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Gudrun & Ghost, Laxdale Saga
A scene from the 13th-century Icelandic Laxdæla Saga (anglicised as Laxdale Saga), which is set in the Viking Age (c. 790-1100). Illustration from "Vore fædres liv" : karakterer og skildringer fra sagatiden, collected and published by Nordahl Rolfsen, translated by Gerhard Gran., Kristiania: Stenersen, 1898.
Here, we see one of the saga's main characters, Guðrún, meeting a ghost:
That same evening that Thorkell and his followers were drowned, it happened at Holyfell that Gudrun went to the church, when other people had gone to bed, and when she stepped into the lichgate she saw a ghost standing before her.
He bowed over her and said, "Great tidings, Gudrun."
She said, "Hold then your peace about them, wretch."(Laxdæla Saga, ch. 76)
Questions & Answers
Does the Christmas tree have a Norse origin?
- During the celebration of Yuletide, a tree was decorated honoring Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse religion. This influenced the development of the modern Christmas tree.
Is the Norse god Odin the inspiration for Santa Claus?
- There are various inspirational figures who are cited in the development of Santa Claus, and Odin is one of them. During Yule, Odin was thought to ride through the sky on his eight-legged horse giving gifts to those who had done well through the year.
Is the traditional British Christmas dinner influenced by the Norse?
- Today’s traditional British Christmas dinner has very little to do with the Norse feast of Yule. Originally, though, the roast boar served at British tables was a direct borrow from Norse culture. Christmas pudding and Christmas cake are English creations.
What was the wild hunt?
- The wild hunt was a procession of spirits, sometimes led by Odin, which would appear in the sky, especially during Yuletide, and remind those who witnessed it of what was important in life, how brief their time on earth was, and what might be waiting for them after death.
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Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by Andreas Bloch (1860-1917). Uploaded by Emma Groeneveld, published on 07 December 2018. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
