Background

I had my basic training and PhD at Stockholm University and graduated in 2003 with my thesis Thor and the nordic thunder. In my thesis I make a comparison between thunder gods of the Finnic, Saami and Scandinavian religions and discuss their relationship to each other. Mythological motifs religious change has since been areas of my interest and the Scandinavian and Saami mythologies has remained as my main tracks. In 2008 I received a grant from Stint which allowed me to spend a semester at Folklore & Mythology at Harvard University to study the conversion of Scandinavia.

Area of interest

My main areas of research is Scandinavian and Saami pre-Christian religion, but has come to include also the conversion of Scandinavia to Christianity and the mechanisms involved in mission and cultural influence. I also have an interest in religion in popular culture, especially religion in fantasy role playing games.

Current research

Currently I focus on the conversion of Scandinavia and the religious change in the Nordic countries over time.

Teaching and tutoring

I have been working at Mid Sweden University since fall 2011 and prior to that Stockholm University, Uppsala University and Södertörn University College. I have also had the oppurtunity to lecture at University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University, Tartu Ülikool, Háskoli Íslands and New York University, and adding to that several international conferences in my field.

Other information

I’m a part of several networks, both oriented towards my research, but also towards teaching. In the Austmarr Network, the main focus is the Baltic Sea and it’s surrounding countries during time before 1500. In the NordPlus financed collaboration with Aarhus University, University of Iceland and University of Bergen, I’m part of a teaching exchange in the field of Scandinavian pre-Christian religion and folkloristics.

Publications

Articles in journals Articles, book reviews Chapters in books Doctoral theses, monographs

Articles in journals

Bertell, M. (2014). The Yale Conference on Baltic and Scandinavian Studies 13th–15th March 2014, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.. RMN Newsletter, vol. 8: May, pp. 58

Bertell, M. (2013). Þjálfi’s Journey : An Example of How to Incorporate Younger Sources in the Comparative Study of Indigenous Religions of Northern Europe. RMN Newsletter, vol. 6: 1, pp. 47-52.

Bertell, M. (2011). Fornnordisk religion, fornsamisk religion och kristnandet av Norden – en forskningsöversikt. Föreningen lärare i religions årsskrift, vol. 43

Bertell, M. (). Från fornnordisk religion till kristendom i ett konversionsteoretiskt perspektiv. Religion och Bibel,

Articles, book reviews

Bertell, M. (2015). Lasse Christian Arboe Sonne, Thor-kult i vikingetiden. Historisk Tidskrift (S), : 1, pp. 148-150.

Chapters in books

Bertell, M. (2014). Mötet på kultplatsen : Samer och skandinaver och lånet av en handling. In Den heliga platsen : Handlingar från symposiet Den heliga platsen. Härnösand 15–18 september 2011.. Härnösand : Mittuniversitetet (Skrifter i Humaniora vid Mittuniversitetet). pp. 49-74.

Doctoral theses, monographs

Bertell, M. (2003). Tor och den nordiska åskan : Föreställningar kring världsaxeln. Dis. Stockholm : Religionshistoriska institutionen, 2003