Hierophanies in the Vinland Sagas: Images of a New World

Foster, A (2010) Hierophanies in the Vinland Sagas: Images of a New World. In: INSAP VII: The seventh international conference on The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena, 25-29 October 2010, Bath, UK.

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Abstract

One of the most seemingly evocative images that comes down to us from Norse legends is that of the fabled land of Vinland. Described as a place of immense natural wealth with abundant pastures, wild grapes, self-sown wheat and rivers and lakes full of salmon, one gains the impression of an earthly paradise where all wants could be met. This poster sets out to establish whether the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows (Newfoundland, Canada) could be considered a sacred space, as delineated by the 20th Century religious historian Mircea Eliade. In his research into hierophanies, a feature of his definition of sacred space, Eliade documents the widespread use of vines as a hierophany, suggesting that the presence of vines in the VS may not be literal but used as a metaphor for something symbolically more significant.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)
Uncontrolled Keywords: 2010AREP; IA61;
Subjects: 99 - Other
Divisions: 99 - Other
Depositing User: Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited: 06 Nov 2010 12:53
Last Modified: 23 Jul 2013 10:00
URI: http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1963

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