Book Review: Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
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- Опубліковано 12 гру 2020
- My review on the book "Gods and Myths of Northern Europe" by H. Davidson. My version is the 1990 revised edition.
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I really enjoyed your review.
I hold H.R. Ellis Davidson in the highest regard. I don't think her impact on the various fields of Norse culture, linguistics, and even archaeology can be overstated.
She was a pioneer in using a multi-disciplinary approach to analyzing the literature, folklore, myths, archaeology, linguistics, etc. to "see the big picture".
Thanks for this review. Could you walk us through your bookshelf sometime? You seem to have some interesting titles in there.
Yeah, some day :b thank you!
Would be nice, as an archeologist you can access academic works that are harder to come by if you you no longer are in that 'world'. Must be tough to buy you a book for Yule. ;-)
Euphrasia, or eyebright, is a genus of about 450 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are semi-parasitic on grasses and other plants. The common name refers to the plant's use in treating eye infections.
I like your comment on Jackson Crawford. He is an excellent source and very knowledgable, very academic. However, I sometimes find him a bit myopic and condescending, and it makes him a tad uncomfortable to watch sometimes, at least for me. But I have run into a lot of people that take what he says as a kind of gospel, and it was nice to see at least a bit of a good faith criticism. Anyways, thank you for the video, I enjoy your book reviews. Sometimes the sheer amount of book options is overwelming, and it is nice to hear more in-depth reviews and impressions of a book. H. R. Davidson is fascinating to read, I have just started Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe and it is quite interesting.
Thank you for sharing and good health to you.
Thank you :D and to you too!
Thank You Arith
1:36 when your two favorite historical sources of old Norse myths and religion become aware of each other 🤩
I definitely geeked out 😂
Glad you clarified Crawford's position in contemporary study.
Enjoying the content, brother!
Thank you ^^
Thank you so much for these book reviews. I appreciate the way you add some historical background, which helps me understand your interpretation of the work.
Absolutely fantastic great review love to start Sundays with a video of you! Congratulations.
Once again...Thank you!! I have been blessed to learn so much from so many brilliant people and you are definitely among then.
Arith, are you well? It seems you are having a hard time, however I am only taking from what I see from other videos after all, I have no idea how your life is outside of UA-cam. I just want you to know how much I appreciate the diligence you put in every single video you release. Thank you so much.
12:22 If you look at, for example the "Budda Bucket", it is in a square, and the negative space looks like a simple Mjolnir repeated 4 times.
Book reviews are most welcome Arith, keep them coming....🤜🏻🤛🏻👍🏻
I just started reading this book! I really appreciate your insight on it :) All of your videos have been very helpful to me!
Great! Happy readings! Thank you ^^
One of my first! I totally agree.
Awesome!
Still looking for standard works and papers, thank you for this valuable information.
Love your stuff kick on love it
Arith: Hello, I'm Arith Härger.
Captions: Hello, I am Mario Thoerger.
Yeah xD. Sometimes it's Arthur Ger, fancier!
@ lol
I just read in Freya Aswynn's _Northern Mysteries & Magic_ that what is now called a swastika was known in the Northern Tradition as a fylfot and was indeed "the sign sacred to Thor" (along with the shield knot) just as the Valknut, the triple triangle that you show in the inset at 8:36, is the power sigil of Odin. Aswynn writes what I've heard and read elsewhere: the fylfot/swastika, although misappropriated in the 20th century, is an ancient worldwide symbol for the sun, found in the Americas, Tibet, Japan, and many other places.
Would you please comment?
Love this channel and appreciate your work.
Hello there! I won't comment on the Valknut right here because I've already made 3 videos speaking about that symbol, and can't extend too much the reply here on the comments, but I'll summarize on the swastika concerning Thor. But here are the Valknut videos I've done so far:
1) The Valknut is a "Lie":
ua-cam.com/video/o_OY4CW7eeU/v-deo.html&t
2) Viking Religious Symbols:
ua-cam.com/video/bLAzWtAsuZ0/v-deo.html&t
3) Common Misconceptions in Old Norse Religion:
ua-cam.com/video/SMAUFHJ7dJo/v-deo.html&t
Concerning the swastika and Thor:
For many years it has been a common misconception the belief that the swastika and/or Fylfot is the symbol of the god Thor or/and his hammer. An idea still very consolidated in academia as well, actually. Since the 19th century, with the artistic popularization of this Norse god, the studies and analyzes around the figure of Thor and mjölnir have intensified, in the same way as the studies of the most researched Eurasian symbol during the 19th century: the swastika. In the Nordic/Old Norse context there is no medieval literary source about this symbol, leading researchers to look for materials from another era, such as the Icelandic grimoires of the Renaissance, where the swastika is called “Thor's hammer”. This led some academics in the first half of the 19th century to believe that the swastika had the same connotation during the Viking Age, following the example of Finnur Magnússon in the book Runamo og runerne. In the following decade, bracteate researchers allegedly identified the god Thor associated with swastikas, but in reality, they were representations of the god Odin. Many 19th century artists had access to these researches and start producing works mixing the deity with the symbol, like the painting Tors strid med jättarna by Mårten Eskil Winge (1872), several illustrations by Lorenz Frølich (1895) and the sculpture by Carl Johan Bonnesen for the Carlsberg brewery, held in 1901 (can still be seen on top of this building in Copenhagen). In the 20th century, several scholars continued this association, following the example of Hilda Davidson. Hilda Davidson is one of the many sources I use, and it's still great today, but some conceptions she demonstrated are now wrong because research continues, of course. There's been several recente iconographic surveys and analysis of several Nordic symbols, present in the end of Antiquity until the Central Middle Ages: bracteates, runes, tapestries, Anglo-Danish monuments, churches, crosses and it has been conclude that there is no evidence whatsoever of this association (Thor and/or mjönir being associated with the swastika/fylfot. All visual manifestations of the swastika in the Nordic context until the time of Scandinavia's Christianization were linked solely to the god Odin. Then, after Christianization and during the Middle Ages, a lot more Swastikas appear in Scandinavian context in Churches, as Christians borrowed the symbol and incorporated into Christian context. There are pre-Christian Scandinavian representations of Swastikas, of course, but the great majority of Swastikas appear after Christianization in Scandinavian context within Churches. Also, it must be pointed out that there's been a lot of claims, especially throughout the 20th century, that the Nordic term for swastika is fylfot, but this is an Anglo-Saxon term actually. The Old Norse term is not known.
@ Aha. Very enlightening. So, this is not an on-going argument among historians, but a refinement and correction based on further research and findings in the decades since Aswynn's book and others were published. To me, it makes more sense that the swastika/fylfot/hooked cross goes with Odin, and I'll get right to improving my knowledge of the valknut. Thank you for this mini-history of the issue and for the time it took to write it, as well as the links. (I know what I'm watching next!) Your professionalism and concern for your viewers are truly commendable.
Thank you I will read this
@arith härger Now here's a one for you on the archeology of central places and their socio, economic and religious meanings on all sides of the North Sea: 'The splendour of Power - Early medieval kingship and the use of gold and silver in the sourhern North sea area ((5th to 7th century AD). By J.A.W. Nicolay, Barkhuis publishing and University of Groningen, 2014. New is an entire new corpus of Frisian finds never properly published before in 'North sea Germanic' context. Some new lights are shed on the recently reconstructed 'Great Fibula' of Wijnaldum, with conclusive iconography of a Woden and raven/eagle/dragon figures on this disc-on-bow fibula of the early seventh century. A fantastic book.
Arith I think Crawford's reference to written works pertains more towards names as he often ststes that we cannot be sure about what things are called, dwelling more, as you said, on the linguistic side of things. I have heard him speak of the Runes in this way and said that the names we use today are more of an interpretation or extrapolation than an accurate name. Similar to the reconstruction of the Old Norse he uses.
Good review my friend,maybe you should consider a job in book reviewing. Btw I watched the first two episodes of the Vikings. I never knew that Lodbrok was on the first raid at Lindisfarne in 793? Definitely not watching anymore, so ends MY review on that. Thanks for the hard work, my friend.
i'm a north man who knows our pagan myths are myths yet the christians still believe their myths are real. harharhar. merry 21st. arith. call it what you will.
Interesting, jon solo is doing a norse mythology series. Its always interesting to compare what you two have to say on the subject
Thank you dear brother for your huge description about the book and i like your norwegian sweeter a lot
My opinion of Dr. Jackson Crawford...where I do agree that he is well versed in etymology of the Norse language groups, I think his understanding will always be limited. He is not a spiritual person, at least in a sense that widens or informs his understanding of the traditions pre-Christian peoples of northern Europe. I find him to be very superficial and vain. I'm glad you can tolerate and synthesize what he has to offer to our collective understanding, because I respect your intuition.
Take care
Very interesting review, i'm embarrased to admit that i haven't read it as yet but will most certainly try to get hold of it. Dr Crawford really does good work for certain! (Bastard pigeon getting in the way!)
Thank you! Must also do a review on his works. He is one of the very very few I find to be a reliable source on Old Norse.
Super late to the game this time. That book looks super interesting and I appreciate the insight. So do you have any time of observance and or rituals planned here soon?
The book that changed my life
It's nice to know I'm not the only one that cusses at inanimate objects 😂 Definitely going to have to check this one out, too! I need more bookshelves! A wonderful problem to have. Thank you, Arith!
As far as trade interactions between the Celts, Norse and British
Arith how about viking language by Jesse Byock? Can you comment on this work?
Hey Härger , can’t we also learn about our Northern European Pagan past ( before they became Christians period ) , through Spirituality , couldn’t things of our past be revealed , from it ?
I'd love to buy your books to enrich my library. For when your works? I'll wait!From what I've read, other subscribers would also like to have their books?! Think
Never throw an owl again! You are warned :) Thanks for your work, much appreciated!
Can you explain the difference between ‘Norse’, and ‘Nordic’?
Norse referes to a period of language in Scandinavia and those who spoke it. Nordic referes to all things from and in Scandinavia.
@ Excellent, important to know. I know I could have solved it with a simple google search, but it’s more fun to hear it from Mr. Härger. :) Thank you for the reply.
@@nickvolkert858 Nordic refers to the Nordic countries, which includes Scandinavia. Scandinavia does not include all the Nordic countries. Finland for example is Nordic, but not Scandinavian.
@@ulfgar_hallgrimsson Thank you. Helpful!
Owls were hurt physically and emotionally during the making of this video :P
Lmao damn owls
you need a filter, you have such a strong s sound would make you better
F I R S T
Yay! :D
Academics in the present are limited to Testifiability. This is because so many pseudointellectuals emerged due to the anti-Darwinian postwar revolution, and the ant-european postwar 'cultural warfare'. But It is rather easy to 'get into the minds' of the ancients in any culture if you study all the aspects of their record, their economics, competitors, and geography. In my work, I've learned that we underestimate them, and that we underestimate the propaganda of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - by looking at the postwar pseudoscientific propaganda of their modern versions (marxism, neo-marxism, pomo, pc/woke) and the repetition of the process of the Christianization of elites using these new falsehoods instead of supernatural falsehoods. We can learn a great deal from our ancient ancestors. And our ancient religion was a natural religion. And it was a great one.
Arith: I think a better way to frame the frailty of our ancient religion was simply illiteracy. It's the written word that made standardization possible just like much of the industrial revolution was made possible by standards, or that physics is made possible by standards of mathematical measurement. Writing evolves from taxation, and taxation from trade and our population and geography didn't have access to sea trade at scale between urban civilizations so that we didn't have the literacy - or demand - to standardize. The epic cycle (the works of homer) was the equivalent of the bible in the Mediterranean world of the Greeks and Romans. Its destruction by the Christians was intentional, just as was the destruction of our germanic religion. Our primary failure was not the religion itself, but that our religion lacked a written standard. Why? the middle eastern religions were designed to concentrate power in a priesthood (liars). Yet the european group strategy limited power (trifunctionalism).
Anyway, this is my academic method of agreeing with and supporting you. On the other hand let's realize that if you work in the academy, you are prohibited from making the statements I just made. (which is why I founded an institute - to compensate for the suppression of our history in the academy)
I’m sorry, how were the Iliad and Odyssey destroyed by the Christians? Weren’t they the main proponents for these epics’ survival?
Why you swearing🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂💫💫😂😂😂
This book is a good source for meditating upon and reminding us of the genetic superiority of Northern Europeans over lesser peoples.
Stop subverting my culture Arith. We found you out.
Arith, the social justice warrior, politically correct couch pagan, traded his axe for patreon approval. How cool!