Inside the Viking Mind: Cosmology, the After-life, and the Self

“My research is essentially concerned with the human condition,” wrote Price from his home in Uppsala, Sweden, where he lives and holds a second appointment at the university, “the familiar age-old questions about life and its meaning that we all ask ourselves at some point – but placing this in a specific historical context and trying to recapture the Vikings’ own perspective on mortality. Every culture seeks its own answers to the eternal questions, including matters of morality, and I think we can always learn from reflecting on others’ attitudes to these same things that we still puzzle over today.”
The full text of this interview by Bill Chaisson of Prof. Neil Price of the department of archaeology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland can be read at Ithaca.com.

Blog Recommendation: Trolldom & Hoodoo

Thanks to Aluric for referring me to this blog. Trolldom and Hoodoo has many fascinating articles on the survival of Swedish folk magic and beliefs among immigrants to the U.S., including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, with emphasis on their parallels with and possible influence on the practice of Hoodoo or "root" in those areas. Many of these beliefs and practices date to pre-Christian times. Article topics include trolls, use of dreambooks (or "Drommebogs"), and use of magical herbs. Some articles are in English, while others are in Swedish. The blog's URL is http://trolldomhoodoo.blogspot.se/