Damnation and Salvation in Old Norse Literature Contributor(s): Antonsson, Haki (Author) |
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ISBN: 1843845075 ISBN-13: 9781843845072 Publisher: Boydell & Brewer OUR PRICE: $109.25 Product Type: Hardcover Language: Old Norse Published: July 2018 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | Medieval - Literary Criticism | European - German |
Dewey: 839.609 |
LCCN: 2018297115 |
Series: Studies in Old Norse Literature |
Physical Information: 0.63" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.23 lbs) 272 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - Medieval (500-1453) |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The hope of salvation and the fear of damnation were fundamental in the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, however, this topic, as reflected in Old Norse literature, has received limited critical attention.This book addresses this lacuna in the scholarship, from two major perspectives. Firstly, it examines how the twin themes of damnation and salvation interact with other more familiar and better explored topoi, such as the life-cycle, the moment of death, and the material world. Secondly, it looks at how issues relating to damnation and salvation influence the structure of texts, with regard both to individual scenes and poems and sagas as a whole. The author argues that comparable features and patterns reoccur throughout the corpus, albeit with individual variations contingent on the relevant historical and literary context. A broad range of the literature is considered, including Sagas of Icelanders, Kings' sagas, Contemporary Sagas, Legendary sagas and poems of Christian instruction. Haki Antonsson is Senior Lecturer in Medieval Scandinavian Studies, University College London. |