Det barbariska Norden : en kritisk innehållsanalys av hur asatron framställs i jämförelse med kristendomen i läromedel för religionskunskap

• Main Author: Ädel, Rebecca
• Format: Others
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för genus, kultur och historia 2011
• Subjects: Norse pagan religion; Adam of Bremen; Ibn Fadhlan; widow burning; human sacrifice; asatro; kristendom; korståg; änkebränning; offer; Norden; läroboksstudie; textanalys; Adam av Bremen; HUMANITIES and RELIGION; HUMANIORA och RELIGIONSVETENSKAP
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-8322

The purpose of this study is to present a critical analysis of how certain themes of the Norse pagan religion are portrayed in ten selected textbooks used for Religious Science education in grades one through nine. The themes included in the analysis are; the description of the transition from the Norse Pagan religion to Christianity; Adam of Bremen’s portrayal of human sacrifice, and lastly Ibn Fadhlan’s characterization of widow burning. By using a critical knowledge text analysis, and applying a theoretical starting point that pedagogical material analyses and interprets events from a specific perspective; in this case from a Christian perspective, I have from the study concluded that the chapters covering the Norse pagan religion in these textbooks have a distinguished Christian bias seen as the norm. The themes analysed in this study all describe different phenomena in a similar way and make use of the same sources, even though these are often questioned. The Christian religion is delegated a prominent role whereas the Norse pagan religion is portrayed as it’s opposite, undeveloped and barbaric.