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Balderus orphicus: en Ovidiusparafras i Snorre Sturlassons berättelse om Balders död?
Institutionen för etnologi, religionshistoria och genusvetenskap, Stockholms universitet..
Responsible organisation
2023 (Swedish)In: Fornvännen, ISSN 0015-7813, E-ISSN 1404-9430, Vol. 118, no 4, p. 259-266Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This text explores the influence of Ovid’s account of Orpheus’ death in Metamorphoses on Snorri Sturluson’s account of Baldr’s death in Gylfaginning. In examining the similarities and differences between the two narratives, particular emphasis is placed on elements such as the invulnerability of a mythic protagonist, his tragic death resulting from the breaking of an enchantment, and his lamentation by the animate and inanimate forces of nature. While acknowledging the differences in the narratives, the author suggests that Snorri drew on a specific motif from Ovid’s work to enhance his own account of Baldr’s death. The text briefly touches on the complex relationship between classical and Norse mythology, highlighting the creative reinterpretation and adaptation of mythic themes in medieval literature. In conclusion, the author proposes that Snorri’s skillful synthesis of various sources reflects his role as a creative innovator within the living tradition of mythic storytelling.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien, 2023. Vol. 118, no 4, p. 259-266
Keywords [en]
Baldr; Orpheus; Snorri Sturluson; Ovid; Metamorphoses; Medieval mythography
Keywords [sv]
Balder, Orpheus, Snorre Sturlasson, Ovidius, Metamorfoser, Mytologi
National Category
History History of Religions
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:raa:diva-8459OAI: oai:DiVA.org:raa-8459DiVA, id: diva2:1821018
Available from: 2023-12-19 Created: 2023-12-19 Last updated: 2025-09-04Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf