ПОСТАТЬ СКАНДИНАВСЬКОГО ВОЖДЯ ЯК ПРИКЛАД ВЗАЄМНОГО ВІДОБРАЖЕННЯ МІФОЛОГІЧНИХ УЯВЛЕНЬ І РЕАЛЬНОСТІ У ДОБУ РАННЬОГО СЕРЕДНЬОВІЧЧЯ

Abstract

The article focuses on the image of the Scandinavian leader, on whom the well-being of the population depended. New methodological approaches made it possible to consider the problem of the sacred status of power from a new point of view, in particular, through the interpretation of the image of the ruler and his perception by society and the features of the formation and functioning of rituals and connections between the ruler and higher powers. Modern research within the framework of Scandinavian studies is increasingly raising questions of scientific interest in aspects of the spiritual, religious and everyday life of the medieval society of Scandinavia. Conducting research in this area can help modern researchers to understand better the mentality of the people of that time. One of the important issues is the problem of a special, sacred or sacralized image of the ruler-leader, who becomes the central figure in the Scandinavian society of the medieval era and plays an important role in ensuring its protection and well-being. The problem of the special status of the ruler caused little enthusiasm among the researchers of the past. Previous studies have addressed the problem of studying the place and role of the leader mainly as a political figure, and also considered the formation of the origins of the sacralization of power in the context of religious beliefs. However, none of the studies focused on the image of the Scandinavian leader as a reflection of mythological ideas in the material world and vice versa. The sacred functions of the ruler are usually considered as a consequence of the development of mythological ideas and are presented in the works separately from them. The proposed article attempts to fill the gap in the question of the difference between the sacralization of the power of the ruler among the Scandinavian peoples and trace the reflection and mutual influence of mythology and everyday life through an analysis of the specifics of the mythological worldview and its manifestation in the formation of a stereotype of power in medieval Scandinavian society.