779:'s Centre for Medieval Studies. Townend was of the opinion that Price's "exceptional" work represented "one of the most important contributions to Viking studies in recent years, quite possibly in recent decades", dealing as it did with the neglected area of magic in the Viking world. Praising Price's work as being "logical, persuasive and theoretically astute", he found much to commend it, opining that it had much to teach archaeologists, while at the same time being "very easy" to read, written in a prose style which was "lucid, and often stylish and witty". Furthermore, praising the use of illustrations and bibliography, he did however comment that the book would have been improved by the inclusion of an index.
267:"Where in our synthetic models of the period do we find serious consideration of the torch-carrying man who walked backwards round a funeral pyre, completely naked and with his fingers covering his anus; the herd of six-legged reindeer depicted on a wall-covering; the armed women who worked a loom made from human body-parts; the elderly Sámi man who was buried in a Nordic woman's clothes; the men who could understand the howling of wolves; the women with raised swords who paced beneath trees of hanging bodies; the men who had sex with a slave-girl, and then strangled her, as a formal sign of respect for her dead master; the woman buried with silver toe-rings and a bag full of narcotics?"
487:-workers' assistants in the literature, before turning his attention to the burial evidence for Norse magical practitioners. Here, he notes that both inhumation and crematory burial can be interpreted as perhaps being the resting place of sorcerers if they are buried with items which likely had magical uses, such as staffs and narcotics. As evidence, Price highlights a number of Viking Age graves that have been excavated in Scandinavia and found to contain potentially magical items; this includes three inhumation burials at
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477:, the majority of whom were apparently female. He discusses various references to female magicians in Old Norse literature, and looks into the multitude of different words used for them, arguing that some of them may have referred to different categories of magician. He then proceeds to discuss male magicians, who were a minority in the surviving literature, being viewed as deviants who had committed
470:. Furthermore, he lists a total of 240 names which have been applied to Óðinn in the Norse literature, illustrating his multi-faceted role in Norse religion. Moving on to look at another deity, Freyja, Price discusses her association with magic and sorcery, before then discussing shamanistic and magical elements in pagan Norse cosmology.
239:, where he spent the following five years working as a field archaeologist. Despite his full-time employment, he continued to be engaged in archaeological research in a private capacity, publishing a series of academic papers and presenting others at conferences. In 1996 joined the Department of Archaeology at the
670:
Proceeding to discuss evidence for shamanism in
Scandinavia, Price casts a critical eye on previous scholarship that has argued for the existence of shamanistic beliefs and practices from the Paleolithic through to the Viking Age, being particularly critical of Jimmy Strassburg's work. He then looks
286:
with a discussion of why he chose to write the book, noting how he wanted to understand the mindset of the
Scandinavians living in the Viking Age; in his own words, the book is his attempt to "write an explicitly 'cognitive' archaeology of the Vikings". He proceeds to explain his interdisciplinary
322:
of
Northern Europe. He highlights the need to recognise that modern archaeologists have many problems facing the cognitive understandings of past people like the Norse, arguing for the need to take an approach which he terms "odd archaeology", recognising the "oddness" of societies other than our
830:
commented that Price's study had gained "much admiration" for its multidisciplinary approach. Comparing Price and Tolley's research, Hutton opined that the former played up the importance of Sami shamanic elements entering southern
Scandinavia, while Tolley played it down, approaches that can be
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In undertaking research for his doctoral thesis, Price took great interest in circumpolar shamanism, attending academic conferences on this subject and reading much published material that had been produced by anthropologists. He found that much of the data which he collected in this area was
34:
461:
practices in Norse society. Price starts with an examination of the god Óðinn, noting his literary associations with sorcery and shamanism, as well as identifying the shamanic and magical associations of those supernatural beings that served him, such as his horse
230:'s Department of Archaeology from October 1988 through to May 1992. Under the supervision of the archaeologists Steve Roskams and Richard Hall, Price had initially focused his research on the Anglo-Scandinavian tenements at 16–22
804:. He commended the interdisciplinary approach that Carver utilized, noting that very few contemporary archaeologists had successfully taken such an approach, and expressed his opinion that Price had written a "spellbinding" work.
213:
The book was widely acclaimed by archaeologists working in
European archaeology, and praised as a model for both future interdisciplinary research and for understanding past religious beliefs from an archaeological perspective.
554:, he then undertakes a study of the use of staffs and wands in Nordic magic, highlighting the existence of a number of metal and wooden staffs found in the archaeological record. Moving on, he looks at the evidence for the
234:
in York, although he eventually moved away from this to focus on archaeology within
Scandinavia itself. Personal circumstances meant that Price was unable to finish his doctoral thesis at York, and in 1992 he emigrated to
387:
and elves), 'spirits' and projections of the human soul. He then discusses the evidence for temples and sacred spaces in Iron Age
Scandinavia, and the various priestly figures who would have carried out cultic functions.
550:). He follows this with a study of the clothes that magical practitioners may have worn, discussing ideas regarding masks, veils and head coverings. Debating whether they made use of drums in their performance of
840:(2010), Martin Carver quoted from Price's book, before remarking that this "remarkable" work has "done much to make the study of non-Christian religion once more respectable among archaeologists."
343:
from surviving
Scandinavian literary sources, Price continues to discuss the various research perspectives that have been adopted by past scholars investigating Norse paganism, including those of
185:, England and then at the University of Uppsala, Sweden. Although primarily archaeological, Price took an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, drawing evidence from other disciplines such as
200:, before providing an overview of what is known of pre-Christian Norse religion and magic from both literary and archaeological studies. He then moved into providing a deeper study of
407:, he also highlights the fact that sorcery was intricately connected to cultic practice. He then proceeds to look at the various literary sources which refer to
310:
and its multiple problems, but nonetheless defends his position in taking a cognitive archaeological approach within his study. He then highlights the rise of
570:. He then rounds off this section of the chapter with a discussion of charms, songs and chants, as well as debating whether we can understand the role of
359:. Price moves on to look at the wide variety of other supernatural entities that existed within the Norse world-view: the servants of the gods (i.e. the
820:
in several respects, but that Price's work focused on an archaeological rather than a literary approach to the subject. Reviewing Tolley's work in the
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approach to the subject of Norse paganism, drawing from textual sources as well as archaeology. Noting that this is a view that has been championed by
243:
as a research scholar, beginning full-time work there the following year. At
Uppsala, he went on to complete his doctoral thesis and gain his
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612:
351:. Focusing on the pre-Christian religions themselves, he then discusses Iron Age Scandinavian beliefs regarding deities such as
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itself, discussing the potential use of ritual architecture and space, dealing with literary and archaeological evidence for
327:, which focuses on the study of deviants within any given society. He then rounds off the chapter by summarising the rest of
295:, he proceeds to discuss the manner in which the Scandinavian Late Iron Age is simultaneously viewed as the final period of
181:
Price had worked on the subject of Norse paganism for his doctoral thesis, undertaken between 1988 and 2002, first at the
433:, law codes and also several non-Scandinavian sources. Finally, he offers an overview of earlier scholarly research into
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397:. Noting that there were specific terms applying to different forms of magical practice in the Norse context, such as
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Writing in his opening paper, "Agency, Intellect and the
Archaeological Agenda", published in the academic anthology
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ultimately of little use for his thesis, and so he included it in an edited anthology which he put together entitled
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In the second part of the chapter, Price looks more specifically at the Norse magical practices, known as
437:, discussing a variety of studies published from the 19th century through to the beginning of the 21st.
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as a work of "impeccable and comprehensive scholarship", but noted that a better title might have been
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in Norway, he then looks at the burial of what appears to be an Anglo-Scandinavian individual from the
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The third chapter is devoted to an examination of the literary and archaeological evidence for
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archaeology, a sub-section of world archaeology that focuses on the histories of contemporary
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816:(2009), the English scholar Clive Tolley noted that his work overlapped with Price's
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The first edition cover of the book, depicting a late 10th century runestone from
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Part 1: Different Vikings? Towards a cognitive archaeology of the later Iron Age
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1148:. Uppsala: Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University.
1104:. Vol. 99. Stockholm: Royal Swedish Academy of Letters. pp. 162–165.
503:, all of which were in Sweden, as well as a Danish grave from the cemetery at
174:, and first published by the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at
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This article is about the archaeological study. For the English footpath, see
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Divided into seven chapters, Price opened the book with a discussion of his
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in Late Iron Age-Scandinavia. It was written by the English archaeologist
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in 2002. A revised second edition was published in 2017 by Oxbow Books.
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The Viking Way: Religion and War in the Later Iron Age of Scandinavia
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Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture
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Part 5: Circumpolar religion and the question of Old Norse shamanism
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453:. Price describes the god's association with sorcery and shamanism.
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Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo-Saxon Paganism Revisited
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Signals of Belief in Early England: Anglo-Saxon Paganism Revisited
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at the arguments that have previously been put forward describing
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449:Óðinn riding on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir, depicted on the
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Part 2: Problems and paradigms in the study of Old Norse sorcery
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platforms, chair pendants, door frames and empty ritual space (
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came from Price's doctoral research, which he undertook at the
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27:
The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
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The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
594:. Looking at the role of Óðinn as sorcerer under the lens of
488:
412:
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155:
The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia
620:, including divination, healing, hunting and weather magic.
1112:(2010). "Agency, Intellect and the Archaeological Agenda".
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352:
499:, and two cremation burials at Klinta in Köpings parish,
244:
93:
Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala
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Price carries on by looking at the "performance" of
1116:. Oxford and Oakville: Oxbow Books. pp. 1–20.
679:Part 6: The supernatural empowerment of aggression
369:), the beings with cosmological purpose (i.e. the
339:After offering an overview of what is known about
1131:Hutton, Ronald (2011). "Review of Clive Tolley's
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914:
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602:practices offered involved sexual acts such as
323:own. He contrasts this "odd archaeology" with
247:under the supervision of Anne-Sofie Gräslund.
1199:Shamanism in Norse Myth and Magic: Volume One
610:practitioners could command spirits known as
473:Price goes on to look at the "performers" of
1139:. Vol. 4, no. 1. pp. 225–226.
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483:. He moves on to deal with accounts of the
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206:, or Norse magical practices, identifying
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598:, Price then discusses the evidence that
558:use of narcotics and intoxicants such as
511:and another from the Swedish cemetery at
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1201:. Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia.
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1167:(2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxbow Books.
306:Price goes on to discuss the role of
1232:Academic studies of ritual and magic
1184:Townend, Matthew (2003). "Review of
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582:. Price proceeds to deal with the
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1192:. Vol. 16, no. 3.
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1247:Religious studies books
421:sagas of the Icelanders
16:2002 book by Neil Price
1227:2002 non-fiction books
1197:Tolley, Clive (2009).
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527:who was discovered at
515:in Hagebyhöga parish,
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172:University of Aberdeen
586:concepts surrounding
451:Tjängvide image stone
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308:cognitive archaeology
299:and the first of the
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241:University of Uppsala
1163:Price, Neil (2017).
1144:Price, Neil (2002).
1067:. pp. 225–226.
1007:. pp. 210–232.
995:. pp. 162–209.
983:. pp. 111–161.
788:, the archaeologist
210:elements within it.
198:theoretical approach
1096:(2004). "Review of
971:. pp. 97–111.
826:journal, historian
521:Oseburg ship burial
347:and specialists in
289:post-processualists
46:, decorated with a
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959:. pp. 63–89.
947:. pp. 39–62.
935:. pp. 38–48.
923:. pp. 27–37.
911:. pp. 25–27.
794:University of York
777:University of York
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316:indigenous peoples
228:University of York
183:University of York
176:Uppsala University
164:old Norse religion
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1242:Archaeology books
1208:978-951-41-1028-3
1123:978-1-84217-395-4
1019:. pp. 312–.
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48:Mammen style
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1065:Hutton 2011
1053:Tolley 2009
1041:Carver 2004
782:Writing in
556:entheogenic
544:seiðhjaller
533:Isle of Man
529:Peel Castle
466:and ravens
320:Sami people
76:Archaeology
1221:Categories
1102:Fornvännen
1017:Price 2002
1005:Price 2002
993:Price 2002
981:Price 2002
969:Price 2002
957:Price 2002
945:Price 2002
933:Price 2002
921:Price 2002
909:Price 2002
897:Price 2002
885:Price 2002
873:Price 2002
861:Price 2002
844:References
785:Fornvännen
297:prehistory
293:Ian Hodder
232:Coppergate
218:Background
168:Neil Price
59:Neil Price
50:face-mask.
21:Viking Way
1190:Antiquity
849:Footnotes
772:Antiquity
162:study of
125:paperback
121:Hardcover
90:Publisher
1055:. p. xv.
899:. p. 26.
887:. p. 17.
875:. p. 14.
863:. p. 13.
796:praised
624:Part 4:
568:cannabis
464:Sleipnir
362:valkyrja
301:medieval
261:Synopsis
257:(2001).
208:shamanic
64:Language
1079:. p. 1.
792:of the
576:ecstasy
564:henbane
560:alcohol
548:útiseta
531:on the
525:Danelaw
509:Jylland
497:Uppland
375:), the
187:history
119:Print (
72:Subject
67:English
44:Denmark
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613:gandir
584:gender
572:trance
505:Fyrkat
493:Björkö
429:, the
423:, the
384:dvergr
378:Jötnar
372:Nornir
237:Sweden
158:is an
56:Author
40:Aarhus
673:seiðr
618:seiðr
608:seiðr
600:Seiðr
588:seiðr
580:seiðr
552:Seiðr
540:Seiðr
501:Öland
489:Birka
485:Seiðr
475:Seiðr
459:Seiðr
435:Seiðr
409:Seiðr
405:Gandr
400:Galdr
394:Seiðr
353:Óðinn
291:like
203:Seiðr
132:Pages
1203:ISBN
1169:ISBN
1150:ISBN
1118:ISBN
592:ergi
574:and
566:and
513:Aska
480:ergi
403:and
365:and
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355:and
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141:ISBN
123:and
103:2002
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578:in
507:in
495:in
245:PhD
135:435
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