Essays on Germanic Religion
Monograph No. 6 — By Edgar C. Polomé
Edgar C. Polomé of the
University of Texas, co-editor for many years of the renowned Journal
of Indo-European Studies, investigates the names, attributes and roles
of the ancient German divinities and identifies the characteristically
Indo-European components of early Germanic religious beliefs as well as
parallel deities in other Indo-European societies. These beliefs are
separated from the web of magic that is closely associated with Odin,
the warrior deity, which were probably acquired from neighboring
shamanistic Finno-Ugric peoples. It is suggested that Thor, the thunder
god who fought against Giants, probably dating from the New Stone Age,
and was seen as a farmer’s deity, may have been formerly more eminent
than Odin, whose popularity was greatest amongst the Germanic war bands
of the later period of the Folkwandering. Substantial attention is also
paid to the Vǫluspá.
Introduction; The Indo-European Component in Germanic Religion; Some Comments on Vǫluspá, Stanzas 17-18; Divine Names in Indo-european, Germanic Religion; Postscript.
ISBN 0-941694-34-8
|
1989, Pages 148
Paperback, Illustrated: $36.00
|
JIES
Private Individual Subscribers receive 20% discount
|