Sacred Places, Sacred Persons: Religion, Death and Leadership in Roman Iron Age Scandinavia.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Sacra |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology |
| Keywords | archaeology of religion, ancient Germanic religion, Scandinavia, Roman Iron Age, cult, ritual, funeral customs, sacred places, religious performers |
| Description | The primary aim of this essay is to try to better understand the ancient Germanic religious practise and it's organization and structure, based on archaeological evidence. In the introductory part, several approaches to the archaeology of religion, as well as certain terminological issues are discussed. Next comes a summary of various types of „sacred sites“, i.e. places where religious activity took place, and discussion on possible interpretations of such places. The following part includes discussions on the often neglected connections between religion and funeral customs, domesticity, productivity, and social and political structures of the ancient Germanic society. Position of religious performers and elites and changes in society, reflected in changes in religious practice, is mentioned in the final pages. |