Queering the Cosmology of the Vikings: A Queer Analysis of the Cult of Odin and "Holy White Stones"

Ideas concerning Eros, honor and death were central to the Norse perception of the world. Odin is the greatest war god, and associated with manliness. However, Odin is also the most powerful master of seid (sorcery), an activity associated with women. Seid may be interpreted as a form of shamanism....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 2008-01, Vol.54 (1-2), p.192-208
Main Author: Solli, Brit
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anthropology
Archaeology
archeology
Burial - history
cult of Odin
Cultural anthropology
Female
Funerals
Gender
History, 18th Century
Homosexuality
Homosexuality - history
Humans
Iceland
LGBTQ studies
Male
medieval sex symbolism
Mysticism - history
Mythology
Myths
Old Norse mythology
Queer Theory
Religion and Sex
Scandinavia
Scandinavian and Nordic Countries
Sexual behaviour
Sexuality
Shamanism
Symbolism
Vikings
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Summary:Ideas concerning Eros, honor and death were central to the Norse perception of the world. Odin is the greatest war god, and associated with manliness. However, Odin is also the most powerful master of seid (sorcery), an activity associated with women. Seid may be interpreted as a form of shamanism. If a man performed seid he could be accused of ergi, that is, unmanliness. Therefore it could be said that Odin exercised an activity considered unmanly. How could Odin perform seid without losing his position as the god of war and warriors? This paradox is discussed from a queer theoretical perspective. On this basis a new interpretation of the so-called "holy white" phallic stones in western Norway is suggested. Most of these stones are associated with burials from the later part of the Scandinavian Early Iron Age. The temporal distribution of the white phallic stones correlates well with the increasing importance of the cult of Odin. There may be a cultic association between the cult of Odin and the burial practices involving white holy phallic stones.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1080/00918360801952085