Stephan Scott Grundy (June 28, 1967 – September 29, 2021),
''The Wild Hunt'', October 5, 2021, retrieved December 15, 2021. also known by the pen-name Kveldulf Gundarsson, was an
American author
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
, scholar,
goði
Gothi or (plural , fem. ; Old Norse: ) was a position of political and social prominence in the Icelandic Commonwealth. The term originally had a religious significance, referring to a pagan leader responsible for a religious structure and com ...
and proponent of
Asatru
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th cent ...
. He published more than two dozen books and several papers. He is best known for his modern adaptations of legendary
sagas
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to th ...
and was also a non-fiction writer on
Germanic mythology
Germanic mythology consists of the body of myths native to the Germanic peoples, including Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon mythology, and Continental Germanic mythology. It was a key element of Germanic paganism.
Origins
As the Germanic langu ...
,
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism or Germanic religion refers to the traditional, culturally significant religion of the Germanic peoples. With a chronological range of at least one thousand years in an area covering Scandinavia, the British Isles, modern Germ ...
, and
Germanic neopaganism
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th cent ...
.
Life and career
Grundy was born in
New York and grew up in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
[ where he studied English and German ]philology
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...
at Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, ...
. In 1995, he received his PhD from the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
The Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic (ASNC or, informally, ASNaC) is one of the constituent departments of the University of Cambridge, and focuses on the history, material culture, languages and literatures of the various peoples who i ...
at the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...
with a dissertation on the Norse god Odin: "The Cult of Óðinn: God of Death?".
Before publishing his first novel, Grundy published, as Kveldulf Gundarsson, two books on Germanic neopaganism
Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th cent ...
and Germanic magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
. He served as Lore Warden and Master of the Elder Training Program for the Ring of Troth (now The Troth
The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an American-based international heathen organization.[On its main ...](_blank)
) and carried on the organization's tradition of being based in scholarship, started by Edred Thorsson. Mattias Gardell also regards him as important in the organization's move to the left and development of a "strict antiracist and antisexist ideology." He edited and co-wrote both editions of The Troth's handbook, ''Our Troth'', and has written other works on ancient and modern Germanic paganism and Germanic culture.
He is cited by other writers on Germanic paganism inside and outside academia, for example as Grundy by Jenny Blain in her discussion of the social role of '' seiðr'' in Iceland, also as Grundy by Julia Bolton Holloway on pagan priestesses, and by Charlotte Hardman and Graham Harvey in their survey of neo-paganism for editing ''Our Troth'' as well as having "clarified the group's objection to fascism and racism".
He died in Shinrone
Shinrone () is a village in County Offaly, Ireland. It is in the southernmost part of the county, close to the border with County Tipperary. It lies at the junction of the R491 regional road between Nenagh and Roscrea with the R492 to Sharavo ...
, County Offaly, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, where he was studying medicine.[
]
Novels
Rhinegold
Grundy began working on his first complete novel during his freshman year at Southern Methodist University. Originally, the novel was intended to be based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem
An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants.
...
'' Beowulf'', but Grundy was convinced by his professor Dr. Stephen Flowers (author of numerous widely respected works about Germanic history and magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
) that the Nibelung
The term Nibelung (German) or Niflungr (Old Norse) is a personal or clan name with several competing and contradictory uses in Germanic heroic legend. It has an unclear etymology, but is often connected to the root ''nebel'', meaning mist. The te ...
legend would be a more appropriate basis for a first novel.
Grundy wrote most of the novel in a dormitory at the University of St Andrews
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
, Scotland, where he spent one year as an exchange student
A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions.
A student exchange program may involve international travel, but d ...
. He also spent a year as an exchange student in Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...
, Germany – virtually at the foot of the '' Drachenfels'' - spending some of his time on research for his novel (which also led him all across Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
). ''Rhinegold'' – a retelling of the entire Sigurð
Sigurd ( non, Sigurðr ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon and was later murdered. It is possible he was inspired by one or more figures from the Frankish Meroving ...
cycle dedicated to, among others, Richard Wagner and J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
– came out in 1994, and quickly developed into an international best-seller
A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cook ...
.
Terri Windling
Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram S ...
identified ''Rhinegold'' as one of the best fantasy debuts of 1994, describing it as "both scholarly and entertaining".["Summation 1994: Fantasy," '']The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror
''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'' was a reprint anthology published annually by St. Martin's Press from 1987 to 2008. In addition to the short stories, supplemented by a list of honorable mentions, each edition included a number of retrospective ...
: Eighth Annual Collection'', p. xviii
Attila's Treasure
Two years later, 1996, Grundy completed ''Attila's Treasure'', focused less on Attila the Hun than on Grundy's favorite legendary figure, Hagen. This novel, too, was an international success, but to a lesser degree than the forerunner novel ''Rhinegold.''
Gilgamesh
This was followed in 1999 by ''Gilgamesh,'' a modern adaptation of the Sumerian ''Epic of Gilgamesh
The ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' () is an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia, and is regarded as the earliest surviving notable literature and the second oldest religious text, after the Pyramid Texts. The literary history of Gilgamesh begins with ...
'' that attempts to address directly the homosexual nature of the original text largely ignored by modern scholars. This was less well received than the two earlier novels.
Falcon Dreams Series
With Melodi Lammond-Grundy, Grundy has since published the Falcon Dreams series, a trilogy first published in German and available in English in e-book format: ''Falcon's Flight'' (2000), ''Eagle and Falcon'' (2002), and ''Falcon's Night'' (2002).
Bibliography
Books
* Kveldulf Gundarsson: ''Teutonic Magic: The Magical & Spiritual Practices of the Germanic People'', Llewellyn, 1990,
* Kveldulf Gundarsson: ''Teutonic Religion: Folk Beliefs & Practices of the Northern Tradition'', Llewellyn, 1993,
* KveldúlfR Hagan Gundarsson, ed.: ''Our Troth'', The Ring of Troth, 1993
* Stephan Grundy: ''Miscellaneous Studies Towards the Cult of Odinn'', Everett, WA: Vikar, 1994; Troth Publications, 2014, .
* Stephan Grundy: ''Rhinegold'', Michael Joseph, 1994,
* Stephan Grundy: ''Attila's Treasure'', Bantam, 1996,
* Stephan Grundy: ''Gilgamesh'', William Morrow, 1999,
* Stephan Grundy and Melodi Lammond-Grundy: ''Falcon's Flight,'' 2000, e-book Double Dragon, 2006,
* Stephan Grundy and Melodi Lammond-Grundy: ''Eagle and Falcon,'' 2002, e-book Double Dragon, 2006,
* Stephan Grundy and Melodi Lammond-Grundy: ''Falcon's Night,'' 2002, e-book Double Dragon, 2006,
* Kveldúlf Gundarsson, ed.: ''Our Troth'', 2nd ed. volume 1 ''History and Lore'' Booksurge, 2006, ; volume 2 ''Living the Troth'' Booksurge, 2007,
* Kveldulf Gundarsson: ''Elves, Wights, and Trolls'', Studies Towards the Practice of Germanic Heathenry 1, iUniverse, 2007,
* Stephan Grundy: ''The Cult of Ódinn: God of Death?'', Troth Publications, 2014, (hardcover). Reprint of 1995 PhD dissertation.
* Stephan Grundy: ''Beowulf'', TLS, 2019,
Articles
* Stephan Grundy
"Chapter Four: Freyja and Frigg"
in Sandra Billington and Miranda Green, eds., ''The Concept of the Goddess'', Routledge, 1996, republished Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2000, , pp. 56–67.
* Stephan Grundy
"Shapeshifting and Berserkergang"
in Carol Poster and Richard J. Utz, eds., ''Translation, Transformation and Transubstantiation in the Late Middle Ages'', ''Disputatio'' 3 (1998), pp. 104–22.
* Kveldulf Gundarsson: numerous articles in ''Idunna'' and ''Mountain Thunder''.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grundy, Stephan
1967 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American novelists
American fantasy writers
American information and reference writers
American male novelists
American social sciences writers
American modern pagans
Adherents of Germanic neopaganism
Writers on Germanic paganism
Modern pagan writers
Modern pagan novelists
20th-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American male non-fiction writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
People from New York City