Sexual taboos versus heroic ideals : Christian Standards as presented in Völsunga saga and the Eddic Poetry found in Codex Regius (GKS 2365 4to)

Abstract

Many aspects of human life are revolved, in some manner or another, around sex from an individual level up to the level of a society. This thesis will examine notions of sexual taboos that occur in the Völsunga saga and the Eddic poetry found in the Codex Regius manuscript. This paper analyzes various elements in the human life process. The concept of taboo and its history is treated before the main analysis of the thesis. The first chapter provides an analysis of the uniting process: betrothal, marriage and concubinage. The chapter after this discusses the reproduction and parenting elements that follow the unions from the previous chapter. The third chapter focuses on sexual taboos that are connected to males such as sexual slander. The last chapter is an analysis of love and the conflicts between emotions and actions. The primary conclusion of this thesis provides an explanation of how sexual taboos found in the source texts are linked, directly or indirectly, to heroic ideals.