In the last decades the scholarly views on the value of Old Norse literature and poetry as a source for understanding the worldview of the pre-Christian Scandinavians has progressed considerably. Since his graduation from the University of Amsterdam in 1983, Kees Samplonius has contributed and articulated much in the field of Old Norse philology, more particularly on eddic poetry. On this page you'll find a selection of some of his articles.
Lá gaf Lóðurr - 2016;
A new look at the creation of man as told in the poem Völuspá.
Background and Scope of Völuspá - 2013;
An analysis of parts of the poem Völuspá and their bearing on our understanding of the poet's cultural habitat.
Antropogenesis in Völuspá - 2004;
A new look at the creation of man as told in the poem Völuspá (preliminary version).
Glaðr Eggþér Loki's finest hour, or an outcast's relief? - 2003;
Notes on the imagery of Vsp. 42-43. An interpretation of the scenery adumbrating the Day of Doom in Völuspá.
Imago Dei In Völuspá? - 2003;
A discussion of the creation of man as described in strophe 18 of the poem Völuspá.
Níðs ókvíðnum - 2002;
An evaluation of the various interpretations of the last lines of strophe 56 of the poem Völuspá.
Sibylla Borealis. Notes on the Structure of Voluspa - 2001;
An analysis of the figure of the seeress as depicted by the poet of Völuspá.
The War of the Vanir and the Aesir. A Note on Sources - 2001;
A survey of the various interpretations of the War of the Aesir and the Vanir allegedly alluded to in the stanzas 21-24 of Völuspá.
Undir hveralundi - 2000;
A discussion of the background of the scenery displayed in the stanzas 35 and 36 of Völuspá (Codex regius).
- Corrected Version 2013
Friesland en de Vikingtijd. De ring van Senja en de Vierentwintig Landrechten - 1998;
A discussion of the rune-inscribed silver ring from Senja in the light of late Viking Age activities in Frisia (Dutch with English summary).
Review Terry Gunnell [Dutch] - 1996;
Review of Terry Gunnell's book The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia
Viking Expansion Northwards - 1995; in collaboration with
An evaluation of the northward expansion of Viking Age Norway based on the testimonies of archeology and Old Norse sources.
Rex Non Rediturus. Notes on Theodoric and the Rök Stone - 1993;
Notes on the commemorative stanza in the runic inscription of the Rök Stone (Sweden), interpreted against the background of early-medieval history.