Nordic Terrors

Ancillary Review of Books “Nordic Terrors challenges conventional notions of the Gothic ‘Other’ by exploring how British writers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries embraced Nordic traditions as integral to their own historical and cultural heritage. Showcasing a matchless knowledge of the Nordic pagan religion, folklore and the Norse presence in Britain, Rix’s economical and nuanced study illuminates Scandinavia’s role in shaping the British literary imagination. An accomplished and essential book for anyone interested in the Gothic tradition.” —Jonathan Sachs, Professor of English, Concordia University, Montréal, Canada. “This fascinating book throws welcome new light on how much the dark horrors of British gothic literature owe to Nordic – Norse and Scandinavian – myths, legends and folklore. Rix demonstrates how the celebrated ‘Otherness’ of gothic fiction was countered and enriched by a sense of the shared Nordic past amongst English-speaking authors and readers.” —Heather O’Donoghue, Oxford University, UK. “This is an interesting and meticulously researched study that combines a discussion of tales of terror set in Nordic lands with an examination of the infl uence of Nordic superstition on the British Gothic, and, more extensively, on the negotiation of British identity and culture. Hence, it offers not only a fascinating critical ramble in cold and strange Northern lands but also a sombre stroll in the familiar drizzle of British identity, making us experience both differently in the process.” —Tabish Khair, Aarhus University, Denmark. “Nordic Terrors delves into the literary entanglements surrounding Gothic writing in Britain. Robert Rix shows how Old Norse poetry and Danish balladry infuse what ends up as British Gothic literature with heroic masculinity, evil elves, ghosts, hags, and frost giants, creating scenes of terror while also negotiating notions of British cultural heritage and national identity.” —Elisabeth Oxfeldt, University of Oslo, Norway Rix adeptly shows how complicated, contested, and contradictory the process of ethnic and national identity formation is, and how central a role the speculative imagination plays.[...] Nordic Terrors is especially compelling in describing how the British Gothic defined and wrestled with “the Other”.—Ancillary Review of Books