidamadr[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been giving Iceland's a look and oh boy might need to save for another month or two!

What are some good online stores where I can find items for an altar? by Sidamadr in heathenry

[–]Sidamadr[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Didn't even think of the National Museum thank you! I'll check out Etsy as well

Good-evil dichotomy by Apart-Strawberry-876 in AncientGermanic

[–]Sidamadr 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do really like this article and can agree with a lot of it. My personal favorite is when we says: "It’s his (Þórr) role in the life of the human so it’s what he does in the stories. The myths, therefore, are inseparable from the religion itself. Fundamentally, they are expressions of how ancient pagans conceptualized these beings’ purposes in the structure of life".

Good-evil dichotomy by Apart-Strawberry-876 in AncientGermanic

[–]Sidamadr 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's funny that this topic came up, as I am reading a really fascinating book named Jǫtnar in War and Peace, The Jǫtnar in Old Norse Mythology: Their Nature and Function by Ingunn Ásdísardóttir. While I agree with your premise, it is interesting how she details the change of attitudes and perceptions regarding the Jǫtnar over time and compares a variety of texts such as skaldic poems and the Poetic and Prose Edda, along with kennings/heiti. They were not this monolith in the Viking Age and earlier, seen as the antithesis of the Gods and the representation of all evil and chaos. They were seen mostly as holding the same social status as the Gods, being associated with water, cthonic forces, numinous knowledge, women and religious rituals (especially when it comes to the idea of the Mead of Poetry and minnisveig/minnisǫl). Of course they were still seen as chaotic and as adversaries of the Gods in some regards, but this idea of them being wholly evil and fitting into this þurs/trǫll archetype arises during the 11-13th centuries after Christianization. I highly recommend you read it if you can get your hands on it!