Asgard Revisited: Old Norse Mythology and Icelandic National Culture 1820-1918

PhD thesis. In the present study, I will focus exclusively on the cultivation of Old Norse or eddic mythology, its gods and its heroes, and their place in the construction of Iceland’s national self-image. Their role is less straightforward than that fulfilled by the Sagas of Icelanders ("Íslendingasögur"), which are set in Iceland and tell the stories of the first generations of people to live on the island and refer to themselves as Icelanders. The popularity of the sagas in Icelandic society at large is illustrated by the fact that some of the most beloved ones carry affectionate nick-names, like "Njála" for "Brennu-Njáls saga" ("the Saga of the Burning of Njáll"), or "Egla" for "Egils saga Skallagrímssonar". Even though the popular treatment of the Eddas differs significantly from that of the sagas, this should not lead to an underestimation of the influence of their reception. Icelandic research focussing specifically on the Icelandic cultivation and reinterpretation of the Eddas has been conducted by scholars like Sverrir Tómasson, Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson and Gylfi Gunnlaugsson, whose writings will be frequently referred to and critically assessed throughout this study.