1
Relevant IndicatorsA Cross-Disciplinary
Indexing Tool?

• Examples from Mythological Thinking
• Frog
• University of Helsinki
• Transcultural Contacts in the Circum-Baltic
  Area
• 2nd Meeting of the Austmarr Network
• 8th10th June 2012, Helsinki, Finland

2
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Viking Age in Finland project

3
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Viking Age in Finland project
• Proposed by Lassi Heininen
• Perspective of Geopolitics

4
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Viking Age in Finland project
• Proposed by Lassi Heininen
• Perspective of Geopolitics
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Relating a plurality of data
• Identifying data as relevant

5
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Viking Age in Finland project
• Proposed by Lassi Heininen
• Perspective of Geopolitics
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Relating a plurality of data
• Identifying data as relevant
• An indexing strategy
• Correlating markers of continuity or change

6
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Viking Age in Finland project
• Proposed by Lassi Heininen
• Perspective of Geopolitics
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Relating a plurality of data
• Identifying data as relevant
• An indexing strategy
• Correlating markers of continuity or change
• Two benefits
• Allows ambiguity
• Specific relevance may remain unresolved
• Markers may be indicators of several things
  simultaneously

7
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Still preliminary
• Only a few trying to use this as a tool
• Focus on indicators of change
• Something different in one period than in another
• Focus on groups and social processes

8
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Still preliminary
• Only a few trying to use this as a tool
• Focus on indicators of change
• Something different in one period than in another
• Focus on groups and social processes
• Potential indexing tool for a database
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Navigating a plurality of data

9
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Still preliminary
• Only a few trying to use this as a tool
• Focus on indicators of change
• Something different in one period than in another
• Focus on groups and social processes
• Potential indexing tool for a database
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Navigating a plurality of data
• Three aspect model?
• Semiotics conceptual systems social practices

10
Relevant Indicator as a Term

• Still preliminary
• Only a few trying to use this as a tool
• Focus on indicators of change
• Something different in one period than in another
• Focus on groups and social processes
• Potential indexing tool for a database
• Problem of data from diverse disciplines
• Navigating a plurality of data
• Three aspect model?
• Semiotics conceptual systems social practices
• Diachronic processes systemic models of change
• Synchronic systems ethnocultural substrata

11
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid

12
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid
• Undeveloped understandings of cultural processes
• Linguistics / phonetics, material culture,
  folklore, literature

13
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid
• Undeveloped understandings of cultural processes
• Linguistics / phonetics, material culture,
  folklore, literature
• Ways of thinking about material

14
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid
• Undeveloped understandings of cultural processes
• Linguistics / phonetics, material culture,
  folklore, literature
• Ways of thinking about material
• Ideal models versus variation
• Reconstruction and (anachronistic)
  interpretation

15
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid
• Undeveloped understandings of cultural processes
• Linguistics / phonetics, material culture,
  folklore, literature
• Ways of thinking about material
• Ideal models versus variation
• Reconstruction and (anachronistic)
  interpretation
• Isolated cultural phenomena from social practices
• What but not why

16
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Problems in earlier research
• Interpretations too concrete and/or absolute
• Observations in data could still be valid
• Undeveloped understandings of cultural processes
• Linguistics / phonetics, material culture,
  folklore, literature
• Ways of thinking about material
• Ideal models versus variation
• Reconstruction and (anachronistic)
  interpretation
• Isolated cultural phenomena from social practices
• What but not why
• Isolated phenomena from one another
• Versus cumulative indicators
• Versus systemic modelling

17
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive

18
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra

19
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology,

20
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade,

21
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics,

22
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,

23
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures,

24
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts,

25
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity,

26
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity, mythology,

27
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity, mythology, mythological thinking,

28
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity, mythology, mythological thinking,
  fashion,

29
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity, mythology, mythological thinking,
  fashion, etc.

30
Is Relevant Indicator too Vague?

• Depends what we want it to do
• Does not
• Distinguish indicator as cause, consequence
  or symptom
• Necessarily define or classify indicator
• Distinguish indicator as exclusive
• Allows (indicator of)
• Marking as significant without resolution
• Multiple indexing brooch from Uppåkra
• Technology, trade, economics, gender,
• social structures, contacts, historical
• continuity, mythology, mythological thinking,
  fashion, etc.
• Semantic networks and conceptual modelling
• intersecting with socio-historical processes

31
Problem Lack of Frameworks

• Etymologies
• Finnish äiti / Gothic aiþei ON (poetic) eiða
  mother
• Contacts, social structures not in Karelian
• Indicator must be placed in relation to others

32
Problem Lack of Frameworks

• Etymologies
• Finnish äiti / Gothic aiþei ON (poetic) eiða
  mother
• Contacts, social structures not in Karelian
• Indicator must be placed in relation to others
• Developed models of phonetic history
• Model can be accurate although no individual case
  is 100 certain

33
Problem Lack of Frameworks

• Etymologies
• Finnish äiti / Gothic aiþei ON (poetic) eiða
  mother
• Contacts, social structures not in Karelian
• Indicator must be placed in relation to others
• Developed models of phonetic history
• Model can be accurate although no individual case
  is 100 certain
• Modelling systems lacking for other areas of
  cultural expression
• Different types and levels of signification
• More complex units

34
Indicators and Change

• Narrative traditions
• ATU 1148b Theft of the Thunder-Instrument
• Baltic, Finnic, Germanic, Sámi (also early Greek)

35
Indicators and Change

• Narrative traditions
• ATU 1148b Theft of the Thunder-Instrument
• Baltic, Finnic, Germanic, Sámi (also early Greek)
• Culture-specific forms
• Relates to dominant models of thunder
• Change outcomes of social negotiation
• Indicators of social negotiation and its causes

36
Indicators and Change

• Narrative traditions
• ATU 1148b Theft of the Thunder-Instrument
• Baltic, Finnic, Germanic, Sámi (also early Greek)
• Culture-specific forms
• Relates to dominant models of thunder
• Change outcomes of social negotiation
• Indicators of social negotiation and its causes
• Only one case cf. äiti

37
Indicators and Change

• Narrative traditions
• ATU 1148b Theft of the Thunder-Instrument
• Baltic, Finnic, Germanic, Sámi (also early Greek)
• Culture-specific forms
• Relates to dominant models of thunder
• Change outcomes of social negotiation
• Indicators of social negotiation and its causes
• Only one case cf. äiti
• Develop and correlate multiple and diverse models
  for each cultures traditions

38
Technologies

• Iron-working
• Indicators of significance from folklore
  beleifs, narratives, images, cosmological models
• Connected with god identified with thunder /
  lightning-weapon

39
Technologies

• Iron-working
• Indicators of significance from folklore
  beleifs, narratives, images, cosmological models
• Connected with god identified with thunder /
  lightning-weapon
• New Circum-Baltic fire-striker model
• Oval-shaped stones
• Technology changes
• Symbolic world adapts

40
Technologies

• Iron-working
• Indicators of significance from folklore
  beleifs, narratives, images, cosmological models
• Connected with god identified with thunder /
  lightning-weapon
• New Circum-Baltic fire-striker model
• Oval-shaped stones
• Technology changes
• Symbolic world adapts
• Unto Salo
• Vulva-shaped
• Hieros gamos

41
Developing Indexical Networks

• Unto Salo
• Vulva-shaped stones
• Hieros gamos
• Thunder responds to female sexuality
• Fire-striking lightning
• Indicators form context

42
Developing Indexical Networks

• Migration Period change in fire-striker symbolics
  (however interpreted)
• Fire-steel becomes stylized

43
Developing Indexical Networks

• Migration Period change in fire-striker symbolics
  (however interpreted)
• Fire-steel becomes stylized
• Salo argues bow as primary
• Connects to gods arrow
• (shape becomes ambiguous)

44
Developing Indexical Networks

• Migration Period change in fire-striker symbolics
  (however interpreted)
• Fire-steel becomes stylized
• Salo argues bow as primary
• Connects to gods arrow
• (shape becomes ambiguous)
• Gods arrow common lightning-weapon
• Found across Northern Eurasia
• Not manifest in Germanic / not prominent in
  Baltic (?)
• Rainbow Gods Bow

45
Developing Indexical Networks

• Migration Period change in fire-striker symbolics
  (however interpreted)
• Fire-steel becomes stylized
• Salo argues bow as primary
• Connects to gods arrow
• (shape becomes ambiguous)
• Gods arrow common lightning-weapon
• Found across Northern Eurasia
• Not manifest in Germanic / not prominent in
  Baltic (?)
• Rainbow Gods Bow
• Migration Period carried influences from he
  steppe(?)
• Cannot interpret in isolation

46
Relevant Indicator as Tool

• Identifying elements as potentially significant
• Overviews of
• Networks of symbols, semantics and conceptual
  systems

47
Relevant Indicator as Tool

• Identifying elements as potentially significant
• Overviews of
• Networks of symbols, semantics and conceptual
  systems
• Contextualizing phenomena

48
Relevant Indicator as Tool

• Identifying elements as potentially significant
• Overviews of
• Networks of symbols, semantics and conceptual
  systems
• Contextualizing phenomena
• Patterns in diachronic processes

49
Relevant Indicator as Tool

• Identifying elements as potentially significant
• Overviews of
• Networks of symbols, semantics and conceptual
  systems
• Contextualizing phenomena
• Patterns in diachronic processes
• Synchronic perspectives on different eras

50
Relevant Indicator as Tool

• Identifying elements as potentially significant
• Overviews of
• Networks of symbols, semantics and conceptual
  systems
• Contextualizing phenomena
• Patterns in diachronic processes
• Synchronic perspectives on different eras
• An indexing tool
• Considerations for database

51

• Thank you!