Few mythologies can rival the popularity of Old Norse mythology – the world of Thor, Odin and Loki, of dwarves, trolls and frost giants. But almost everything we “know” about Old Norse mythology was recorded by hostile Christian observers or Icelandic scribes writing at least two hundred after years the Christianization of Iceland. As a result, various elements of the old Scandinavian belief system and mythology have been reinterpreted and recast many times over the centuries. This one-day course, reconstructs the “original” material, with a closer look at the most enduring deities including Thor, Odin and the mischievous Loki, and then trace the retellings and refashioning of Old Norse mythology from the condemnation by Christian observers to the current glorification in popular media of Thor as the Saviour of the World.
GEOFFREY WINTHROP-YOUNG, PhD, is professor and department head in the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies (CENES) at UBC. After graduating from UBC in 1991, he taught at the Universities of Manitoba and Waterloo before returning to UBC in 1995, where he teaches in the German and Scandinavian sections of CENES. He is a recipient of the UBC Killam Teaching Prize for excellence in teaching.
Course Details
Format: In-Class
Code: UP943W17A
Course Fee: $75
Instructor: Geoffrey Winthrop-Young
Register for this course here.