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A Model for an Analysis of the Hag Legends

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Narratives and Rituals of the Nightmare Hag in Scandinavian Folk Belief

Part of the book series: Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic ((PHSWM))

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Abstract

The observations resulting from the presentation of the hag material in the previous sections provide the starting point for analysis of the mara legends. One of the most important of these was that imagery in which the nightmare hag appears is a part of a larger conceptual universe which is here designated with terms such as “magic thinking” (trolldomstanken), “imaginary” and “vernacular religion”.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Holbek (1987:198ff.); Tangherlini (1990, 1994, 2000, 2008); Siikala (1990); Asplund Ingemark (1994); Koski and Frog (2016:17ff.).

  2. 2.

    Tangherlini (1990).

  3. 3.

    Tangherlini (1990:385).

  4. 4.

    Ingarden (1973:246ff.).

  5. 5.

    Velure (1972); Stattin (1984); Häll (2013:409ff.).

  6. 6.

    Dahlstedt (1976, 1991).

  7. 7.

    Granberg (1935); Häll (2013:321ff.).

  8. 8.

    Klintberg (1972); Lindow (1978); Tangherlini (1990, 1994, 2000, 2010, 2017); Asplund Ingemark (2004); Häll (2013); Koski and Frog (2016).

  9. 9.

    Leino (1981:111).

  10. 10.

    Jean-Claude Schmitt’s analysis of legends and rituals regarding the holy greyhound argues in favour of a careful separation of form and content, although his strict division is not retained here. Schmitt also makes far-reaching political interpretations of verbal expressions and rituals, for which he was later criticized by Aron Gurevich (1992:43f.).

  11. 11.

    Jason and Segal (1977).

  12. 12.

    Leino (1981:112).

  13. 13.

    Simpson (1991:29).

  14. 14.

    Schmitt (1983:59).

  15. 15.

    Ingarden (1973:331ff.); Iser (1978:170ff.).

  16. 16.

    Ingarden (1973:331).

  17. 17.

    Iser (1993).

  18. 18.

    Iser (1978:197).

  19. 19.

    Iser (1978:182).

  20. 20.

    Joyner (1982:59).

  21. 21.

    Österberg (1992:82).

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  1. Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Catharina Raudvere

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  1. Catharina Raudvere
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Raudvere, C. (2020). A Model for an Analysis of the Hag Legends. In: Narratives and Rituals of the Nightmare Hag in Scandinavian Folk Belief. Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48919-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48919-9_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-48918-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-48919-9

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