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Mannabjörnar - när män blir rovdjur: Björn och varg som symboler för krigaridentitet; från fornnordisk tradition till senmedeltid
Halmstad University, School of Education, Humanities and Social Science.
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

This thesis investigates how the symbolism of predatory animals, specifically the bear and the wolf, is linked to warrior ideals and masculine identity in Norse saga literature and ballad traditions from the 12th to the 15th century. Drawing on theories of liminality (Turner) and popular culture (Gurevich), the study analyzes how these animal figures express transgressive qualities such as strength, rage, and fertility, and how these motifs were transformed with the advent of Christianity. The research shows that pre-Christian notions of animal transformation, warrior magic, and collective masculinity persisted into late medieval popular culture, often reinterpreted or demonized. Through qualitative textual analysis of sagas, ballads, and ecclesiastical texts, the study reveals a cultural continuity in which predatory symbolism served both as an expression of martial power and as a moral reflection within a changing worldview. The findings suggest that the warrior’s identification with wild beasts could coexist with Christian morality, particularly in liminal contexts where nature, belief, and gender norms intersected.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 52
Keywords [sv]
Björn, varg, symbol, medeltid, rovdjur, krigaridentitet
National Category
Humanities and the Arts
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-56816OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-56816DiVA, id: diva2:1978507
Subject / course
History
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Available from: 2025-07-01 Created: 2025-06-27 Last updated: 2025-10-01Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf