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The aim of this essay is to observe how the pre-Christian mythology of Scandinavia, commonly known as Norse mythology, is depicted during the first season of the History Channel TV-series Vikings from 2013, and to analyze how well those depictions correspond with modern day knowledge of that mythology. More specifically this essay studies how the pre-Christian gods, myths and rituals are depicted. To accomplish this the essay uses a modified version of a method called structured observation, a method otherwise associated with observing people. Roland Barthes theory of a primary- and secondary meaning of language is used as the theoretical framework for this essay. The results show that many Christian themes can be detected in Vikings. For example, in the depictions of the god Odin who sometimes becomes a symbol for the Christian God. This is shown by depicting Odin being able to have decided people’s destinies, he is not tied to a specific task, and is prayed to in a manner that looks like a Christian prayer. Modern norms of equality between genders, a linear perception of time, and a distaste for human sacrifice can be detected in the Series’ depictions of Valhalla, Ragnarök and rituals of sacrifice. The myths depicted in Vikings can be divided into three categories: how humans understand the world, what happens after you die in battle and what will happen during the end of the world. The rituals depicted all happen during one of two ceremonies: funerals and sacrifice.

The sacrificial tree of Frösö: A symbiosis of two cultures? This bachelor thesis deals with the site of what has been interpreted as the remains of a sacrificial tree under the church of Frösö, on the island of Frösö. The found material consists predominantly of animal bones, where a large part has been identified as wild animals such as brown bears, but also a large number of juvenile pigs. Previous research has interpreted the place as an Old Norse place of worship to the Norse god Frey, due to the rich numberof pigs and the islands theophoric name (translated to “The island of Frey”). The unusual wild animals, such as squirrels and red deer have been interpreted as a staging of the ancient world tree Yggdrasil in Norse mythology. The overrepresentation of bones from brown bear however has been debated and is often compared to Sami bear graves. There are some similarities to the bear graves, but the differences that exist needs to be looked at more closely. The aim is to process materials and interpretations in a more holistic way. This is done by discussing various ritual acts, belief system and the choice of place of worship and sacrificial material, then apply this to the findings under the church of Frösö. Since such a large part of the bone material descents from brown bears, the use of bears in various cult practices has also been studied. The aim of this study is to provide new insight and interpretation of which ethnic groups may have used the site, before the church was built.The discussion concludes that a symbiosis is possible in the vicinity of the island, and that it is therefore not unlikely that this also applies to the island of Frösö. The found material under the church of Frösö could be remnants of a bear ceremony, but it could also be remnants from a more economic aspect or simply a mixture of the two. The bear was important financially in the Norse society and a Sami influence, based on their customs and beliefs, is not entirely unlikely given the close contact that existed. This could therefore have been symbolically incorporated into the religious rites.

Shields are among the most iconic artefacts associated with the Viking Age. Even though shields occur frequently in various archaeological and written sources, the function and meaning of shields have been sparsely researched and they have mainly been considered relevant as part of the warrior’s equipment. But when set at centre of attention shields appear in a wide range of contexts, hence it may be assumed that their functions and meanings reached beyond their use as defence weapons. This thesis develops a holistic approach and examines how shields in different source materials relate to each other and to the Viking Age society. Shields have been recovered from graves all over Scandinavia. The material remains of shields mainly consist of metal parts such as shield bosses, mounts and rivets. They are often combined with objects such as spears, swords, arrows and horse equipment. Many of the graves containing shields can be connected to an aristocratic sphere. Miniature shields used as pendants and amulets have mainly been recovered as part of richly furnished female burials, but they are also included as part of silver hoards. Furthermore, shields are represented on female figurines, often referred to as “Valkyries”. Images of shields appears on Gotlandic picture stones and on rune stones. The pictorial context of shield images consists of motifs depicting ships, warriors and riders. Shields are frequently described and mentioned in Old Norse sagas and myths. There are hundreds of kennings and heiti for shields, and many of them are connected to certain heroes or mythological characters. Material properties associated with shields, such as descriptions of shining or shimmering qualities reoccurs in the written sources. The study shows that shields in these different contexts are used in varied ways and have meanings that operates well beyond what is expected of a defence weapon. The concept “association” is pivotal when addressing how different types of shields may refer to each other as well as to aspects of the Viking age society. The thesis shows how shields in different source materials and contexts carry associations connected to aristocracy, warrior ideal and mythology. The spatial distribution of different types of shields (full-sized, miniatures, figurines and images) varies. This indicate that even though there were general values, norms, and beliefs within a large geographical area, the meanings and functions of shields was diversely expressed in different parts of Viking Age Scandinavia.

The background of the study is that humans’ relationship to the nature and animals is not universal and is based on critical archeology and reflexive thinking. Previous researchers have interpreted the animals in graves as food offerings or a communication meal, where the horse is highlighted as a prominent symbol of power, prosperity, alliances, and aristocracy. Researchers have also compared animal style ornaments with Icelandic Sagas, and they connect humans and animals to transformation, metamorphoses, and hybridity. The interpretations in this context are based on the animals´ contemporary function and modern views. By studying the materials more closely, it turned out that the bones of humans and animals have been mixed in the graves. In the animal style ornamentation, there are often mixtures between humans and animals, and so also in the Icelandic Sagas. This indicates that the ancient humans intended to recreate mixtures between humans and animals in the materials. The study also links to the anthropological terms totenism and animism, to show that humans’ relationship to animals differs, and that it is not always the same as the modern view.