Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia

by E.O.G. Turville-Petre

An overview of the pre-Christian religions of Scandinavia.

Genres: Mythology, History, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Historical, Philosophy

340 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Edward Oswald Gabriel Turville-Petre F.B.A. (known as Gabriel) was Professor of Ancient Icelandic Literature and Antiquities at the University of Oxford. He wrote numerous books and articles in English and Icelandic on literature and religious history.

Father of Thorlac Turville-Petre

Reviews

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The standard study of Scandinavian mythology. Contains chapters on all the major gods and goddesses, as well as the lesser known divinities and concepts such as creation, divine kingship and Ragnarok. A well written, scholarly and sensible account written by J R R Tolkien's pupil, Gabriel Turville-Petre. A must read for anyone seriously interested in pre Christian Norse religion. The book is constantly reprinted but sells out almost immediately and becomes a bit hard to find at times but is well worth seeking out.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most comprehensive exploration of pre-Christian religious practices in the Nordic world that I have managed to find. Although it is over 50 years old and feels a little outdated, I learned tons of new information and found myself considering familiar figures and tales from entirely new perspectives. By analyzing medieval texts as well as the archaeological and etymological evidence, Turville-Petre reconstructs what Norse and Germanic pagans might have actually believed, not just what their Christianized descendants wrote down. He also compares the Norse myths with other traditions, such as the Celtic, Persian and Indian, to suggest that these diverse cultures share some common heritage. The author shows the marks of his time when he attempts to explain complex Norse conceptions of gender but lacks the vocabulary to do so; he resorts to describing transgender deities such as Odin and Loki as bisexual and passive male homosexuality as inversion. But the book is still a great resource.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My takeaways were the rich and abundant mythologies of ancient Scandinavia and the rather persuasive speculations and evidence that those myths were informed by those of northern Germany, the Celts, the Near East, India and Ireland, with plausible connection also to myths of those peoples who took them into North America. The myths speculatively extend back even into the Proto-Indo-European times. So many mythologies have one brother killing the other and great floods that reset mankind. And it is interesting how many Scandinavian words are cognate with English.

Also that Odin, the god of war, was the chief god of northeasterly Scandinavia, but Thor, the protecting god, was the foremost god of southeast Scandinavia and Iceland, presumably because they needed more protection there, protection mostly from the kings of Norway.

It is fortunate that some historians of the 12th and 13th centuries, like Snorri Sturluson and Saxo Grammaticus, wrote out these myths.

[Christopher Bergedahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific and comprehensive read, although the material is clearly intended for those with an academic interest in Old Norse mythology. Turville-Petre’s mastery of the subject matter is clear to see. Moreover, the content (and style) holds up remarkably 60+ years following its publication. Compares favourably with Hilda Ellis Davidson’s Gods and Myths of Northern Europe.

[Madeline Rochon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent secondary source, although I suspect some information may be tainted by bias of the time. I could be wrong tho I’m just some guy

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Show-stopping. No notes. 11/10.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oldie but a goodie.

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro sicuramente ben fatto, con approfondimenti notevoli e molto interessanti su ogni aspetto del paganesimo nordico, a partire dalle fonti, che sono molte e analizzate in maniera così approfondita da essere quasi specialistica. Probabilmente è anche per questo che talvolta il filo del discorso sembra perdersi, anche se un veloce riepilogo chiarisce ogni dubbio.
L'unica pecca è la concentrazione eccessiva sui singoli dèi e sulle loro peripezie, piuttosto che sulla cosmogonia in generale, che viene addirittura postposta ai capitoli sulle singole divinità.
Nonostante tutto, è sicuramente un libro molto valido e interessante, oltre che indubbiamente utilissimo. Direi che sia più che altro adatto ad un uso universitario e specialistico.

[Katie Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent, unbiased and well-sourced overview of the myths and religion of the north. It covers the basics of the mythology, discusses the conflicting views, and gives a very comprehensive look at the history surrounding the religion of the Vikings. Turville-Petre is one of the first scholars I've seen defend Snorri's work and he does an excellent job of providing the original sources for every one of his claims.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic. A bit dated now perhaps.