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Hello Jenny
I really enjoyed your Nine Worlds of Seidr Magic. Seidr is an old interest of mine, and I'm delighted your book has come out to hopefully reinvigorate the subject.
I have actually just completed a research seminar on 'shamanism'. Using a symbolic interactionist approach (I know, a little unfashionable these days but seemed applicable) the basic idea was to reinvoke Stromback and, focusing on prophecy and divination in the two societies, argue for a Saami influence on Norse seidr. A bit of a stretch to be honest, especially as there is little evidence for drum work in seidr accounts - and of course much drumming in Saami noaidit practices. Still, you know the similarities too, and I took a line that was inspired by Backman and Hultkrantz that the ecstatic rather than drumming component of Saami divination corellated somewhat with seidr.
What I did find that I thought was interesting was that the big difference usually assumed between the two societies, i.e. the marginalisation of women in Saami 'shamanism', was not necesarily the case, with both Lundmark and Skanke providing evidence of female noaidie workers (and not just as chantresses at shamanic rituals). How representative this was of course is open to debate, and three or four accounts don't offer much in terms of recentering Saami women as noaidie practitioners, but it was enought to suggest the androcentricity of Saami 'shamanism' may not be the whole story.
Anyway, it was wonderful to have been able to explore this subject, albeit in a cursory fashion, and I am very eager to hear of any developments in the area.
All the best
Mel


Date:    Sat, 3 Dec 2005 11:39:21 +0000
From:    J Blain <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Introductions

hi Mel,
Would be interested in what you are doing around Seidr.

regards,

Jenny

  
>Hello everyone
>I am working on my Masters in Social Sciences at the University of 
>Chicago. My thesis focus is on the production of small press occult 
>publications in the late nineteenth century, within a general 
>history of the book framework. Because Chicago really stresses 
>interdisciplinarity, I've also been fortunate enough to do some 
>anthropology/ethnohistory on prophecy and divination in seidr.
>Janet, I chose Nottm Trent as an undergrad in the early 90's, but 
>would surely have taken up the place I was offered at Nottm Uni if 
>someone back then was doing a class in CM! Terrific stuff.
>Anyway, I'm delighted the list is up and running and look foward to 
>the discussions  :) 
>Regards
>Mel
    



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