Terrorists, Romancs and Supermen - Cornell...
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1/24/10 1 Terrorists, Roman3cs and Supermen The Image of the Viking The Middle Ages: Viking raids on the Bri3sh Isles and European Coast The Vikings, primarily from Norway and Denmark (and later Iceland) began raiding the wealthy monasteries along the coasts of the Bri3sh Isles. Many medieval wri3ngs portray them as evil, bloodthirsty heathens. However, Vikings didn’t just make off to the North with goods and slaves, they also seSled in the Bri3sh Isles and integrated with the popula3ons, forming a powerful kingdom in East Anglia and founding the ci3es of Dublin and Waterford in Ireland. A 19 th century interpreta3on of Viking ac3vity in the Middle Ages « Pirates normands au IXème siècle >> Vikings in the East In the 9 th and 10 th centuries, Scandinavians primarily from Sweden, called the Varangians or Rus, sailed down the river systems of Eastern Europe, raiding, trading and seSling. The Varangian nobility ruled from Kiev during its heyday. The Vikings sailed further south, reaching as far as Constan3nople (present day Istanbul). The Byzan3ne emperor kept a special guard comprised of these Norsemen, called the Varangian guard. Several Icelandic sagas, notably Gre$r’s Saga, contain (o]en fanciful) accounts of adventures in Constan3nople. “I have never seen more perfect physiques than theirs—they are like palm trees, are fair and reddish…They are the filthiest of all Allāh’s creatures: they do not clean themselves a]er excre3ng or urina3ng or wash themselves when in a state of ritual impurity (i.e., a]er coitus) and do not <even> wash their hands a]er food. Indeed they are like asses that roam <in the fields>.” –Ibn Fadlan, describing the Rus
Transcript of Terrorists, Romancs and Supermen - Cornell...
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Terrorists,Roman3csandSupermen
TheImageoftheViking
TheMiddleAges:VikingraidsontheBri3shIslesandEuropeanCoast
TheVikings,primarilyfromNorwayandDenmark(andlaterIceland)beganraidingthewealthymonasteriesalongthecoastsoftheBri3shIsles.Manymedievalwri3ngsportraythemasevil,bloodthirstyheathens.
However,Vikingsdidn’tjustmakeofftotheNorthwithgoodsandslaves,theyalsoseSledintheBri3shIslesandintegratedwiththepopula3ons,formingapowerfulkingdominEastAngliaandfoundingtheci3esofDublinandWaterfordinIreland.
A19thcenturyinterpreta3onofVikingac3vityintheMiddleAges
«PiratesnormandsauIXèmesiècle>>
VikingsintheEast
Inthe9thand10thcenturies,ScandinaviansprimarilyfromSweden,calledtheVarangiansorRus,saileddowntheriversystemsofEasternEurope,raiding,tradingandseSling.TheVarangiannobilityruledfromKievduringitsheyday.
TheVikingssailedfurthersouth,reachingasfarasConstan3nople(presentdayIstanbul).TheByzan3neemperorkeptaspecialguardcomprisedoftheseNorsemen,calledtheVarangianguard.SeveralIcelandicsagas,notablyGre$r’sSaga,contain(o]enfanciful)accountsofadventuresinConstan3nople.
“Ihaveneverseenmoreperfectphysiquesthantheirs—theyarelikepalmtrees,arefairandreddish…TheyarethefilthiestofallAllāh’screatures:theydonotcleanthemselvesa]erexcre3ngorurina3ngorwashthemselveswheninastateofritualimpurity(i.e.,a]ercoitus)anddonot<even>washtheirhandsa]erfood.Indeedtheyarelikeassesthatroam<inthefields>.”–IbnFadlan,describingtheRus
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A19thcenturyRussianar3st’sdepic3onoftheVikings
ThebeginningsofVikingRoman3cism
• VikingRoman3cismwasstrongestinthe19thcentury,butarguablyhasitsrootsinthestudiesofSwissPaulHenriMalletandJohanGokriedHerder(atright)inGermany.
• Herderbelievedapoet“isthecreatorofthena3onaroundhim,hegivesthemaworldtoseeandhastheirsoulsinhishandtoleadthemtothatworld”.Hebelievedthatana3on’spoetrywastruestandmostpowerfulbeforeana3onbecame“civilized”.HeexploredthispowerinNorseandGermanpoetry,rejec3ngtheLa3nate,classicizingtendenciesofhiscontemporaryGermancultureandencouragedGermanstobeproudoftheirna3onalheritage.Thisshowsanimportantstrainofna3onalismattherootsofViking“revival”.
TheNa3onalistViking:ThecaseofNorway
• Bythe18thand19thcenturies,Norway,havingbeenunderDanish,thenSwedish,ruleforthebeSerpartofhalfacenturystroveinbothartandliterature(relyingpar3cularlyuponSnorriSturluson’sHeimskringla)tocreateaunique,dis3nctlyNorwegianiden3ty,basedlargelyonitsgloriousVikingpast.ArchaeologicaldiscoveriesofshipburialsandVikingar3factshelpedtobolsterna3onalsen3ment.
Norwegianar3stOscarWergeland’spain3ngofNorwegianVikingslandinginIceland
…andinSweden• TheSwedestoo,smar3ngfrom
thelossofFinlandtoRussiaintheearly19thcentury,wholeheartedlyembracedthenewRoman3cViking.Ofpar3cularnoteareEricGustafGeijer’spoem“TheViking”andEsaiasTegner’s“Frithjofssaga”,thelaSerofwhichwasaroman3cretellingofamedievalsagaandwhichwassuchasmashingsuccessthroughoutEuropethatevenGoethepraisedits“mighty,barbaricstyleofverse”.BothGeijerandTegnerbelongedtothe“Gea3shSociety”(Gö4skaFörbundet),alitera3dedicatedtothepromulga3onofScandinavianan3quity.
Ingibjorg,theheroineofFrithjofssaga
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TheEnglishfinallygetoverit…• NolongerembiSered
aboutalltheraidsinthemiddleages,butrathercaughtupinthewaveofVikingenthusiasm,EnglandbeginstoexploretheScandinavianaspectsofitsiden3ty.Archaeologicalremnantsalsoencouragethis,andmanyEnglishpoetsareinspiredbythewildmys3cismtheyseeinoldScandinavianculture.
“TheRavager”byEnglishpainterJohnCharlesDollman
TheRoman3cViking
PillageandplunderareSO500yearsago.ThenewRoman3cVikingembodiescourage,loyalty,strength,simplicityandasortofprimalmys3cism.
TheApotheosisoftheViking:RichardWagnerandTheRing
GermancomposerRichardWagner(1813‐1883)wasoneofthemostinfluen3alcomposers‐andthinkers‐ofthe19thcentury.Hismusicalinnova3onwasnothingshortofrevolu3onaryandhewasvirtuallyworshippedbythinkersofthe3merangingfromFriedrichNietzschetoCharlesBaudelairetoGeorgeBernardShaw.
Wagnerwasdeeplyinterestedinanideal“German‐ness”andseveralofhisoperastreatonthisidealcharacter.O]enWagnerlookedbacktotheMiddleAges,andsomeofhismostfamousworksincludeTristanandIsolde,Tannhauser,Lohengrin,andParsifal.
TheRingCycle
Ragner’smonumentalworkisthefouroperacycleTheRingoftheNiebelung(1869‐1876).WagnerbasedhisworkonmedievalGermanandScandinavianpoetryandprose,especiallytheIcelandicPoe4cEddaandSagaoftheVolsungs.ThePoe4cEddaisacollec3onofOldNorsepoemsofgodsandheroesandtheSagaoftheVolsungsdealspar3cularlywiththeheroiclineoftheVolsungs,culmina3nginthedisastrousrela3onshipbetweentheheroSigurdandthevalkyrieBrunnhilde.
Thefouroperasare:TheRhinegold,TheValkyrie,Siegfried,andtheTwilightoftheGods
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Athoroughlymodernideal
WhileWagner’soperalooksbackwardandidealizestheheroicliteratureofScandinaviaandGermany,italsoportraysthoroughlymodernideals.ThegodWotanreveals,forexample,thatintheheroSiegfried,hehasaSemptedtocreatetheidealman,amanwhoisfreeofthegodsandwilltranscendthem‐thisisverymuchliketheideaofthe“Superman”thatbecamepresentinthelate19thcentury(andislargelyassociatedwithNietzsche,whowasinfluencedbyWagner).Inthefinalopera,thegodsdie,indica3ngman’sspiritualandar3s3cfreedomfrommoribundtradi3onalism.
Candoeskilldragonz?
Islayzyourdragonz!!
WagnerandRacism
• RichardWagner,despitehavingmanycloseJewishfriends,isalsoknownforhis“an3‐Semi3sm”,largelyduetoanessayhepublishedrailingagainstwhathecalled“Jewishness”andJewishcomposersinGermanmusic.Severalofhisvillainshavestereotypical“Jewish”traits,ascomparedtohisvirileGermanicsupermen.
• Muchlaterinhislife(a]erhislastoperawascompleted)Wagnerwasalsoknowntobeinterestedinracialisttheoryposi3ngthesupremacyof“Aryan”racesoverthe“Semi3c”and“African”.
• RegardlessofWagner’spersonalviews,hislaterappropria3onbytheNazipartyshouldprobablycomeasunsurprising.
ComparetheportrayalofthevillainandherofromArthurRackham’sillustra3onsfortheRingCycle
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TheThuleSocietyFormedinGermanyintheearly20thcentury,theThuleSocietywasafolkloreandoccultgroupinterestedlargelyinGermanicandScandinavianan3quity.However,racism(par3cularlyan3‐Semi3sm)andan3‐Communismwerepartofitsideology.TheThuleSocietyisalsoknownforitssponsorshipoftheDeutscheArbeitspar3,whichwaslaterturnedbyHitlerintotheNaziparty.
DuringWWII,GermanicandScandinavianRoman3cismbecametoomuchassociatedwiththeenemytoremainfashionable.J.R.R.Tolkeinrailedagainstthat“ruddyliSleignoramus”AdolfHitler"for"ruining,perver3ng,misapplying,andmakingforeveraccursed,thatnoblenorthernspirit,asupremecontribu3ontoEurope,whichIhaveeverloved,andtriedtopresentinitstruelight."
VikingMetal:BringingBombastBack
GrowingoutofblackmetalinScandinaviainthelate1980sandearly1990s,“VikingMetal”bandsfocusedtheircontentonNorseMythology,par3cularlythedarkermoreviolentaspects.Thesoundtendstobe“epic”withbothconven3onalandgrowlingvocalsandoccasionallyfusesfolkmusic.NotableVikingmetalbandsareBathory(arguablythepioneersofthegenre),Enslaved(below)andEinherjar.
PeterNicolaiArbo’sAsgardreidwasusedonthealbumcoverofBathory’s“BloodFireDeath”
Viking2.0
Havingbeenmostlyrehabilitatedfromsomeofitsmoreunfortunateassocia3onsinthelastcentury,theimageoftheVikingiss3llpopularintothe21stcenturyinfic3on,film,andevenasacommerciallogo.Filmssuchas“TheVikings”(1958),“The13thWarrior”(1999)andtheupcomingfilmofthecomicbookThoraswellasvideogames,novelsandTVcommercialsshowthepopularitytheVikings3llenjoysasaculturalsymbol.Themodern‐dayVikingcanberoman3cized,idealized,andlampooned(e.g.thecomicstrip“HagartheHorrible”).Vikingiden3tyandheritageiss3llveryimportantinScandinaviancountries(aswellasBritainandtheUS)andhasprovenaSrac3vetotouristsaswell.
LookingForward
• In2000theSmithsonianmuseumgreetedthenewmillenniumwithanexhibitontheVikingdiscoveryofAmerica.TheVikingsservedasmodelofenterprise,ingenuity,
resolveandcourage(pillageand
plunderweredownplayedhere)andas
theidealrepresenta3onofthespiritofthenewmillennium.
StatueoutsidethecapitolbuildinginMinnesota,wheremanyScandinavianimmigrantstoAmericaseSled.
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Linkstoimages1. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viking_funeral.jpg2. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wikinger.jpg
3. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evariste‐Vital_Luminais_‐_Pirates_normands_au_IXe_si%C3%A8cle.jpg
4. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prizvanievaryagov.jpg
5. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicholas_Roerich,_Guests_from_Overseas.jpg
6. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_gokried_herder.jpg7. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norsemen_Landing_in_Iceland.jpg
8. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ingeborg,_peter_nicolai_arbo.jpg
9. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Ravager.jpg
10. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hjalmars_avsked_av_Orvar_Odd_e]er_striden_p%C3%A5_Sams%C3%B6.jpg
11. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Wagner_2.jpg
12. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SchoS%27s_1899_Walkure_3tle.jpg13. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ring16.jpg,hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ring63.jpg
14. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ring44.jpg
15. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ring11.jpg
16. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ring43.jpg
17. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walhall_by_Emil_Doepler.jpg
18. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EnslavedWOA2007‐1.jpg,hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%85sg%C3%A5rdsreien.jpg
19. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SeSles_IV_‐_Viking.gif
20. hSp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viking_at_MN_Capitol.jpg
AfewViking‐themedvideos• Clipfromthe13thWarrior:hSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN‐no1Ka7yU&feature=related
• CapitalOnecommercials:hSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7‐V9DVAPnQ,hSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhomaIqoiL0&feature=related,hSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el0RFkSPk‐o&feature=related
• StephenColbert’sVikingEconomicshSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZeQiJIvejg
• Hail,Odin!Enslaved’s“PathtoVanir”hSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf6Dyqojv9sYoucanfindalotmoreVikingmetalonYoutube.
• ‘RideoftheValkyries’fromWagner’sRingCyclehSp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aKAH_t0aXA&feature=related
• KilldaWabbit!ww.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhQ2BDt4VE&feature=related
