Mannabjörnar - när män blir rovdjur : Björn och varg som symboler för krigaridentitet; från fornnordisk tradition till senmedeltid

This thesis investigates how the symbolism of predatory animals, specifically the bear and the wolf, is linked to warrior ideals and masculine identity in Norse saga literature and ballad traditions from the 12th to the 15th century. Drawing on theories of liminality (Turner) and popular culture (Gurevich), the study analyzes how these animal figures express transgressive qualities such as strength, rage, and fertility, and how these motifs were transformed with the advent of Christianity. The research shows that pre-Christian notions of animal transformation, warrior magic, and collective masculinity persisted into late medieval popular culture, often reinterpreted or demonized. Through qualitative textual analysis of sagas, ballads, and ecclesiastical texts, the study reveals a cultural continuity in which predatory symbolism served both as an expression of martial power and as a moral reflection within a changing worldview. The findings suggest that the warrior’s identification with wild beasts could coexist with Christian morality, particularly in liminal contexts where nature, belief, and gender norms intersected.