Ancestor Worship and the Elite in Late Iron Age Scandinavia: A Grave Matter
Theoretical considerationsOld Norse religion: Approach, sources and methodOld Norse religionWhat is ‘religion’?What is ‘Old Norse’?The non-static and heterogenous nature of Old Norse religionHeterogenous conceptions of the afterlife in Old Norse religionGravemounds and ancestors in Old Norse religionFolk vs. world religionPaganism and ChristianityPrimary sourcesMethodNotesSecondary sourcesResearch on ancestor worshipThe development of ‘ancestor worship’ as an academic termAncestor worship in Old Norse researchNotesSecondary sourcesAncestors in social anthropology: Definition and social use‘Ancestor worship’ – the problem with terminologyThe role of ancestors in folk religionsFamily, kinship and ‘superior ancestors’‘Superior ancestor worship’NotesSecondary sourcesKings and gods in Old Norse religionThe myth of ‘sacral kingship’Euhemerism – medieval propaganda or just history?NotesSecondary sourcesCase studiesIntroduction to the case studiesErik of BirkaThe YnglingarBackground on the YnglingarSourcesThe Ynglingar and sacral kingshipYnglingatal; authorial purposeFreyrAdam’s TemplumAdam’s account of human sacrificeIcons and processionsHálfdanr svartiÓláfr GeirstaðaálfrNotesSecondary sourcesThe HaleygjarThe Háleygjar and sacral kingshipÞorgerðr hǫlgabrúðrNotesSecondary sourcesThe Settlers of BreidafjprdrÞórólfr MostrarskeggAuðr djúp(a)úðgaNotesSecondary sourcesGeneral conclusionPrimary sources
