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Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson

The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature Reissue Edition

by Hilda Roderick Ellis (Author)

89 ratings

4.4 on Goodreads

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Originally published in 1943, this book was written using a variety of evidence from archaeology and literature concerning Norse funeral customs to reconstruct their conception of future life, the soul of man, the cult of the dead, and the journey to the land of the dead. The text is notable as one of the first comprehensive treatments of these areas, showing how knowledge could be forwarded by correlation of the evidence from various academic fields. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Norse history, archaeology and literature.

ISBN-10

110763234X
ISBN-13

978-1107632349
Edition

Reissue
Publisher

Cambridge University Press
Publication date

March 21, 2013
Language

English
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.55 x 8.5 inches
Print length

218 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This 1943 book uses a variety of evidence from archaeology and literature concerning Norse funeral customs to reconstruct their conception of future life.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; Reissue edition (March 21, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 218 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 110763234X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1107632349
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.55 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #164,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in European Literature (Books)
- #20 in German Literary Criticism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
89 ratings

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Joey

By a scholar for scholars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 28, 2015

Verified Purchase

Although this is an academic work, where the author does not translate many old Norse terms into English, this book can still be enjoyed by the general reader with a passion for Norse literature and mythology. Davidson is a known author in the field. Here, she comes to some interesting conclusions about how the dead are perceived by the living, and what exactly happens to a person when they die. We've all read about how Vikings that die go to Valhalla to enjoy perennial feasting and fighting. But as the author shows, this is just one side of the story. The whole picture is much more complicated. The views of pagan Scandinavians changed over the years, and there were different views of life after death. Davidson touches on many fascinating beings that are relevant to the topic: gods, Valkyries, elves, land spirits, giants and ghosts. Although some parts of this work caused me some confusion ( and questions that I wish I could ask the author), this is a rewarding read for those who want to broaden their understand of Norse mythology, literature and religion.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Christopher R. Travers

Probably her best book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2010

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This book is a classic and for good reason. Dr Ellis carefully examines archaeology and textual sources in turn, looking at a wide range of topics regarding burial practices and views of the afterlife. Her discussion of funerary human sacrifice is very important, as is her discussion of cremation vs burial. While her book leaves a lot of avenues for further research (for example concerning Valkyries, or Norse views of necromancy), Dr Ellis has shown herself to be a giant on whose shoulders every future scholar in this area will have to stand.

This book however covers a great deal more than just death and the afterlife. Discussions of how elf and dis relate to these topics are included as are problems in the sources (such as the elf-woman in the Saga of Hrolf Kraki).

All in all, I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in this or related topics.

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

The Terf you asked for

Norse book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 5, 2021

Verified Purchase

A little repetitive but a good overview of funeral and death stuff and how it relates to Norse ( pre Christian) culture

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

Bought this for a college paper on Norse Mythology. Don’t remember if it helped with the paper, but it was good content while I was interested

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Seth Johnson

Terrible binding for a 40 dollar book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

There isn't an excuse for this sort of binding on a 40 dollar book. It's essentially a paperback glued into a cheap quality cover. Do not buy this unless you absolutely cannot stand reading books digitally. I'll update when I finish reading the book.

8 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A Scholarly Work

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 17, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a scholarly and well researched work. It gives no easy answers and claims to have only scrapped the surface of the subject. I had trouble with the Norse words, phrases and names. I recommend this to anyone interested in the Norse beliefs in the afterlife.

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Heather OBrien

A great resource to own

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

A wonderful read provided by HR Ellis-Davidson that provides a comprehensive and detailed view into the afterlife from a Norse perspective. Even more than that, it gives example of heathen worldview which is important in understanding how Germanic people's lived (and died) from a more religious perspective in regards to this context. I'd highly recommend it for anyone studying Germanic history, heathens, and students of anthropology.

6 people found this helpful

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Constant Reader

This is a comprehensive book that tells you more than ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is a comprehensive book that tells you more than you might have wanted to know about life after death in Nordic imagination, but it ties in with current interests. i My sons recognized certain terms as referring to creatures in current games. For my own purpose, researching the mythology of the far north as background for a novel of the first Crusade, it was quite helpful.

One person found this helpful

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