Seeds of Yggdrasil in Survive the Jive Reading List

Feb 23, 2014 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Seed of Yggdrasil: Deciphering hidden messages in the Old Norse Myths by Maria Kvilhaug is an exploration of the parables in Nordic mythology which she argues reveal spiritual mysteries and a kind of metaphysical speculation at the very heart of Old Norse Paganism.

Maria Kvilhaug’s book was published this summer by Whyte Tracks and the second edition was made available on 13th September. An expert on Nordic mythology, Maria had already accumulated a huge fan base and reputation through her Yo The Seed of Yggdrasil: Deciphering hidden messages in the Old Norse Myths by Maria Kvilhaug is an exploration of the parables in Nordic mythology which she argues reveal spiritual mysteries and a kind of metaphysical speculation at the very heart of Old Norse Paganism.

Maria Kvilhaug’s book was published this summer by Whyte Tracks and the second edition was made available on 13th September. An expert on Nordic mythology, Maria had already accumulated a huge fan base and reputation through her YouTube channel, The Lady of the Labyrinth. Her book was not only greatly anticipated by academics and historians interested in the subject but also by neo-pagans who have long believed that the Norse myths offer a more complex and sophisticated world view than is sometimes believed.

The book elaborates on the subjects previously covered in Maria’s YouTube videos and in her first dissertation, ‘The Lady with the Mead’, in which she explored the fundamental thematic structure of several Edda poems rendering what could only be explained as a Pagan initiation ritual. The heavy emphasis on semiotics, philology and pantheistic theology as a way of understanding symbolic metaphors in Nordic myth present a fresh and original perspective on the subject.

She argues that there is a ritual structure in the myths and that these myths reveal parallels with the experience of religious rituals, therefore demonstrating that the myths written down by Christian Icelanders in the 13th century are in fact accurate reflections of pagan religious practices. This is a controversial perspective that contradicts academic orthodoxy on the subject which holds that the myths are degenerated versions of the pagan originals with a great deal of Christian embellishment.

“1643 AD: The bishop of Iceland, Brynjolv Sveinsson, has received into his hands an ancient leather manuscript dating back almost 500 years. The manuscript has been hidden – perhaps away from the Church authorities – for nearly 400 years. As Brynjolv slowly turns the pages made of hide, he realizes that a long lost ancestral treasure has been recovered. Ancient legends and myths speak out from the leathery pages through the almost forgotten language of poetical metaphors.”

The poems and stories were passed down through generations orally and written down by Snorri Sturluson in 1225AD. The body of mythical and legendary poems found in the hidden manuscript are now referred to as the Elder Poetic Edda. Even if you have never read the Eddas and don’t know anything about Nordic mythology and gods like Thor and Odin, this book is still very interesting. It explains the myths and the symbolic, hidden meanings that Kvilhaug has identified in them. She presents a Nordic mythology that is less macho and warlike than previously believed and is instead more focused on subtle symbolism and the sacred feminine. Those who are fascinated by all things Norse should of course read the book, although they may find themselves confronted with opinions and theories that go against a great deal of what previous scholarship has taken for granted.

Maria is an expert in Old Norse language and skilfully translates the names of dwarves, gods, elves and giants to interpret the hidden meanings of their roles within the myths. Her interpretations of the myths are often very original and controversial from an academic perspective, which makes for interesting reading.

Even if the theories presented are sometimes outlandish, the book is a great read and reveals the beauty and poetry of the Nordic pre-Christian religion. The insightful observations are explained from the perspective of an intelligent woman who has devoted her academic life to studying the ways of shamanic and polytheistic pagan practices in Northern Europe. ...more

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