Old Norse Folklorists Network

In 2010 the Old Norse Folklorists Network was founded by a group of scholars striving to bring Folklore studies and Old Norse Philology closer to each other. The background for this was the fact that 20th Century Old Norse philology has been strongly textually oriented, and that scholars have generally failed to take account of the extensive material of later records of folk belief and folklore. An important purpose of the network is to emphasize the relevance of these methods and sources for Old Norse studies and through discussion try to solve the problems inherent in employing them. Especially problems concerning supernatural and fantastic motifs in Old Norse sources are in focus for the network. The network is open for everybody interested.

Manifesto of ONFN

In 2011 the network was granted financial support by Riksbankens jubileumsfond as a research initiation project. In December 2011 the Network held its first meeting in the form of a symposium and workshop in Tartu with 29 participants. The arrangement was successful and was followed by a second meeting held in a similar form.

• 10.-12.12.2015 ONFN 4 "The Ontology of Supernatural Encounters in Old Norse Literature and Scandinavian Folklore"
• 12.-14.06.2014 ONFN 3 "Sagas, Legends and Trolls: The Supernatural from Early Modern back to Old Norse Tradition"
• 29.11-01.12.2012 ONFN 2 "The Encounter with the Otherworld in Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss"
• 01.-03.12.2011 ONFN 1 "Möten med troll i isländska sagor och svensk folktro"

In November 2014 "Folklore In Old Norse - Old Norse In Folklore" was published (Nordistica Tartuensia No 20).