
Sun, Oct 29
|Youtube, Facebook, Twitch
Masterclass: Don't Fear the Draugr: The Role of The Icelandic Undead with Dr. Irina-Maria Manea
How much do we really know about how Vikings practiced? Learn more about the role of Icelandic Draugr with returning scholar Dr. Irina-Maria Manea Hosted by Cassandra May


Time & Location
Oct 29, 2023, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Youtube, Facebook, Twitch
About the Event
**Please Note** This is a livestream on our social media channels. To join please head to our Facebook, Twitch or Youtube channels at the time of the stream.
Join SASA and Dr. Irina-Maria Manea to learn more about the Draugr and Icelandic Undead. Â
Vikings seem to have had their own ghosts, but unlike many other creatures from folklore around the world, what distinguishes them is a palpable presence – In the Sagas of the Icelanders they appear corporeal, threatening and destructive. The draugar (a rather generic term – wooden log in poetic language) would pop up in many stories linked to the conversion times, become as big and heavy as oxen, reside in barrows protecting a treasure, attack passers-by and the most violent would terrorise and infect whole regions, like the „troll“ Glam from Grettis Saga or revenant (aptrgongur) Thorod from Eyrbiggja saga. A selfish attachment to bodies and possessions seems to be the main driving force. Measures for protection such as beheading, cremation or ghost trials also reflect a mixture of pagan remnants and Christian lore. In light of monstruosity viewed as an extreme form of otherness, let’s have a look at the motivations and functions of these creatures and how they can enlighten a part of mediaeval mentality.
Follow Irina @irinaskuld (Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)