COA08 - Bringing Thor to Iceland
- 1 minBringing Thor to Iceland
In this episode we continue our exploration of Pagan Practice in Iceland by taking a look at religious roles and responsibilities held by some of the first Icelandic settlers and how these roles translated to their new home. We will be discussing:
- The political and relgious ideology which prominent Icelandic settlers brought with them from Norway.
- What the Landnámabók has to tell us about early Icelandic settlers and their temples.
- The importance and meaning of high-seat pillars.
- A remarkable cult site found at Ranheim in Norway.
I hope you enjoy.
Recommended Reading
Our recommended reading for this episode is the excellent The Viking Diaspora by Judith Jesch. This has been one of my major sources for the entire Children of Ash series and now seems like a good time to introduce it. An essential resource for information about the Icelandic Free State and the ongoing connections between the Norse colonies throughout the North Atlantic.
Sources
Eyrbyggja saga. translated by Pálsson, H., & Edwards, P. G.
The Book of Settlements: Landnámabók translated by Pálsson, H., & Edwards, P. G.
The Poetic Edda translated by Jackson Crawford
The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson. Translated by Jesse Byock.
The Viking diaspora. by Judith Jesch.
Hof, Halls, Goðar and Dwarves by Terry Gunnell
Horg, hov and ve – a pre-Christian cult place at Ranheim in Trøndelag, Norway, in the 4rd – 10th centuries AD by Preben Rønne
Blót and Þing. The function of the tenth-century Goði. In A Piece of Horse Liver by Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson
A ceremonial building as a ‘home of the gods’? by Lars Larsson
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