The Reception of Norse Mythology in French. A Brief Introduction to Its Multi-Faceted History

Résumé En

The article proposes an introduction to the reception of Nordic myths in France and in the French–speaking world since the Middle Ages. This heterogeneous and complex reception is constructed, according to the milieu, period or region, between fascination, rejection and exoticism. It testifies to an international cross history and multiple discourses of belonging and otherness. Its ambiguous course, composed of tensions, ruptures, and discontinuities, distinguishes it from other reception histories and gives it a specificity that—apart from studies on Mallet—has often been neglected in international research. The terms attached to these mythological stories (Scandinavian/Nordic/Germanic/Northern/Viking) reflect different periods of reception as well as the evolution of their understanding. Based on the analysis of the frequency of use of these terms, we propose to divide the history of this reception through, in particular: medieval narratives (chronicles, annals, histories); the role of Paris as the place where the Gesta danorum was printed; French intellectual circles in the modern period; the Enlightenment; the long academic and artistic 19th century; the First and Second World Wars; and finally, the 20th and early 21st centuries. If, under the cover of this historical journey, this study introduces the different milieus, the regional specificities, and the stakes specific to the francophone reception, its goal is above all to underline the role and the richness of this reception and to offer new avenues for research.