Abstract
In this article the Viking motif in children’s literature is explored—from its roots in (adult) nationalist and antiquarian discourse, over pedagogical and historical texts for children, to the eventual diversification (or dissolution) of the motif into different genres and forms. The focus is on Swedish Viking narratives, but points of comparison are established with Viking children’s literature in the English-speaking world. Differences and similarities are pointed out, but more importantly, patterns of reciprocity and influence are examined. Finally, it is shown how international representations of Vikings to a growing extent have replaced the ones that are nationally and regionally determined. The Viking has ultimately become a deracinated and commodified symbol: a free-floating signifier and a wayward warrior.
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Björn Sundmark is Associate Professor of English in the Department of Culture, Languages and Media at Malmö University (Sweden), where he teaches “Children’s Literature in a Global Perspective” and “Intercultural Perspectives on Children’s Literature.” He has published numerous articles on children’s literature, and is the author of the study Alice in the Oral-Literary Continuum (1999) and co-edited the anthology The Nation in Children’s Literature: Nations of Childhood (2012). He is also editor of Barnboken—Journal of Children’s Literature Research and on the editorial board of The Bookbird.
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Sundmark, B. Wayward Warriors: The Viking Motif in Swedish and English Children’s Literature. Child Lit Educ 45, 197–210 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-013-9210-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10583-013-9210-y