A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko
Of the many references to runes in the Poetic Edda, the depiction of the runic communication between Guðrún and Kostbera in the poem Atlamál in grœnlenzko is one of the most intriguing. This is due in part to certain authentic-sounding details, which have prompted a number of misguided attempts to r...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3879 https://doi.org/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 |
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ftunivcollcork:oai:cora.ucc.ie:10468/3879 2023-08-27T04:09:44+02:00 A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko Birkett, Thomas 2013-03 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3879 https://doi.org/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 en eng Brepols Publishers Birkett, T. (2013) 'A Cautionary Tale: Reading the Runic Message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko', Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, 9, pp. 1-18. doi:10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 doi:10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 18 978-2-503-54734-3 1782-7183 Viking and Medieval Scandinavia 1 http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3879 9 © 2013 Brepols Publishers. This accepted manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC 4.0 license. The final published form is available at http://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Eddic Greenland Old Norse Viking Runes Atlamál Atlakviða Article (peer-reviewed) 2013 ftunivcollcork https://doi.org/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 2023-08-06T14:29:17Z Of the many references to runes in the Poetic Edda, the depiction of the runic communication between Guðrún and Kostbera in the poem Atlamál in grœnlenzko is one of the most intriguing. This is due in part to certain authentic-sounding details, which have prompted a number of misguided attempts to reconstruct the message itself. In this article, I offer a reading of this much-discussed episode in light of the runic tradition in medieval Scandinavia and the treatment of the script elsewhere in the Edda, suggesting that rather than representing a realistic depiction of runic correspondence, it is best read as a poetic expression of contemporary concerns about long-distance communication within the North Atlantic littoral. In particular, I address the question of the conventional identification of this poem with Greenland, and examine the historical circumstances that may have occasioned the introduction of the runic subplot. I argue that the episode partakes in a sophisticated discourse about the possibilities and limitations of the written word, which can serve not only as a warning against the misreading of the runic message, but also against imprudent interpretations of literary texts. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland North Atlantic University College Cork, Ireland: Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) Greenland Viking and Medieval Scandinavia 9 1 18 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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University College Cork, Ireland: Cork Open Research Archive (CORA) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcollcork |
language |
English |
topic |
Eddic Greenland Old Norse Viking Runes Atlamál Atlakviða |
spellingShingle |
Eddic Greenland Old Norse Viking Runes Atlamál Atlakviða Birkett, Thomas A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
topic_facet |
Eddic Greenland Old Norse Viking Runes Atlamál Atlakviða |
description |
Of the many references to runes in the Poetic Edda, the depiction of the runic communication between Guðrún and Kostbera in the poem Atlamál in grœnlenzko is one of the most intriguing. This is due in part to certain authentic-sounding details, which have prompted a number of misguided attempts to reconstruct the message itself. In this article, I offer a reading of this much-discussed episode in light of the runic tradition in medieval Scandinavia and the treatment of the script elsewhere in the Edda, suggesting that rather than representing a realistic depiction of runic correspondence, it is best read as a poetic expression of contemporary concerns about long-distance communication within the North Atlantic littoral. In particular, I address the question of the conventional identification of this poem with Greenland, and examine the historical circumstances that may have occasioned the introduction of the runic subplot. I argue that the episode partakes in a sophisticated discourse about the possibilities and limitations of the written word, which can serve not only as a warning against the misreading of the runic message, but also against imprudent interpretations of literary texts. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Birkett, Thomas |
author_facet |
Birkett, Thomas |
author_sort |
Birkett, Thomas |
title |
A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
title_short |
A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
title_full |
A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
title_fullStr |
A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
title_full_unstemmed |
A cautionary tale: Reading the runic message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko |
title_sort |
cautionary tale: reading the runic message in atlamál in grœnlenzko |
publisher |
Brepols Publishers |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3879 https://doi.org/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Greenland North Atlantic |
op_relation |
Birkett, T. (2013) 'A Cautionary Tale: Reading the Runic Message in Atlamál in grœnlenzko', Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, 9, pp. 1-18. doi:10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 doi:10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 18 978-2-503-54734-3 1782-7183 Viking and Medieval Scandinavia 1 http://hdl.handle.net/10468/3879 9 |
op_rights |
© 2013 Brepols Publishers. This accepted manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC 4.0 license. The final published form is available at http://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/abs/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1484/J.VMS.1.103874 |
container_title |
Viking and Medieval Scandinavia |
container_volume |
9 |
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1 |
op_container_end_page |
18 |
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1775351301727584256 |