First published 1995 by Cornell University Press. First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 1998.
Jenny Jochens captures in fascinating detail the lives of women in pagan and early Christian Iceland and Norway―their work, sexual behavior, marriage customs, reproductive practices, familial relations, leisure activities, religious practices, and legal constraints and protections. 'Women in Old Norse Society' places particular emphasis on changing sexual mores and the impact of Christianity as imposed by the clergy and Norwegian kings. It also demonstrates the vital role women played in economic production.
Author(s): Jenny Jochens
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Year: 1998
Language: English
Pages: XVI+266
City: Ithaca
Preface ix
Introduction
ONE. Guðný Böðvarsdóttir and Guðrún Gjúkadóttir: Nordic-Germanic Continuity 7
TWO. Marriage 17
The Pagan-Christian Conflict 17
Pagan Marriage 20
Christian Marriage 36
Two Marriages 52
Divorce and Widowhood 54
THREE. Reproduction 65
Conception: Theory and Knowledge 65
Heterosexual Lovemaking 68
Sexual Initiative 77
Pregnancy and Birth 79
Paternity 81
Infanticide 85
Baptism 93
Reproduction and Royal Succession 94
FOUR. Leisure 98
Work before Leisure 98
Gender 99
Idleness and Sleep 100
Sports and Games 102
Storytelling 104
Drinking and Word Games 105
Emotional Distress 111
Politics 113
FIVE. Work 115
Gender Division of Labor 116
Outdoor Work 118
Indoor Work 125
SIX. The Economics of Homespun 141
General Use 142
Coats 142
Cloth as Medium of Exchange 147
Export of Cloth and Coats 154
Measurements 156
Foreign Cloth 158
Conclusion 161
Appendix: Sources 171
Sagas of Icelanders 171
Kings' Sagas 173
Contemporary Sagas 175
Laws 176
Christianity, Historicity, Oral Tradition, and Poststructural Doubt 178
Abbreviations 183
Notes 187
Bibliography 239
Index 257
