From

inland

to

alinor

The Westward Journeys

of Old Norse Mythology

Considering both the facts and fictions of medieval Iceland’s unique cultural legacy, this web site seeks to provide a useful resource for students and enthusiasts alike. The subject matter is defined as a “Mythography” (i.e. a survey of many versions of a core set of myths) of some of the most famous narratives that Norse settlers took with them as they sailed west, from Norway to Iceland and eventually to Vinland (now Newfoundland in eastern Canada). The links section lists major online resources, dictionaries, and archives related to medieval Icelandic culture, while the online bibliographies list scholarship on Icelandic myths, sagas, and folktales, and their remarkable journeys around the world. From William Morris in the nineteenth century, to J. R. R. Tolkien in the twentieth and Neil Gaiman in the twenty-first, prominent writers have reinterpreted these works in many different contexts. The first bibliography is annotated to list some of the major sources which these new works draw on, although it makes no claim to be comprehensive.

The Department of Icelandic recently held its annual Christmas gathering, Glögg og Piparkökur, on campus for the first time in years. We would like to thank The Icelandic Collection for graciously hosting the gathering; and for those who may be interested we would like to announce the online publication of our Christmas 2022 Newsletter. This Newsletter contains retrospectives on 2022 events such as the 10th Partnership Conference with the University of Iceland, the Creation Myths of the North Exhibit of Student Artwork, and Publishing Northern Narratives, with talks by Winnipeg authors, as well as recent and upcoming publications.