Odin and Loki: Queer sexuality in the Viking Age

In episode 8, I tackled sex and sexuality in a broad perspective. I would be remiss not to follow that up with a deep dive into what we today call queer sexualities and categorize with the LGBTQ+ acronym. Are there sources from the medieval period, the Viking Age, and before that, which can help illuminate these subjects? Some scholars and practitioners of Nordic paganisms suggest there are -but what does it look like with a critical eye toward the pre-Christian context; a period that did not (at least as far as we know) have a language for expressing queer sexuality like we do today? I'll unpack the stories that are often used as examples of pre-Christian attitudes to queer sexuality and take a deep dive into them. After that, I'll offer some additional thoughts on how we should approach the stories, the material culture from the Viking Age, and our current situation. 

Please NOTE: if you're looking to have biases confirmed in this episode, please understand that this is not how a critical perspective on our story-world functions. I do hope that you'll find inspiration from what I say. As always, I expect you as listeners to form your own opinions and interpret what I say as recommendations for further development of your own thoughts!

SHOW NOTES

Exposure to continuous or fluid theories of sexual orientation leads some heterosexuals to embrace less-exclusive heterosexual orientations (nature.com)

How Copenhagen Became The "Gay Village Of Northern Europe" - Jetset Times

Valkyrie fra Hårby - Birka female Viking warrior - Wikipedia

Viking warrior women? Reassessing Birka chamber grave Bj.581 | Antiquity | Cambridge Core

A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics - PMC (nih.gov)