Old Norse News

The 30th Annual Conference of the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies

New Directions in Medieval Scandinavian Studies

Key-Note Speakers: Lesley Abrams, Martin Chase, Matthew Driscoll, Roberta Frank, Vésteinn Olason, Kirsten Seaver, and Kirsten Wolf

Conference Website and Call for Papers

Next year’s annual Medieval Studies conference at Fordham University, New York has just been announced. Excitingly, the theme is New Directions in Medieval Scandinavian Studies. It will take place on 27-28 March 2010.  Key-note speakers will include Lesley Abrams, Martin Chase, Matthew Driscoll, Roberta Frank, Vésteinn Ólason, Kirsten Seaver, and Kirsten Wolf. I think this sort of event is just what the field needs, and I’ll certainly be there.

The Call for Papers has been issued, and is available at the Conference Website. Deadline for paper proposals is 2 October There aren’t many details on the site as yet, so keep checking back.

Viking Age Scandinavia – Archaeology, History, Culture

Summer school for international students

Location: Århus University, Denmark

This intensive course considers Viking-Age Scandinavia as an interdisciplinary area study, with a focus on archaeology. It presents a comprehensive survey, focused on Denmark and including updates on recent discoveries and debates. The course discusses changes and dynamics in Scandinavian societies from the 8^th to the 11^th Century, and trains participants to approach complex questions on an interdisciplinary basis. Subjects include: social structure, village communities; technology and culture; kings and fortifications; towns and trade; ships and travel; the Viking experience in Europe and beyond; rune-stones, weapons and warfare; art and ornament; pagan religion, conversion and early Christianity. There will be excursions and ’hands-on’ demonstrations of original artefacts.

Preliminary Information

The 14th International Saga Conference

Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Full details, registration, and programme