Abstract
This article interprets the natural physical topography of medieval Iceland as a zone of paranormal radiation exercising alterity upon those “exposed” to it. This dynamic is extended to “acts of nature” and severe weather phenomena as depicted in Íslendingasögur, and links between meteorological turbulence and revenant hauntings are explored. The central focus is on the psychological and physiological effects of these ecological entanglements upon the sagas’ living characters trapped in these adverse conditions. Of especial interest to the present study is the concept of the open body, borrowed from neuroscience, as well as the phenomenon of the dissolving self-an estrangement from oneself that occurs when all the perceived boundaries between self and environment begin to collapse. These concepts’ proposed applicability and relevance to the medieval Icelandic context enrich our understanding of how medieval Icelandic minds and bodies were perceived and how they functioned (or malfunctioned) under stress limit conditions.
