The Role of Women in Pre-Christian Worship

This lecture explores the role of women in pre-Christian worship, focusing on religious specialists like the Angel of Death and Cimbra prophetesses. It delves into controversies surrounding women's participation in societies with limited gender roles, the use of young women in religious services, and the Christian criticism faced by pre-Christian practices. The presentation also discusses the representation of pagans in Christian literature, the pagan gods known from vernacular sources, and the pagan rituals and sacrifices, including those at the Uppsala temple. The lecture concludes with an analysis of the creation stories, the genealogy of the beginnings according to Snorri, and the social dynamics between different groups in Norse mythology.