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      • HARVEST
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      Cold counsels and hot tempers : the development of the Germanic Amazon in Old Norse literature

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      FinalColdCounsels.pdf (349.0Kb)
      Date
      2006-11-21
      Author
      Bergen, Kristina
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      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.
      Degree
      Master of Arts (M.A.)
      Department
      English
      Program
      English
      Supervisor
      Harris, Richard
      Copyright Date
      November 2006
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-11302006-113214
      Subject
      germanic amazon
      amazon
      cold counsels
      norse literature
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