Volcanoes in Old Norse Mythology details how Viking Age Icelanders, migrating from Scandinavia to a new and volcanically active environment, used Old Norse mythology to understand and negotiate the hazards of the island. These pre-Christian myths recorded in medieval Iceland expound an indigenous Icelandic theory on volcanism that revolves around the activities of supernatural beings, such as the fire-demon Surtr and the gods Odin and Thor. Before the Icelanders were introduced to Christianity and its teachings, they formulated an indigenous theory of volcanism on basis of their traditional mythology much like other indigenous peoples across the world.

Mathias Nordvig is a Visiting Assistant Professor at University of Colorado, Boulder. He specializes in Nordic mythology and has published on the eco-humanities in Iceland and Scandinavia.

Introduction
Old Norse Mythology Between Environment and Literature
Old Norse Mythology in a Comparative Perspective
Indigenous Perspectives on Myth and Environment
Interpretations of Old Norse Mythology in Context of Environment
Mode of Interpretation
An Indigenous Theory of Volcanism in Iceland
A History of Icelandic Volcanism
Volcanism in Icelandic Literature
Geomythology
Hallmundarkviða: An Indigenous Icelandic Theory of Volcanism
Hallmundarkviða: Between Pre-Christian and Christian Tradition
Volcanism in Old Norse Cosmogony
The Sources to the Creation Myth
The Volcanic Nature Image in Snorri’s Creation Myth
The Indigenous Theory of Volcanism in Snorri’s Creation Myth
Volcanoes in the Social Order of Old Norse Mythology
The Mead Myth
The Indigenous Theory of Volcanism in the Mead Myth
Þórr and Hrungnir’s Duel
Volcanoes as a Cosmological Principle in Old Norse Mythology
Risk Perception in Volcanic Zones
Narration and Emotion
Cosmology and Emotions
Bibliography
Primary sources
Secondary literature