Skål för forntiden: En studie om mjödets resa från järnålderns ritualer till vikingatida varumärken

Abstract

This bachelor thesis aims to analyse archaeological finds related to mead during the Late Iron Age in southern Scandinavia. Five central places from the Iron Age are compared to five historical texts, that in some way connects to either the central places or to the use of mead. This will be done by using action theory. The action theory focuses on what kind of actions humans have done to create social and cultural purposes. Since the last part of the Late Iron Age, the Viking Age, is getting more popular due to movies, games and tv-shows it is also relevant to study how modern-day mead represents the Viking Age through its marketing. The essay also includes a discussion on how the 19th century nationalism has used Viking symbols for their own interests.