Description of Supplementary subject in Old Norse Mythology
The framework provisions of the academic regulations
The academic regulations for the Supplementary subject in Old Norse Mythology (2007) have been compiled by the
Board of Studies at the Scandinavian Institute and approved by the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities on 28-09-2007
The academic regulations take effect on 1 September 2007.
The Supplementary subject in Old Norse Mythology entitles the student to bear the title ()
The academic direction and primary subject areas of the degree
The aim of the supplementary subject is to examine the various manifestations of the Old Norse mythology in
pre-Christian times as well as in the Middle Ages and more modern times. The programme provides a comprehensive
view of the components of mythology and an insight into the problems attached to the study of the sources. Moreover, it
gives a general introduction to the manners in which mythology has been used, since it ceased to be the ideological
foundation for pre-Christian religious views. The supplementary subject is multidisciplinary in nature and provides the
student with knowledge of the theoretical and methodological foundations of various subject areas, enabling the student
to work independently with the Old Norse mythology and to relate this scope of knowledge to other fields of study.
Academic competences and qualifications
The student acquires qualifications in the form of knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:
• A clear view of the sources of the Old Norse mythology and of the central positions in the research.
• Basic knowledge of the discussion about the function of Old Norse myths in pre-Christian Scandinavia.
• The ability to describe, analyse and interpret Old Norse texts from the Middle Ages and to reflect on the text traditions
of the Middle Ages based on comparative literary history.
• Insight into main characteristics of Old Norse mythology from the Middle Ages until today, and insight into the
cultural impact of Old Norse mythology.
• The ability to analyse and place mythological issues within their context – diachronically as well as synchronously.
Through his/her academic course work, the student acquires the following professional and social competences:
• The ability to describe and analyse complex issues of a multidisciplinary nature and to communicate these in a
scientific context.
• The ability to communicate difficult material in a cohesive and comprehensible manner.
• The ability to grasp a subject matter, to distinguish between significant and less significant aspects, to structure own
learning, and to search for and process new information in an appropriate manner.
• The ability to work methodically, independently and critically, and to adjust the applied methodology to the nature of
the subject to be treated.
• The ability to engage in professional collaboration with others.
Admission requirements and prerequisites
The admission requirements for enrolling at the programme is 18 months of passed studies in another field of study
The degree gives access to the following:
Transitional regulations
Structure of the programme
Exam overview -
Module/annual
examination
Source Module
Module in History of
Religion
Module in Literary and
Cultural History
BA Module
Subject type/assessment
The sources and their
problems
- Internal examination with
internal co-examiner
Old Norse religion
- External examination with
appointed external
co-examiner
Old Norse myth in
medieval and modern times
- Internal examination with
internal co-examiner
Bachelor’s project
Experience Placement(slet)
- External examination with
appointed external
co-examiner
Title of examination/form
of evaluation
Fundamental and
compulsory
Term/ECTS
Pass/fail
Fundamental and
compulsory
15 ECTS
First term
Marked 7-point scale
Fundamental and
compulsory
15 ECTS
Second term
Marked 7-point scale
Fundamental and
compulsory
15 ECTS
Second term
Marked 7-point scale
15 ECTS
First term
Box diagram First term
Second term
The sources and their problems
15 ECTS
Old Norse myth in medieval and modern times
15 ECTS
Old Norse religion
15 ECTS
Bachelor’s project
15 ECTS
Regulations and academic progression provisions The student cannot enrol for the bachelor’s project exam until he/she has passed all exams in the first term of the
supplementary subject.
Individual disciplines and examinations in the degree programme
Source Module
The student acquires qualifications in the form of knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:
• Knowledge of and a comprehensive view of the sources of Old Norse mythology.
• Understanding of the problems pertaining to working with the sources of Old Norse mythology.
• A comprehensive view and understanding of significant fundamental positions in the research.
Through his/her academic course work, the student acquires the following professional and social competences:
• The ability to establish a comprehensive view over multifaceted and at times not very accessible material.
• The ability to enter into dialogue on multidisciplinary issues based on a given material.
• The ability to compare, assess and contemplate various subject specific positions.
The module consists of the following exams:
1. The sources and their problems
Objective:
When evaluating the exam performance, emphasis will be placed on the degree to which the student:
• Has a comprehensive view of the source material of Old Norse mythology and is able to apply relevant academic
terminology.
• Possesses knowledge of the problems pertaining to the work with the sources, and of the significant fundamental
positions found in the research in this connection.
• Is able to demonstrate an understanding of the methodological problems involved when texts from the Middle Ages are
used as sources for the pre-Christian era.
Method of teaching:
Teaching is conducted in class. The teaching focuses on work methods that include oral contributions from the students.
Language of instruction:
English
Course description:
This discipline introduces the most important sources of Old Norse mythology and the problems connected with the
study of the sources. In this discipline various groups of sources are examined: written and material, poetic and prosaic,
Scandinavian and non-Scandinavian. However, emphasis is given to written sources. Source critical methodology is
discussed, and the positions occupied by research are examined.
EVALUATION
Examinees
Product
Individual
Written
1)
Product
framework
Set question
Duration
Preparation
48 hour(s)
0
Materials
permitted
Basis for
evaluation
Submission
Note
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Module in History of Religion
The student acquires qualifications in the form of knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:
• Basic knowledge of the religious contents of the mythological sources.
• Insight into the discussion of the function of the myths in pre-Christian Scandinavia.
• Insight into thematic and structural analysis.
• Knowledge of general methodological and theoretical issues in the research of myths.
• The ability to uncover the purpose of a myth through analysis and interpretation.
Through his/her academic course work, the student acquires the following professional and social competences:
• The ability to critically contemplate a thematic issue.
• The ability to conduct problem-related tasks, i.e. to identify, delimit and contemplate a subject-specific problem.
• The ability to partake professionally and reflectively in a scientific dialogue.
The module consists of the following exams:
1. Old Norse religion
Objective:
When evaluating the exam performance, emphasis will be placed on the degree to which the student:
• Is able to demonstrate skills in thematic analysis and systematic insight into the pagan outlook and the functions of the
myths in the pagan era.
• Displays knowledge of relevant research positions.
Method of teaching:
Teaching is conducted in class. The teaching focuses on work methods that include oral contributions from the students.
Language of instruction:
English
Course description:
This discipline examines the role of Old Norse myths in pre-Christian Scandinavia. The concept of myths will be
discussed with particular emphasis on religious significance and on the ideological aspects of the myth within a religious
outlook. The sources will be analysed and various mythological themes will be discussed, e.g. individual gods, relations
between the gods and cosmological concepts (e.g. cosmogony, time and space). The complex of themes will be analysed
using the primary sources and selected secondary literature.
EVALUATION
Examinees
Product
Individual
Written
1)
Product
framework
Topic of
own choice
Duration
Preparation
Materials
permitted
Basis for
evaluation
Submission
Note
There are two different examination methods for this exam:
If the student has followed the programme actively, regularly and satisfactorily and handed in small assignments in
the course of the programme, the test is a written home assignment with a subject matter of the student’s own choice.
The volume of the exam is approx. 15 pages per student. The written assignment may be composed in collaboration
with other students, though in such a manner that all parts of the assignment, except the problem formulation and
conclusion, can be made the object of individual evaluation.
Examinees
Product
Individual
Written
2)
Product
framework
Set question
Duration
Preparation
Materials
permitted
Basis for
evaluation
Submission
Note
Where the student has attended less than 80% of the teaching, the exam will be an obligatory written exam. The
volume of the exam is approx. 15 pages per student. The written assignment may be composed in collaboration with
other students, though in such a manner that all parts of the assignment, except the problem formulation and
conclusion, can be made the object of individual evaluation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Module in Literary and Cultural History
The student acquires qualifications in the form of knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:
• Knowledge of the use of mythology by the literatures of the Middle Ages.
• The ability to work text analytically with the texts from the Middle Ages in order to acquire a more in-depth
understanding of the transmission and literary uniqueness of the myths.
• Knowledge of the reception of Old Norse mythology after the Middle Ages and an understanding of the importance of
the usage fields for the perception of myths.
• The ability to discuss a mythological issue, and to place it in its context – synchronously as well as diachronically.
Through his/her academic course work, the student acquires the following professional and social competences:
• The ability to assess the purpose of a text in a given context.
• The ability to critically analyse the multifaceted appearances of mythology.
The module consists of the following exams:
1. Old Norse myth in medieval and modern times
Objective:
When evaluating the exam performance, emphasis will be placed on the degree to which the student:
• Is able to demonstrate the problems caused by the transition from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages and from oral to
written tradition.
• Is able to conduct literary analyses of Old Norse literature of the Middle Ages.
• Is able to contemplate on the function of mythology in medieval Scandinavia.
• Has knowledge of main characteristics of the reception history of Old Norse mythology.
Method of teaching:
Teaching is conducted in class. The teaching focuses on work methods that include oral contributions from the students.
Language of instruction:
English
Course description:
This discipline gives the student a critical understanding of the reception of Old Norse myths in the Scandinavian
medieval, primarily Norse, literature, and in modern times. It will be discussed how Scandinavian authors of the 12th
and the 13th centuries used the pagan myths as references in their literary reconstruction of the past, and which attitudes
to paganism and the myths are found in medieval texts. In addition to the discussion of how the medieval authors
incorporated the myths into the writing of history, post-medieval use of Old Norse mythology will be included, and
through impacts on reception history it will be clarified how Old Norse mythology has been used for various purposes
throughout history.
EVALUATION
Examinees
Product
Individual
Oral
1)
Product
framework
Set question
Duration
Preparation
30 minutes
0
30 minutes
Materials
permitted
Basis for
evaluation
Presentation
Note
The exam is an obligatory oral exam. The student is examined in a syllabus of approx. 1000 pages.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------BA Module
The student acquires qualifications in the form of knowledge, understanding and skills in the following areas:
• Skills in identifying, analysing and processing issues within a limited subject area that reflects the emphasis of the
programme.
• Insight of the subject area pertaining to the issue.
• Knowledge of the perspectives of the elective subjects for the basic subject.
• Understanding of problems relating to cross and multidisciplinary scientific work.
• The ability to discuss selected issues and choice of literature relating to those, as well as give reasons for choices of
theory and methodology.
Through his/her academic course work, the student acquires the following professional and social competences:
• The ability to carry out multidisciplinary projects.
• The ability to combine issues from the basic subject and elective subjects.
• The ability to apply theory and methodology from different subject areas.
• The ability to assess multidisciplinary issues.
• The ability to structure a project as well as collect and assess relevant knowledge and being able to communicate this
knowledge.
• The ability to account for the scientific foundation of projects.
The module consists of the following exams:
1. Bachelor’s project
Objective:
When evaluating the exam performance, emphasis will be placed on the degree to which the student:
• Is able to analyse and interpret issues within a specifically delimited subject area.
• Is able to combine issues from the basic subject and elective subjects.
• Is able to apply theory and methodology from different fields of subject.
• Is able to assess a multidisciplinary issue.
• Is able to structure a project and communicate the knowledge contained in it.
• Is able to give reasons for choices of theory and methodology and account for the scientific foundation for the project.
Method of teaching:
In preparation for the project work, a number of classes are held in which the students present their subject area and
present an outline. In addition to those classes, the project work is the student’s individual work with supervision.
Language of instruction:
English
Course description:
The aim is to give the student the opportunity to independently apply his/her skills to the work with a subject area of
his/her own choice, and to combine issues from the central subject with issues from the elective subject. Theories and
methodologies from the student’s central field of study must be applied to the research of a specifically delimited aspect
of Old Norse mythology that reflects the emphasis of the programme.
EVALUATION
Examinees
Product
Individual
Written
1)
Product
framework
Topic of
own choice
Duration
Preparation
Materials
permitted
Basis for
evaluation
Submission
Note
The exam is carried out as a written home assignment in a subject of the student’s own choice. The subject area,
methodology and literature of the project are to be arranged with and approved by a supervisor. The volume of the
written assignment is 15-20 pages per student. The written assignment may be composed in collaboration with other
students, though in such a manner that all parts of the assignment, except the problem formulation and conclusion,
can be made the object of individual evaluation.
The assignment must contain a summery in English (or another European principal language) of max. 1 page.
Emphasis, when evaluating, will be on the subject specific contents, though the summary has a modifying effect.
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