Contesting the Semantics of Viking Religion

This article critically examines the words currently in use by scholars to describe Viking-Age Norse religion: ‘pagan’, ‘heathen’, and ‘pre-Christian’. It explores their etymologies -particularly focusing on when they were used to describe Norse religion - from the Latin, Old English, Old French, Middle English, and Old Norse sources, in tandem with the problematic historical contexts in which they were first employed. It then addresses the problems with their use in contemporary scholarship, particularly in implying an outdated, overly simplistic narrative of conversion to Christianity. A new term will then be proposed for use and discussion.