Uma análise histórica do culto a Odin na Escandinávia medieval retratado na série Vikings da Netflix

Abstract

The present dissertation seeks to analyze the historical and imagetic representations in the cult of Odin in Medieval Scandinavia portrayed in the series Vikings. In this sense, it is about reconstituting the different religious and spiritual aspects of the pagan polytheistic belief, represented in the series, focusing on the religious universe around the cult of Odin, in the light of the theoretical and methodological resources of historiography. As a delimitation of the object of this work, we chose to approach the first until the fourth season of the series. Only the scenes involving pagan Viking religiosity in all its dimensions were relevant in this cut, being central the devotion to the Norse gods around the cult of Odin. The theme proposed here refers to the discussion on social imaginary and on how the cult of Odin was in Medieval Scandinavia, provoking reflections on popular historiographical notions and their intersections with scientific historiographical knowledge. In other words, in what sense and which points of connection exist between the representation of the Scandinavian peoples made by the cultural industry and the real, non-fictional, historical existence of these peoples? To do so, we tread the following itinerary: in the first chapter we discuss the Viking religiosity of the cult of Odin in the real world in its historical context. In the second chapter, we contextualize the Viking culture in the real world in the Medieval period in Scandinavia, during the Viking Age, from 793- 1263, based on the work Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson. Finally, in the third chapter, we carry out the analytical process centered on the Viking series and on cinema as a method of historical research, with the focus on the cult of Odin represented throughout the Viking series. It was possible, in this study, to verify that Viking culture today has the bias of the understanding of the receiver who has an active role in the historical narrative, promoting a dynamic and dialogic character, leading to continuities and ruptures, distortions and alterations of the Viking cultural legacy. We confirmed the hypothesis that the belief in Odin and myths around this god directly influenced the behavior, attitude, and choices of the historical Viking object of this study and its representation in the Vikings series