My Master’s thesis was about Landnámbók, a medieval Icelandic text that describes the settlement of Iceland. Rather than analyzing it as a (semi) historical account as many scholars do, I approached as an anthropologist would approach a creation myth. I’ve also included some shorter papers from the same degree.

Thesis: “World-Building with Words: Landnámbók as Myth”: Download.

Papers: – “Sjónhverfingar hefi ek gört þér: The Meanings of the Útgarðaloki Narrative in the Context of the Prose Edda”: Download.

– “By One Name I Have Not Been Known: Medieval Understandings and Uses of Odinic Names”: Download.

– “Into a good port with the grace of God: Thoughts on the religious content of Flóamanna saga”: Download.

Although these papers are not formally published and although I’m never going to be seeking tenure or anything, please be courteous and cite them should you use any of their contents in your own academic work. They were all written in 2007 for the MA program in the Medieval Icelandic Studies Department at Háskóli Íslands (the University of Iceland) in Reykjavík. Thanks!