Atlantis of the North

Abstract

The article presents the cultural reception of Old Uppsala with a focus in how it is used by contemporary Heathens. Modern Swedish Heathens see the place as spiritually significant, and there have been public blots at the site yearly since 2000. Such rituals are only ambivalently tolerated by the museum and Swedish National Heritage Board. In recent years other groups have started to use the site as well and it has also been used by a variety of smaller shamanistic groups. For Heathens, the place a sacred area, representing the last significant religious site for pre-Christian Norse religion and resistance to Christianization. I argue that Old Uppsala lies at the center of Sweden’s often complicated relationship with its own history. Its story follows broader cultural trends connected to national identity and when modern Heathens enter the scene, they become a part of this larger debate. The article will look at how the museum presents the Viking age and how their presentations both work with and in opposition to Heathen constructions about Viking age religion.