Masculinities in Old Norse Literature

Abstract

This volume in the series Studies in Old Norse Literature brings together scholars from all career stages to demonstrate the usefulness of Masculinity Studies to Old Norse-Icelandic literature broadly defined. Evans and Hancock's joint introduction (pp. 1–18) provides an excellent overview of Masculinity Studies and a clear and efficient framework for understanding the volume's essays, which are organized in three four-chapter sections. The first section, “Becoming Masculine,” is further divided into two topics: childhood development and female masculinities, both of which explore masculinities in bodies which are not usually considered masculine. Oren Falk's contribution (pp. 21–35) explores preadult gender identities and the earliest stages of constructing masculinity in the sagas. Matthew Roby's contribution (pp. 37–57) focuses on the trope of the temporary troll lover in legendary sagas as an illustration of attitudes around pre- and extramarital sex for boys and men in the transition between youth and adulthood. Evans's chapter (pp. 59–75) shifts the conversation to female masculinity, drawing on examples from the sagas of Icelanders in which masculinity is entirely separate from male bodies. Jóhanna Katrín Fríðriksdóttir (pp. 77–93) continues this thread in her discussion of Mágus saga jarls, a romance which features both criticisms of hypermasculinity and a cross-dressing woman who rules in her husband's absence.Section two, “Masculinity, Power, and Vulnerability,” explores the interaction of masculinity with ideas about power and vulnerability to create a deeper understanding of Old Norse masculinity. Philip Lavender's work on vulnerability in Göngu-Hrólfs saga (pp. 97–112) opens the middle section of the book with an explicit critique of Carol Clover's one-sex model by examining how masculinity can be influenced by power structures and other aspects of identity, particularly able-bodiedness or disability. Ásdis Egilsdóttir's contribution (pp.113–26) examines Christian influence on masculinity across several genres to determine how Christianity affected the performance of masculinity by churchmen who could not perform other recognizable signs of masculinity. Thomas Morcom's chapter (pp. 127–45) applies the theory of inclusive masculinity to a focused study of the Morkinskinna, particularly the contrasting descriptions of corulers Eysteinn and Sigurðr Magnússon. Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir's discussion of Egill Skalla-Grímsson's emotional vulnerability (pp. 147–63) rounds out the section.The final section, “Men's Relationships,” focuses on how masculinities developed in various relationships between men. Alison Finlay's contribution (pp. 167–82) examines the use and risks of sexualized defamation, nið, between rivals; David Ashurst's chapter (pp. 183–202) discusses bedsharing as a form of nonsexual intimacy between men while stressing the importance of contemporary historical context to interpretations. Carl Phelpstead (pp. 203–16) explores relationships between clerical men in Lárentíus saga biskups, particularly the construction of masculinity for clerics through their relationships with other men and the decreasing importance of relationships with women. Hancock's chapter (pp. 217–35) delves into the portrayal of familial, particularly paternal bonds, in the Poetic Edda and Völsunga saga, showing that the violence of heroic masculinity only becomes problematic when it is turned against kin. The main body of the volume closes with a short but effective afterword written by Evans and Hancock (pp. 237–40) that contextualizes the study of masculinities, particularly Old Norse masculinities, in light of contemporary political and social currents, followed by a complete bibliography for all chapters (pp. 241–62) and an index (pp. 263–67). Short biographies of the contributors (pp. vii–viii) and a list of abbreviations (pp. xi–xviii) are included after the table of contents.Evans and Hancock have brought together a solid collection of articles on masculinities in Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Their introduction makes it clear from the outset that they intend not to create a comprehensive guide to the field, but rather to provide a snapshot of the work being done by scholars at all levels. The quality of contributions is relatively consistent, and overlap has been kept to a minimum. The volume's overall polish is dulled slightly by two complaints. The first is that, despite the editors’ observations in the introduction that Masculinities Studies to date have been overreliant on the sagas of Icelanders, half of the volume's essays draw their examples primarily or wholly from those texts. The editors hoped to broaden discussion of masculinities through the volume, and while there is effort to expand into less studied genres—most effectively done in terms of the romances (Jóhanna Katrín Fríðriksdóttir) and the kings’ sagas (Morcom)—the field's dependence on the sagas of Icelanders is not particularly challenged by the volume's contents. The second complaint is the inconsistency with which Carol Clover's one-sex model is treated by the different contributors. Some variation is to be expected within an edited volume, of course, and this particular theoretical disagreement is an influential part of the history of Gender Studies in Old Norse literature. Nevertheless, it is jarring to read between contributions which actively argue against Clover's theory and those which draw on it as part of their theoretical basis. The editors bring up the discrepancy in theory in the introduction, so a reader is not entirely taken by surprise, but it is only a passing mention. While resolving the debate would be an unfair ask, the framework for the treatment of this particular theoretical problem was lacking, especially when compared to the solid foundation the editors laid for most other elements of the volume.This book will be particularly useful for those scholars and advanced students who are interested in questions of gender and masculinity, but not yet familiar with the theoretical background. The writing is approachable and the theoretical framework explained clearly enough to make this an accessible entry point, while the overall quality of scholarship provides enough new and interesting work to remain valuable for more experienced scholars.