Taylor, Ruth Lydia; (2005) Deviant burials in Viking-age Scandinavia. Masters thesis (M.Phil), University of London.

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Abstract

The thesis brings together information yielded from archaeology and other sources to provide an overall picture of the types of burial practices encountered during the Viking-Age in Scandinavia. From this, an attempt is made to establish deviancy. Comparative evidence, such as literary, runic, legal and folkloric evidence will be used critically to shed perspective on burial practices and the artefacts found within the graves. The thesis will mostly cover burials from the Viking Age (late 8th century to the mid-11th century), but where the comparative evidence dates from other periods, its validity is discussed accordingly. Two types of deviant burial emerged: the criminal and the victim. A third type, which shows distinctive irregularity yet lacks deviancy, is the healer witch burial. From these results, the changing role of the female as primitive healer witch, whose status changed from being an accepted, if not revered, part of pagan society, into a feared and deviant individual during the Christian period will be focused upon. A brief summary of the use of witchcraft and seir is thus included. The burials identified as exhibiting deviant characteristics are then compared, in order to interpret these graves on a local, national or pan-Scandinavian basis.

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