medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From Saxo Grammaticus (found online):
"At this time there was one Odin, who was credited over all Europe with
the honour, which was false, of godhead, but used more continually to
sojourn at Upsala; and in this spot, either from the sloth of the
inhabitants or from its own pleasantness, he vouchsafed to dwell with
somewhat especial constancy. The kings of the North, desiring more
zealously to worship his deity, embounded his likeness in a golden
image; and this statue, which betokened their homage, they transmitted
with much show of worship to Byzantium, fettering even the effigied arms
with a serried mass of bracelets. Odin was overjoyed at such notoriety,
and greeted warmly the devotion of the senders. But his queen Frigga,
desiring to go forth more beautified, called smiths, and had the gold
stripped from the statue. Odin hanged them, and mounted the statue upon
a pedestal, which by the marvellous skill of his art he made to speak
when a mortal touched it. But still Frigga preferred the splendour of
her own apparel to the divine honours of her husband, and submitted
herself to the embraces of one of her servants; and it was by this man's
device she broke down the image, and turned to the service of her
private wantonness that gold which had been devoted to public idolatry.
Little thought she of practicing unchastity, that she might the easier
satisfy her greed, this woman so unworthy to be the consort of a god;
but what should I here add, save that such a godhead was worthy of such
a wife? So great was the error that of old befooled the minds of men.
Thus Odin, wounded by the double trespass of his wife, resented the
outrage to his image as keenly as that to his bed; and, ruffled by these
two stinging dishonours, took to an exile overflowing with noble shame,
imagining so to wipe off the slur of his ignominy."
Tom Izbicki
Thomas Izbicki
Collection Development Coordinator
Eisenhower Library
Johns Hopkins
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410)516-7173
fax (410)516-8399
>>> [log in to unmask] 11/21/2004 9:57:06 AM >>>
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
culture
I will try checking this out on Monday as I do not have the appropriate
critical
editions at home. But, as I recall the geneologies there are some
(mine too,
and probably some of you on the list) which go back to Woden, but do
not stop
there. They continue to Woden's ancestors and eventually to Japheth,
Noah,
etc. ending at Adam.
Anyone who has any English ancestry can probably trace themselves to a
member of
a royal family somewhere (in Anglo-Saxon times there were always
several) and
since the Anglo-Saxon chronicle has geneologies linking them to Adam,
you can,
without fabrication, link yourself to the line. Of course you just
have to set
asside your critical reasoning powers for the exercise, and wow! You
have a
geneology that not only takes you back to royalty, but to pagan gods
(Woden)and
Adam and Eve.
Now back to Woden, since he appears in the line with parentage, the
suggestion
is often made that Woden was originally a real person who was an
important king
and ancestor. Somewhere along the line he became revered (whatever the
pagan
equivalent of sainthood is) and eventually deified.
As I said, I don't have the books at home, but I believe this account
is correct
(except the accuracy of my geneology of course).
--V. K. Inman
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|