When I see G.R.R. Martin’s White Walkers depicted in the Game of Thrones series, I
have to tell you, I couldn’t help but think they have a lot in common with the draugr
, especially in appearance.
You obviously know of the draugr through your numerous studies of Ancient Nordic
culture, or while playing hours of Skyrim.
But in the far-off chance you haven’t done either of those things, let me explain; Draugrs
are ancient, Nordic undead, humanoid monsters who rise from their graves to kill, wreak
havoc, and generally disrupt the living.?
What can draugr say about vikings, ancient burial ceremonies, and cooking dinner…um…naked?
To me, what’s so fascinating about these creatures is how they can teach us so much
about the lives of the people who lived thousands of years ago and that some of the strongest
Nordic warriors were actually women.
We know of draugrs from the Sagas of the Icelanders, stories that relate the early history and
people of Iceland from the late ninth century to the end of the “Viking age.”
Yes, I am using air quotes because the term Viking is not a national or ethnic identity,
but a profession—the act of raiding.
Two kinds of undead creatures emerge from these sagas: the Haugbúi,
I don't know, that thing.
who pretty much
just hung out in their burial sites, leaving people alone, and the Draugr, who left their
graves to harm the living.
There were very specific reasons why a newly-buried person would transform into either one of
these monsters.
Common, and seemingly random, reasons for a person to become either type of undead monster
included: practicing black magic, being executed as capital punishment, dying an accidental
death (try avoiding that one), or being buried outside of a churchyard.
Once reanimated the draugr are said to have been more active at night and in the winter.
Sometimes the appearance of the draugr was foretold by a mist or temporary darkness…again,
this feels familiar....
Draugr are scary!
They’ll kill you and your livestock, and engage in one of their favorite pastimes,
“riding roofs.”
Which from what I can gather pretty much just meant stomping around on the roof at night
making noise so people can’t get any sleep.
But let’s not forget, they’ll also kill you.
These monsters are often described as possessing enormous strength.
Like the Ancient Egyptians, the old Nordic people believed that you could literally take
what you were buried with to the next plane of existence.
A huge piece of evidence for this is the grave goods that have been found at burial sites.
The Nordic people also practiced the “corpse-door” custom.
It was believed that the dead could only return the way they left the home.
So to keep the dead from returning, a wall or portion of a house would be removed to
carry the corpse outside for burial.
Then, the corpse-door would be quickly repaired.
This prevented the undead from making any surprise visits.
All of these cultural practices are reflected in the Sagas of the Icelanders through encounters
with draugrs.
Many of these monsters are a test for the story’s hero or heroine, and often reflect
power struggles between different kinship groups or even within families.
Perhaps the most famous draugr story pops up in Grettis saga when the hero Grettir defeats
Glamr, a particularly aggressive draugr in an epic wrestling match.
Grettir ends up sending Glamr to a permanent death by decapitating him then burning his
body and burying the ashes.
Here we find the only way to successfully “re-kill” a draugr.
It’s a method that pops up in other sagas: The only way to immobilize a draugr is to
chop off the head, burn the body, and scatter the ashes.
This is actually one thing Skyrim got right—fire is an EXCELLENT weapon against draugr...AND
White Walkers…just saying.
In “The Saga of the People of Eyri,” a wall is built around a new burial site to
prevent a particularly dangerous draugr from returning.
The wall was so high that quote “no one could see over it except a bird in flight.”
They literally build a wall to try and stop the undead.
How is this not an influence for Game of Thrones?
But not all draugr are violent monsters.
One such example is Thorgunna.
She was so offended by the poor hospitality offered to the men carrying her corpse to
her burial that she comes back from the dead to make dinner for them, naked, before being
buried (restfully this time) at a church.
The best part?
They all eat the food.
Would you eat zombie food?
Now we have to talk about my favorite Icelandic story, The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise.
It’s amazing in so many ways, but mostly because of the shieldmaiden Hervör —who
absolutely should become your new favorite literary heroine.
Hervör, who is “as strong as a man” and trained in bow, shield, and sword, decides
she wants to retrieve a dwarven magical sword buried with her father and uncles.
She puts on male clothes, changes her name to herself Hervard, and joins up with some
vikings.
And because she’s a total boss, she even becomes captain of her own band of vikings.
Hervör travels many miles to reach her ancestral burial mound.
Her father tries to scare her away, but Hervör is having none of that it and she manages
to convince him to give her the sword.
After a little more livin’ it up as a viking, she grows tired of it all, hangs up gear and
retires, eventually getting married and having children.
A huge part of Ancient Nordic and particularly, Icelandic sagas, is the inclusion of undead
monsters threatening the lives, and sanity, of the living.
Their proximity to death and their religious beliefs made burial a sacred but often imperfect
practice and that their kinship with ancestors was so important it could literally last beyond
the grave.
To me what's so fascinating about these creatures
is how they can teach us so much about the lives of the people
who lived thousands of years ago
Thanks for watching Monstrum.
Do you have a favorite monster or myth you’d like see on the show?
Let me know in the comments!
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