16 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

From Researchers, a New İnterpretation of Norse Religion

Recent research on pre-Christian Norse religions shows that the variation in Norse religions is far greater than previously imagined.

Ten years of collaborative work resulted in the publication of a new comprehensive survey of pre-Christian Nordic religions, “Northern Pre-Christian Religions”. History and structure. Based on the interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, religious historians, folklorists, and literary scholars, this book is the first major review of pre-Christian Nordic religious studies in nearly half a century.

“The work presents a new interpretation of Scandinavian religion. Instead of seeing it as a uniform and relatively immutable mythological system over time, it is perceived as a ritual practice, which varies with time, space and social environments. As a result, cultural meetings with surrounding areas become at least as important as elements that can be followed over a long period of time,” says Anders Andrén, Professor of Archaeology at Stockholm University and one of the book’s three editors-in-chief.

The Nordic religion was primarily a traditional practice and not a coherent mythological system, which is emphasized in the new publication.

the cult house
Reconstruction of cult house in Uppåkra. Illustration: Loic Lecareux

The most important discovery of recent times “Uppåkra”

In particular, new ritual sites were explored and analyzed. The most spectacular find in recent years in Sweden is The cult house in Uppåkra, south of Lund. The cult house was built around 200 and renovated several times on the same site until around 950.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Beaker and bowl found in Uppåkra in southern Sweden.
Beaker and bowl found in Uppåkra in southern Sweden. Photo: Bengt Almgren

“The find is spectacular, as written data on ritual buildings have previously been challenged by many scholars, who argued that Christian writers had used churches as a model when describing the pre-Christian religion. The find in Uppåkra, as well as finds in some other locations, show that ritual buildings actually existed,” says Anders Andrén.

Professor of the history of religion, Olof Sundqvist, author of several chapters in the book, emphasizes that such a comprehensive interdisciplinary comprehensive book has not been written before and that the work provides the latest and detailed information on the religions of Northern Europe. Introduction. He also emphasized the fact that the book includes detailed chapters about central gods (such as Odin, Thor, Frey, and Freya), but also includes lesser-known gods and mythological creatures such as Tyr and Uzbek. Er, Frigg and Scadi.

Olof Sundqvist also emphasized the importance of collaboration between archaeologists and religious historians-in the past 25 years, there has been a clear trend among religious historians to include archaeological materials in surveys.

The handbook comprises four volumes
The handbook comprises four volumes.

The handbook includes contributions from 29 researchers from 20 universities. In addition to Anders Andrén, three archaeologists and two religious historians from Stockholm University participated in the work.

Volume I: Basic Premises and Consideration of Sources.
Volume II: Social, Geographical, and Historical Contexts, and Communication between Worlds
Volume III: Conceptual Frameworks: The Cosmos and Collective Supernational Beings
Volume IV: The Christianization Process, Bibliography, and Index

The manual is part of a larger publication. The first two volumes were published two years ago, and deal with research history and reception history:
Margaret Clunies Ross (ed). 2018. The Pre-Christian Religions of the North. Research and Reception. Turnout: Brepols.
Volume I: From the Middle Ages to c. 1830
Volume II: From c. 1830 to the present

Related Articles

1,500-year-old baptistery found in Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in western Turkey

3 December 2021

3 December 2021

A baptistery, estimated to have been built in the 5th century AD, was unearthed in the Kadı Castle-Anaia Mound in...

Archaeologists discover 1,300-year-old ski trapped in Norwegian ice

6 October 2021

6 October 2021

The melting of an ice sheet in Norway has uncovered a pair of remarkably well-preserved skis that had been undisturbed...

Hellenistic cremation tomb found in Istanbul’s Haydarpasa excavations

11 April 2022

11 April 2022

A brick tomb belonging to the Hellenistic period (330 BC – 30 BC) was found during the Haydarpaşa excavations, which...

Iron Age port discovered on Swedish island of Gotska Sandön

21 September 2023

21 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an Iron Age port on Gotska Sandön, an island and national park in Sweden’s Gotland district. In...

4,000-year-old Snake-Shaped Pottery Handle Found in Taiwan

20 February 2024

20 February 2024

National Tsing Hua University archaeologists in Taiwan have discovered a snake-shaped pottery handle dating back approximately 4000 years. Researchers uncovered...

A Mysterious Partially Submerged Structure in Ireland is a Prehistoric Tomb, archaeologist says

25 October 2022

25 October 2022

New research has revealed that a mysterious structure found many years ago on the eastern shore of Cork Harbor in...

New study says earliest recorded kiss occurred 4500 years ago in Mesopotamia

18 May 2023

18 May 2023

The University of Copenhagen according to researchers, humanity’s earliest recorded kiss occurred around 4,500 years ago in the ancient Middle...

Archaeologists uncovered an Aztec altar with human ashes in Mexico City

1 December 2021

1 December 2021

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered a 16th-century altar in Plaza Garibaldi, the center in Mexico City famous for its revelry...

A Nymphaeum was discovered in the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon

18 August 2023

18 August 2023

New researchs uncovered a huge monumental sanctuary of water (Nymphaeum) above the reservoir in the southern quarter of Perperikon. Professor...

Ancient rubbish dump under Hatshepsut temple reveals hundreds of artifacts

24 November 2021

24 November 2021

Polish archaeologists uncovered a 3,500-year-old dump while working on the reconstruction of the Hathor Goddess Chapel, which is part of...

Archaeologists Discover Prehistoric Irish Monuments That May Have Been ‘Routes For The Dead’

27 April 2024

27 April 2024

Traces of hundreds of monuments, which were previously unknown, have been identified in an archaeological survey in Ireland. Five of...

460-Year-Old Wooden Hunting Bow Found in Alaska’s Lake Clark

11 March 2022

11 March 2022

In late September 2021, National Park Service employees made an unlikely discovery in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in...

Sicilian Seas Yield Rare Roman Helmet from 241 BC Naval Clash

5 September 2025

5 September 2025

In a remarkable underwater archaeological recovery that highlights Sicily’s rich cultural heritage, a bronze Montefortino‐type helmet was retrieved from the...

A rural necropolis from Late Antiquity discovered in northeastern France

5 November 2022

5 November 2022

Inrap archaeologists have unearthed a small rural necropolis from the late 5th century (Late Antiquity) at Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes in northeastern France....

Maltaş Temple Revealed

10 August 2021

10 August 2021

Phrygian Valley, 10 meters high monument with Phrygian scriptures inscriptions on it discovered. The unearthed Maltaş monument is actually the...