Bergen, Cold Counsels.pdf

Cold Counsels and Hot Tempers: The Development of the Germanic

Amazon in Old Norse Literature

A Thesis Submitted to the College of

Graduate Studies and Research

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of Master of Arts

in the Department of English

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

By Kristina Bergen

October 2006

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Permission to Use

In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree

from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it

freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any

manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors

who supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of

the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or

use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written

permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of

Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis.

Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of the material in this thesis in whole

or part should be addressed to:

Head of the Department of English

University of Saskatchewan

9 Campus Drive

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A5

Canada

Abstract

Cold Counsels and Hot Tempers: The Development of the Germanic Amazon in Old Norse

Literature will trace how the evolution of the powerful woman in literature shaped the development

of female characters in the classical Icelandic family sagas and the Fornaldarsögur, or later sagas of

ancient times. The thesis will focus on the conception and representation of the proverb “köld eru

kvenna ráð” – cold are the counsels of women – specifically tracing the function of women in feud

structures and folk motifs that involve assault and acts of revenge. In the early Germanic sources,

women are direct participants in violence; they train themselves in warfare, take up weapons, begin

feuds, avoid unwanted marriages and hold kingdoms through force of arms. In later Norse

literature, women rely on verbal persuasion to force men into action; they use goading, seduction,

and insult to engage men in violence. Cold Counsels and Hot Tempers will examine these changes

in women’s roles and investigate the different methods women use to access power.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. Richard Harris for his guidance and advice as my thesis

supervisor.

Special thanks go to the Interlibrary Loans Department at the University of Saskatchewan

Libraries who provided invaluable access to books and journal articles.

As well, I would like to thank my family and friends for their constant support.

This thesis is dedicated to the Germanic Amazons in my life:

my mother, Patricia,

my sisters Kerrianne, Kathryn and Kimberly,

my nieces Breanna and Jillian,

their mothers, Johanna and Laura,

and to the Amazons yet to come.

This work would also not have been possible without

the assistance and support of the many good men in my life,

most importantly my father, Norman,

my brothers Jonathan and Jeffrey,

Shane, Lukas, Tobin, and Jakob,

and my sweet husband, Peter.

Thank you all

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