The tenth century travels of Ibn Fadlan to the lands of the Rūs are among the earliest known that... more The tenth century travels of Ibn Fadlan to the lands of the Rūs are among the earliest known that account of pagan ritual in Slavic lands. Believed to have taken place some three hundred years before the events recorded in the Primary Chronicle, Ibn Fadlan offers us an unprecedented view into the culture and beliefs of these rugged northern raiders and tradesmen. In this paper, a case will be made for the women in this account as being living representations of the three Norns of Fate as known from pre-Christian Norse tradition. To establish this connection, a review of the translation of the title “Angel of Death” will be done from the original sources, and scrutinized to determine its original meaning.
Gísli Súrsson’s Saga is one of the most popular outlaw sagas in the corpus of Icelandic literatur... more Gísli Súrsson’s Saga is one of the most popular outlaw sagas in the corpus of Icelandic literature. In this story, Gísli experiences a series of prophetic dreams where two mysterious female figures appear to foretell his fate. Although the identities of these figures are not revealed, they do contain some of the same qualities that parallel other sources that might identify them as the Norns of fate of Norse mythology. This short paper will summarize Gísli’s dreams, and then compare them with a few other sources in order to investigate this potential connection. Finally, a short critique will be provided on this correlation that might help us lend some insight into the purpose behind these mythical beings, as well as to provide a basis for later inquiry on the subject.
This paper will shed light on the vestiges of the magic practice of Seiðr that have survived the ... more This paper will shed light on the vestiges of the magic practice of Seiðr that have survived the centuries through oral tradition among the Black Sea-, Volga-, and Pennsylvania-German cultural diasporas of the Americas in the form of the folk healing arts. These separate and distinct culture groups, having brought ancestral practices with them, preserved a system of healing magic called “Brauche” as charms and incantations that contain pre-Christian elements.
Throat Singing Vikings: A new translation of the account of Ibrâhîm ibn Ya`qûb al-Tartushi and hi... more Throat Singing Vikings: A new translation of the account of Ibrâhîm ibn Ya`qûb al-Tartushi and his visit to the Schleswig area in the 9th century, and his observations of a form of singing that exhibited a 'Humming' sound from the throat that could possibly be a form of throat singing. This new translation is compared against various older translations in an attempt to gain a better understanding of Al-Tartushi's original account.
The tenth century travels of Ibn Fadlan to the lands of the Rūs are among the earliest known that... more The tenth century travels of Ibn Fadlan to the lands of the Rūs are among the earliest known that account of pagan ritual in Slavic lands. Believed to have taken place some three hundred years before the events recorded in the Primary Chronicle, Ibn Fadlan offers us an unprecedented view into the culture and beliefs of these rugged northern raiders and tradesmen. In this paper, a case will be made for the women in this account as being living representations of the three Norns of Fate as known from pre-Christian Norse tradition. To establish this connection, a review of the translation of the title “Angel of Death” will be done from the original sources, and scrutinized to determine its original meaning.
Gísli Súrsson’s Saga is one of the most popular outlaw sagas in the corpus of Icelandic literatur... more Gísli Súrsson’s Saga is one of the most popular outlaw sagas in the corpus of Icelandic literature. In this story, Gísli experiences a series of prophetic dreams where two mysterious female figures appear to foretell his fate. Although the identities of these figures are not revealed, they do contain some of the same qualities that parallel other sources that might identify them as the Norns of fate of Norse mythology. This short paper will summarize Gísli’s dreams, and then compare them with a few other sources in order to investigate this potential connection. Finally, a short critique will be provided on this correlation that might help us lend some insight into the purpose behind these mythical beings, as well as to provide a basis for later inquiry on the subject.
This paper will shed light on the vestiges of the magic practice of Seiðr that have survived the ... more This paper will shed light on the vestiges of the magic practice of Seiðr that have survived the centuries through oral tradition among the Black Sea-, Volga-, and Pennsylvania-German cultural diasporas of the Americas in the form of the folk healing arts. These separate and distinct culture groups, having brought ancestral practices with them, preserved a system of healing magic called “Brauche” as charms and incantations that contain pre-Christian elements.
Throat Singing Vikings: A new translation of the account of Ibrâhîm ibn Ya`qûb al-Tartushi and hi... more Throat Singing Vikings: A new translation of the account of Ibrâhîm ibn Ya`qûb al-Tartushi and his visit to the Schleswig area in the 9th century, and his observations of a form of singing that exhibited a 'Humming' sound from the throat that could possibly be a form of throat singing. This new translation is compared against various older translations in an attempt to gain a better understanding of Al-Tartushi's original account.
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Papers by Nóel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher
Author: Noel Braucher