The Importance of Being Óðinn, or Saxo versus Snorri: the Myth as Unsolved Problem in Gesta Danorum and Heimskringla
Both in Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla and Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum, the origins of the dynasties ruling respectively over Norway and Denmark are referred back to mythical tales, and especially to the figure of Óðinn/Othinus. For Snorri, myth is the original cultural heritage on which the c...
Kaydedildi:
| Yayımlandı: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/sourcesarche, |
|---|---|
| Yazar: | |
| Materyal Türü: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Dil: | Anglais |
| Baskı/Yayın Bilgisi: |
Source(s)
2025
|
| Online Erişim: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Özet: | Both in Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla and Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum, the origins of the dynasties ruling respectively over Norway and Denmark are referred back to mythical tales, and especially to the figure of Óðinn/Othinus. For Snorri, myth is the original cultural heritage on which the community is founded and in which social structures are established. Saxo’s interpretation of myth is a dialectical one: the mythical universe is an expression of pagan superstition, while being a crucial element to identify the roots of Danish royal power. This paper shows how the analysis of linguistic elements brings out profound differences in Snorri’s and Saxo Grammaticus’s interpretation of myth, while demonstrating that they have one important thing in common: both inevitably approached the legendary past from a 13th-century perspective. While paying tribute to their original heritage, they could not but be aware of the unbridgeable distance that separated them from the mythical past, in terms of values and religious beliefs. |
|---|