essay
The name of the witch: sagas, sorcery and social content
social approaches to viking studies • Glasgow • Published In 1991 • Pages: 157-168
By: Gísli Pálsson.
Abstract
The Family Sagas provide numerous accounts of sorcery and withcraft, while such accounts are remarkably absent in the later Sturlunga Sagas. This suggests that accusations of withcraft were important during the earlier years of the Commonwealth Period but not during the age of the Sturlungs. This article places witchcraft accusations in the social context of the former period, using 'Eyrbyggja saga' in particular as a case study, and suggests an explanation for their absence during the second period in terms of changes in social and political organization (p. 158).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2004
- Region
- Europe
- Sub Region
- Scandinavia
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Social Anthropologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 2002
- Field Date
- no date
- Coverage Date
- ninth-thirteenth centuries
- Coverage Place
- general Iceland
- Notes
- Gísli Pálsson
- For bibliographical references see document 5: [Sampson]
- LCCN
- gb 91006825
- LCSH
- Icelanders