History Commons^™

Anglo-Danish Empire: A Companion To The Reign Of King Cnut The Great, Richard North, Erin Goeres, Alison Finlay

Northern Medieval World

Anglo-Danish Empire is an interdisciplinary handbook for the Danish conquest of England in 1016 and the subsequent reign of King Cnut the Great. Bringing together scholars from the fields of history, literature, archaeology and manuscript studies, the volume offers comprehensive analysis of England's shift from Anglo-Saxon to Danish rule. It follows the history of this complicated transition, from the closing years of the reign of King Æthelred II and the Anglo-Danish wars to Cnut's accession to the throne of England and his consolidation of power at home and abroad. Ruling from 1016 to 1035, Cnut drew England into a Scandinavian …

The Development Of Education In Medieval Iceland, Ryder Patzuk-Russell

Northern Medieval World

This book investigates the institutions and practices of education which lay behind medieval Icelandic literature, as well as behind many other aspects of medieval Icelandic culture and society. By bringing together a broad spectrum of sources, including sagas, law codes, and grammatical treatises, it addresses the history of education in medieval Iceland from multiple perspectives.

Paranormal Encounters In Iceland 1150-1400, Ármann Jakobsson, Miriam Mayburd

Northern Medieval World

This anthology of international scholarship offers new critical approaches to the study of the many manifestations of the paranormal in the Middle Ages. The guiding principle of the collection is to depart from symbolic or reductionist readings of the subject matter in favor of focusing on the paranormal as human experience and, essentially, on how these experiences are defined by the sources. The authors work with a variety of medieval Icelandic textual sources, including family sagas, legendary sagas, romances, poetry, hagiography and miracles, exploring the diversity of paranormal activity in the medieval North. This volume questions all previous definitions of …

The Saga Of The Jómsvikings: A Translation For Students, Alison Finlay, Þórdís Edda Jóhannesdóttir

Northern Medieval World

Unique among the Icelandic sagas, part-history, part-fiction, the Saga of the Jómsvikings tells of a legendary band of vikings, originally Danish, who established an island fortress of the Baltic coast and launched and ultimately lost their heroic attack on the pagan ruler of Norway in the late tenth century. The saga's account of their stringent warrior code, fatalistic adherence to their own reckless vows and declarations of extreme courage as they face execution articulates a remarkable account of what it meant to be a viking. This translation presents the longest and earliest text of the saga, never before published in …

The Saga Of The Jómsvikings: A Translation With Full Introduction, Alison Finlay, Þórdís Edda Jóhannesdóttir

Northern Medieval World

Unique among the Icelandic sagas, part-history, part-fiction, the Saga of the Jómsvikings tells of a legendary band of vikings, originally Danish, who established an island fortress off the Baltic coast, and launched and ultimately lost their heroic attack on the pagan ruler of Norway in the late tenth century. The saga's account of their stringent warrior code, fatalistic adherence to their own reckless vows, and declarations of extreme courage as they face execution articulates a remarkable account of what it meant to be a viking. This translation presents the longest and earliest text of the saga, never before published in …

Influences Of Pre-Christian Mythology And Christianity On Old Norse Poetry: A Narrative Study Of Vafþrúðnismál, Andrew E. Mcgillivray

Northern Medieval World

In this study, McGillivray explores the cultural environment in which the Eddic poem Vafþrúðnismál was composed and re-examines the relationship between form and content in the poem and the respective influences of pre-Christian beliefs and Christian religion on the text. The poem has a dual aspect, acting as a poetic framework and functioning as a sacred story. It serves both as a representation of early pagan beliefs or myths and also as a myth itself, relating the journey of the Norse god Óðinn to the hall of the ancient and wise giant Vafþrúðnir, where Óðinn craftily engages his adversary in …

New Studies In The Manuscript Tradition Of Njáls Saga: The Historia Mutila Of Njála, Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, Emily Lethbridge

Northern Medieval World

Njáls saga is the best known and most highly regarded of all medieval Icelandic sagas and it occupies a special place in Icelandic cultural history. The manuscript tradition is exceptionally rich and extensive. The oldest extant manuscripts date to only a couple of decades after the saga's composition in the late thirteenth century and the saga was subsequently copied by hand continuously up until the twentieth century, even alongside the circulation of printed text editions in latter centuries. The manuscript corpus as a whole has great socio-historical value, showcasing the myriad ways in which generations of Icelanders interpreted the saga …

On And Beyond The Mississippi: Essays Honoring Thomas Tredway, Dag Blanck, Michael Nolan, Roald Tweet, Maria Erling, Nils Hasselmo, Larry Scott, Kenneth R. Johnston, Dorothy J. Parkander, Richard Swanson, Arthur Mampel, William Bondeson, Ronald Goetz

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Excerpt from Introduction:

This collection of essays honors Thomas Tredway on his retirement as President of Augustana College in the summer of 2003. The contributors include Augustana graduates from different generations, colleagues at the college, and friends from both on and off campus. The essays focus on themes and subjects that have been important both in the history of Augustana College and in Tom’s own life.

Table of Contents:

Illustrations -- Introduction -- Contributors -- Roald Tweet / Five Reflections on Living with a Hyphen -- Maria Erling / Nordic and Protestant: Swedish-American Identity in America -- Nils Hasselmo / …

Aspects Of Augustana And Swedish America: Essays In Honor Of Dr. Conrad Bergendoff On His 100th Year, Raymond Jarvi, Emmet E. Eklund, Maria Erling, H. Arnold Barton, Elder M. Lindahl, Ann Boaden, Mark A. Granquist, Dag Blanck, Bernhard Erling, Judith Belan

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Table of Contents:

Introduction -- Emmet E. Eklund / The Mosaic of Augustana’s Swedish Lutheran Origins -- Maria Erling / Molding Ministers to Fit Congregations: Religious Leadership Among New England’s Swedes -- H. Arnold Barton / Conrad Bergendoff and the Swedish-American Church Language Controversy of the 1920s -- Elder M. Lindahl / The Troublesome Language Question -- Ann Boaden / Weighing the Stars and Hearing the Word: Conrad Bergendoff’s Idea of Christian Higher Education at Augustana College and Theological Seminary -- Mark A. Granquist / Conrad Bergendoff and the LCA Merger of 1962 -- Dag Blanck / North Stars and …

Looking West: Three Essays On Swedish-American Life, Jules Mauritzson, Conrad Bergendoff, Ann Boaden, Dag Blanck

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Excerpt from preface:

This book contains three essays on Swedish and Swedish-American topics by Jules Mauritzson, professor of Swedish language and literature at Augustana College from 1901 until his untimely death in 1930.

Table of Contents:

Preface / Dag Blanck, Ann Boaden -- Introduction / Dag Blanck -- The Swedish-American: at Work and Play, at Home and Away (Svensk-amerikanen i helg och söcken, hemma och borta) -- Chicago: From Open Prairie To a City of One Million in Fifty Years (Chicago: från öde prairie till million-stad på femtio år) -- Christmas Customs, Old and New (Julseder: gamla och nya)

The Story Of John Fryxell, Fritiof Fryxell

Augustana Historical Society Publications

John Fryxell was an immigrant from Vättlösa Parish, near Götene in southern Sweden. He came to America and worked for the Moline Cabinet Pipe Organ Company of Moline, Illinois and was an advocate of education for his children, all of whom graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. His son Fritiof Fryxell wrote the manuscript of this biography of his father.

The Church Of Sweden On The Delaware, 1638-1831, Dr. Conrad Bergendoff

Augustana Historical Society Publications

A discussion of the Swedish Lutheran Church in New Sweden covering the churches of Holy Trinity at Christina, now Wilmington, Delaware; an early Tinicum Island church and Wicaco church from which grew the Gloria Dei Church in Philadelphia; St. James Church in Kingsessing, now in Philadelphia; Christ or Old Swedes in Upper Merion, now in Philadelphia; Raccoon, now Swedesboro, and Penns Neck, now Churchtown or Lower Penns Neck, New Jersey. The churches which survived to 1776 became Anglican.

His Name Was Jonas: A Biography Of Jonas Swensson, Emmet E. Eklund

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Abstract:

The life of Jonas Swensson (1828-1873) presents a reversal of the common notion that sons of famous fathers often live in the shadow of their fathers’ fame. For Jonas Swensson was overshadowed by the fame of his illustrious son, Carl Aaron. Both the fame of his son and his own early death, at age forty-five, have tended to obscure the noteworthy accomplishments of Jonas Swensson. Yet Swensson played a significant role in the shaping of the Augustana Lutheran Church in the last half of the 19th century. His contributions to parish and higher education, mission, congregational life, and the …

The Missionary Spirit In The Augustana Church, George F. Hall

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Summary (from book jacket):

The American church is made up of many varied groups, depending on origin, divisions, changing relationships. One of these was the Augustana Lutheran Church, founded by Swedish Lutheran immigrants and maintaining an independent existence from 1860 to 1962 when it became a part of a larger Lutheran community, the Lutheran Church of America. The character of the Augustana Church can be studied from different viewpoints. In this volume Dr. George Hall describes it as a missionary church. It was born out of a missionary concern in Sweden for the thousands who had emigrated. As soon as …

The Pioneer Swedish Settlements And Swedish Lutheran Churches In America, 1845-1860, Eric Norelius

Augustana Historical Society Publications

The author traces in this volume the waves of Swedish emigration that started in the mid-1840s. One of these waves, in 1850, brought a youth of 17 who sensed the significance of the movement of a people from ancient Sweden to the open lands of America. He gathered records, letters, documents, and himself had a part, as student, journalist, and clergyman, in the development of the earliest settlements. In 1890, then historian of the Augustana Lutheran Church, Norelius published his material in a book entitled History of the Swedish Settlements and Swedish Lutheran Churches in America. This translation is of …

My Story: Immigrant, Executive, Traveler, Birger Swenson

Augustana Historical Society Publications

From book jacket:

Gifted in business, Birger soon became well known in lay circles of his Church and attained a high position in both the publication and circulation of religious journalism. All the while he and his wife were contributing to constructive agencies in their community and enlarging a circle of friends here and abroad.

Table of Contents:

Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Finding My Way in a New Land -- From Campus to War Camps -- College Years -- An Interlude in Europe, Michigan and Seminary -- A Career in Church Publications -- Birger Takes a Wife -- General Manager …

Shepherd Of An Immigrant People: The Story Of Erland Carlsson, Emory Lindquist

Augustana Historical Society Publications

From book jacket:

The life of Erland Carlsson (1822-1893), immigrant pastor and Augustana Lutheran Synod leader, was fashioned by his pietistic family home in Älghult parish, Kronobergs län, Sweden, it was enriched by the evangelical läsare movement, and it was deepened intellectually by his theological studies at Lund University.

Table of Contents:

Preface -- Acknowledgements -- The Early Years in Sweden -- Emigration to America -- Building a Congregation -- The Life of an Immigrant Pastor -- The Pastor and His Congregation -- Outreach in Service -- The Church Beyond the Parish -- Champion of Education -- Promotor of the …

Pioneering Adventures Of Johan Edvard Lilljeholm In America, 1846-1850, Arthur Wald

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Excerpt from Foreword:

In the impressive collection of newspapers, letters and documents in the Augustana College Archives pertaining to Swedish pioneer history is found a considerable number of immigrant stories and biographies, which aside from their importance to scholars as research sources, have extraordinary human interest. In years past, the Bulletin of the Augustana Swedish Institute has published a number of these pioneer stories, but it remained for a Swedish clergyman, Kyrkoherde Gosta Soderberg from L. P. Esbjorn's parish of Ostervala, while engaged in research in the Archives, to come upon and recognize the value of one such document previously …

Olof Christian Telemak Andrén, Ambassador Of Good Will, Oscar N. Olson

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Of the pioneer pastors of the Augustana Church O. C. T. Andrén is perhaps the least known. As the first pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois, he remained in America only four years, 1856 to 1860. But the result of his labors cannot be measured by this brief period. By his earnest preaching, his faithful pastoral care, his consecrated personality and deep spiritual experience he laid a good foundation for the church he served. As a member of the Mississippi Conference and the Synod of Northern Illinois he made a valuable contribution to the work of welding …

Augustana Historical Society Publications Number 11, Lisa Huntsha, Ira Oliver Nothstein

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Selected Documents Dealing with the Organization of the First Congregations and the First Conferences of the Augustana Synod and their Growth Until 1860, Vol. 2

Report From Dr. Schweizer On A Trip To Norway And Denmark, May 15, 1944, Bruno Schweizer

Norwegian Projects

Schweizer describes the results of a trip to Scandinavia designed to investigate opportunities for collaboration with Scandinavian scholars and set goals for language and dialect research, with particular focus on the development of Scandinavian and Germanic language atlasses. The report describes several opportunities for collaboration and names of potential resources, but describes a fraught political situation where collaboration must be conducted privately for fear of backlash for the Scandinavian scholars involved.

Augustana Historical Society Publications Number 10, Ira Oliver Nothstein

Augustana Historical Society Publications

Selected Documents Dealing with the Organization of the First Congregations and the First Conferences of the Augustana Synod and their Growth Until 1860, Vol. 1

Report From Hans Schwalm On A Meeting With Ss-Sturmbannführer Noot Of The Sd, October 30, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Schwalm summarizes a meeting with SS-Sturmbannführer Noot in which Noot promised that relevant SD documents would be made available to Schwalm in the areas of Germanic culture and scientific research. The situation in Norway was discussed, including political tension following the death of Minister Lunde. Skepticism was noted concerning the success of German research endeavors in Norway, partly attributed to political uncertainty and partly to "weary" Norwegian blood. It was noted however that the work was important and should be attempted nonetheless as even a negative result was significant for making decisions about the reconstruction of Europe.

Report By Hans Schwalm On A Meeting With Norwegian Minister Of Justice Riisnaes, October 25, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Report on a meeting with Norwegian Minister of Justice Riisnaes describing individuals in Oslo of interest to the Germans, particularly historians and those involved in the Ministry of Culture.

Report From Hans Schwalm On A Meeting With Ss-Obersturmführer Dr. Vollberg, October 25, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Hans Schwalm reports on a meeting with SS-Obersturmführer Dr. Vollberg of the SD on October 23, 1942. The meeting focuses on the anti-German sentiment of the Norwegian science community. It is noted that the University of Oslo had been rejecting members of Nasjonal Samling and German patience was wearing thin. They additionally discussed individual scientists with anti-German sentiments, including Anton Wilhelm Brøgger, Sigurd Grieg, Carl Marstrander, and Johannes Bøe. Of particular concern was the appointment of Johannes Bøe to a prestigious position without consulting the German occupiers. Schwalm asked to be informed on such topics. They additionally discussed Eberhard Günther …

Report By Hans Schwalm On A Meeting With Sd Literature Advisor Ss-Hauptsturmführer Falk, October 21, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

In this document, Hans Schwalm describes a meeting with SS-Hauptsturmführer Falk, literature advisor of the SD. Falk was unable to recommend individuals to collaborate on Ahnenerbe work, but recommended Schwalm reach out to Fin Halvorsen and SS-Obersturmführer Bischof. He described struggling efforts by Gudmud Schnittler to publish a Norwegian lexikon, attributing the failure to anti-German sentiment and refusal to collaborate. He also warns against the circle of people led by Gulbrund Lunde, as they were focused on Norse identity ("norrön") in opposition to a pan-Germanic concept of identity, including efforts to purge German influences from the Norwegian language.

Report By Hans Schwalm On A Meeting With Alfred Huhnhäuser, October 17, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

This report by Hans Schwalm on a meeting with Alfred Huhnhäuser discusses possibilities for creating a centralized research institute in Norway. Huhnhäuser was disappointed that his plan would receive no support as long as it included the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Society as the main tie to Germany. He and Schwalm discuss other options. Schwalm reports on the situation of the Ahnenerbe in pursuing such a project, indicating that they are 2 1/2 years behind Huhnhäuser, who has achieved great respect and built solid connections. He indicates that it would be better to work with Huhnhäuser than pursue such a project separately. The document …

Letter From Hans Schwalm Regarding His Work In Norway To Schneider And Wolfram Sievers, October 17, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Schwalm writes to Schneider and Sievers regarding the difficulties of his work in Norway, focusing on lack of proper offices and his planned stay in Posen, which he is hoping will be cancelled to prevent an interruption of the work in Norway. Schwalm indicates the work is not progressing well and any interruption would mean having to start all over again.

Report From Schwalm On A Meeting With Ivar Sæter, October 17, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Schwalm describes a meeting with Ivar Saeter of the National Teacher's Federation of Norway. He provides a summary of Saeter's military background and his lack of interest in and connection to the Teacher's association. In the meeting, Saeter described the types of people found in the NS (conquerors, sychophants, those aiming to restore an independent Norway and those who wish to collaborate with Germans) and the overall Norwegian situation. It is stated that the concept of Lebensraum means that Norway must be part of a greater Germain Reich and Norwegians should think of themselves as Germanic but not German. Saeter …

Report From Dr. Schwalm On A Meeting With School Director Kern In Oslo, October 17, 1942, Hans Schwalm

Norwegian Projects

Schwalm describes a meeting with Kern, who ran a language school in Oslo and had prior affiliations with the Foreign Organization. Kern's precarious position is detailed, including his ouster from the Foreign Organization and the efforts against him and his school by Huhnhäuser and Pudelko of the German Academy. Schwalm describes Kern as one willing to tap into his connections from years of teaching, but who is looking to benefit from this association. Kern refers to the atmosphere among the Norwegian intelligentsia including their reluctance to join the NS and willingness to engage in dialogue with Germans as long as …