Viking revaluations: Viking Society Centenary Symposium, 14-15 May 1992

Description

The Viking Society for Northern Research celebrated its centenary by publishing a Centenary Saga-Book (XXIII 4, 1992) and by holding an international symposium on 13–15 May 1992. This was arranged in collaboration with the Department of Scandinavian Studies, University College London, and the meetings were held in Birkbeck College. Speakers were invited from Denmark, Iceland and Norway, and from among members of the Society. The papers given, variously revised, make the contents of the present volume. A letter from the President of Iceland frontispiece FOREWORD vii CENTENARY REVALUATIONS KNUT HELLE / Norway, 800–1200 1 GUNNAR KARLSSON / A century of research on early Icelandic society 15 VÉSTEINN ÓLASON. The Sagas of Icelanders 26 DIANA WHALEY / The Kings’ Sagas 43 MICHAEL BARNES / Norse in the British Isles 65 CHRISTINE FELL / Norse studies: then, now and hereafter 85 CURRENT PROBLEMS (1): PAGAN BELIEFS AND CHRISTIAN IMPACT BJARNE FIDJESTØL / The contribution of scaldic studies 100 URSULA DRONKE / The contribution of Eddic studies 121 ELSE ROESDAHL / Pagan beliefs, Christian impact and archaeology — a Danish view 128 PETER FOOTE / Historical studies: conversion moment and conversion period 137 CURRENT PROBLEMS (2): SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY 800–1100 R. I. PAGE / Scandinavian society, 800–1100: the contribution of runic studies 145 JUDITH JESCH / Skaldic verse and Viking semantics 160 PREBEN MEULENGRACHT SØRENSEN / Historical reality and literary form 172 BJØRN MYHRE / The beginning of the Viking Age — some current archaeological problems 182 Figures after page 204