The Echo of Odin: Norse Mythology and Human Consciousness

by Edward W.L. Smith

Overview

The pagan mythology of the Vikings offers a rich metaphor for consciousness. This book presents the cosmography of Norse mythology as a landscape of human inner life. Each of the nine worlds of this cosmography is viewed as a symbol of a distinct type of consciousness that is emblematic of a particular perspective or way of relating to others.

Individual gods and goddesses are considered nuanced personifications of their worlds. The philosophy of pagan mythology is explored by comparing and contrasting the Sayings of Odin from the Norse Edda with the Christian Ten Commandments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476675091
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	08/30/2024
Pages:	211
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Edward W.L. Smith has published nine nonfiction books, more than 50 essays, a memoir, magazine articles, short stories, and a good bit of poetry. He is an emeritus professor of psychology, Georgia Southern University, and lives in Statesboro, Georgia.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
1. The Nature of Myth
2. Norse Mythology as Cynosure
3. The Lower World: Niflheim, Muspell and Hel
4. The Middle World: Midgaard, Svartalfheim and Jötunheim
5. The Upper World: Asgaard, Vanaheim and Alfheim
6. The Emerging Gestalt: Yggdrasil, Norns and Runes
7. The Wisdom of Odin
Conclusion
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

This entire book was written as a cover-to-cover read, though it may well serve as a reference book and guide to the complexities and inconsistencies of Norse mythology. Definitely a must read for any and all students of mythology and mythopoeic literature.”—Mythlore

From the Publisher