Stephen A. Mitchell is the Robert S. and Ilse Friend Professor of Scandinavian and Folklore at Harvard University. His research centers on the Nordic world in the medieval and early modern periods, and employs a variety of interdisciplinary approaches, including performance theory, memory studies, anthropological linguistics, and other folklore-centered perspectives. He is author of Heroic Sagas and Ballads and Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages.

This meticulously researched, well-organized, and always thought-inspiring collection deserves the attention of anyone interested in the field of Old Norse literature. It spotlights the enduring value that the folkloristic approach can have for those considering the 'true' nature of any early literary material that has a traditional background.

• IntroductionPart 1: NORMS AND NOMENCLATURE1. Heresy and Heterodoxy in Medieval Scandinavia2. The Pactum cum Diabolo and Nordic Magic3. The n-Rune and Nordic Charm Magic4. Warlocks, Valkyries and Varlets: A Prolegomenon to the Study of North Sea Witchcraft TerminologyPart 2: PERFORMANCE AND PRESENTATION5. For Scírnis and Nordic Charm Magic6. Leechbooks, Manuals, and Grimoires: On the Early History of Magical Texts in Scandinavia7. "An Evil Woman Is the Devil's Door Nail": Probing the Proverbial and Pictorial Patriarchate in Medieval Scandinavia8. Magic in Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Typology of ModesPart 3: CONTINUITY AND INNOVATION9. Notes on Historiolas, Referentiality, and Time in Nordic Magical Traditions10. Óðinn, Magic, and a Swedish Trial from 148411. DgF 526 "Lokket med runer," Memory, and Magic12. Spirituality and Alchemy in Den vises sten (1379)

Stephen A. Mitchell is the Robert S. and Ilse Friend Professor of Scandinavian and Folklore at Harvard University. His research centers on the Nordic world in the medieval and early modern periods, and employs a variety of interdisciplinary approaches, including performance theory, memory studies, anthropological linguistics, and other folklore-centered perspectives. He is author of Heroic Sagas and Ballads and Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages.

This meticulously researched, well-organized, and always thought-inspiring collection deserves the attention of anyone interested in the field of Old Norse literature. It spotlights the enduring value that the folkloristic approach can have for those considering the 'true' nature of any early literary material that has a traditional background.

• IntroductionPart 1: NORMS AND NOMENCLATURE1. Heresy and Heterodoxy in Medieval Scandinavia2. The Pactum cum Diabolo and Nordic Magic3. The n-Rune and Nordic Charm Magic4. Warlocks, Valkyries and Varlets: A Prolegomenon to the Study of North Sea Witchcraft TerminologyPart 2: PERFORMANCE AND PRESENTATION5. For Scírnis and Nordic Charm Magic6. Leechbooks, Manuals, and Grimoires: On the Early History of Magical Texts in Scandinavia7. "An Evil Woman Is the Devil's Door Nail": Probing the Proverbial and Pictorial Patriarchate in Medieval Scandinavia8. Magic in Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Typology of ModesPart 3: CONTINUITY AND INNOVATION9. Notes on Historiolas, Referentiality, and Time in Nordic Magical Traditions10. Óðinn, Magic, and a Swedish Trial from 148411. DgF 526 "Lokket med runer," Memory, and Magic12. Spirituality and Alchemy in Den vises sten (1379)

Stephen A. Mitchell is the Robert S. and Ilse Friend Professor of Scandinavian and Folklore at Harvard University. His research centers on the Nordic world in the medieval and early modern periods, and employs a variety of interdisciplinary approaches, including performance theory, memory studies, anthropological linguistics, and other folklore-centered perspectives. He is author of Heroic Sagas and Ballads and Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages.

This meticulously researched, well-organized, and always thought-inspiring collection deserves the attention of anyone interested in the field of Old Norse literature. It spotlights the enduring value that the folkloristic approach can have for those considering the 'true' nature of any early literary material that has a traditional background.

• IntroductionPart 1: NORMS AND NOMENCLATURE1. Heresy and Heterodoxy in Medieval Scandinavia2. The Pactum cum Diabolo and Nordic Magic3. The n-Rune and Nordic Charm Magic4. Warlocks, Valkyries and Varlets: A Prolegomenon to the Study of North Sea Witchcraft TerminologyPart 2: PERFORMANCE AND PRESENTATION5. For Scírnis and Nordic Charm Magic6. Leechbooks, Manuals, and Grimoires: On the Early History of Magical Texts in Scandinavia7. "An Evil Woman Is the Devil's Door Nail": Probing the Proverbial and Pictorial Patriarchate in Medieval Scandinavia8. Magic in Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Typology of ModesPart 3: CONTINUITY AND INNOVATION9. Notes on Historiolas, Referentiality, and Time in Nordic Magical Traditions10. Óðinn, Magic, and a Swedish Trial from 148411. DgF 526 "Lokket med runer," Memory, and Magic12. Spirituality and Alchemy in Den vises sten (1379)