Men and Trolls: A Discussion of Race and the Depiction of the Sámi in the Hrafnistumannasögur
This article discusses the often stereotyped and essentialized depiction of the Sámi in Old Norse sources in light of recent work on critical race theory and its application to the Middle Ages. Focussing on the portrayal of Sámi characters in the late-medieval Hrafnistumannasögur (Sagas of the Men o...
| Published in: | Scandinavian-Canadian Studies |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English French |
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University of Alberta Library
2022
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.29173/scancan221 https://doaj.org/article/6baf4f4fe5d447aba86440f1bee60ba1 |
| Summary: | This article discusses the often stereotyped and essentialized depiction of the Sámi in Old Norse sources in light of recent work on critical race theory and its application to the Middle Ages. Focussing on the portrayal of Sámi characters in the late-medieval Hrafnistumannasögur (Sagas of the Men of Hrafnista), this article argues that Norse portrayals of the Sámi were racial in character and that there did indeed exist a racial dynamic between the two peoples, at least during the late-medieval period from which these sagas survive. Consideration is also given towards how both positive and negative portrayals of the Sàmi in these sources can be understood within a racialized context. This article is a winner of the 2022 Marna Feldt Graduate Publication Award. À la lumière des récents travaux sur la théorie raciale critique [critical race theory] et son application dans le contexte du Moyen- ge, cet article traite de la représentation, souvent stéréotypée et essentialiste, des Samis dans les sources en vieux norois. Se concentrant sur les portraits des personnages Samis dans les Hrafnistumannasögur (sagas des hommes de Hrafnista) du bas Moyen- ge, cet article argumente que les représentations nordiques des Samis étaient de caractère racial et qu’il existait en effet une dynamique raciale entre les deux peuples, tout du moins durant le bas Moyen- ge, période d’où ces sagas nous proviennent. L’interprétation, dans un contexte racialisé, des représentations positives et négatives des Samis dans ces sources est également pris en considération. Cet article a reçu le Prix Marna Feldt de publication pour diplômé [graduate] de 2022. |
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