Call for Contributions
Deadline for Chapter proposals: March 15th, 2024
HAGIOGRAPHY AND HOLY WRITING IN MEDIEVAL ICELAND AND SCANDINAVA – An Edited Collection
The study of hagiography and biblical texts was the cornerstone of intellectual development in medieval Iceland and Scandinavia. The influence of these Christian texts is evident in the large extant corpus of Old Norse translations, but extends beyond this, touching every aspect of Icelandic and Scandinavian literary culture. Despite their pivotal role, these significant texts have experienced a notable lack of scholarly attention over the past decades. Only recently has a renewed interest emerged, particularly in the helgisögur and biblical texts such as Stjórn. This surge in scholarly curiosity sheds light on the religious and intellectual culture of the Icelandic and Scandinavian middle ages, whilst placing in the spotlight the texts that laid the groundwork for more popular literary works, such as the Icelandic sagas.
On the back of this rising wave of scholarly interest, this volume extends an invitation for chapters that delve into and unravel the significance of hagiography and holy writing in medieval Iceland and Scandinavia. Contributions may focus on diverse aspects, including but not limited to translation, influence, philology, or history. This volume aims to showcase the extraordinary importance of these texts in medieval northern society, elucidating their impact on daily life and their enduring influence on the literature we engage with and study in the present day.
The volume will be proposed to Boydell and Brewer for their Studies in Old Norse Literature series. Chapters should be approximately 7,000-9,000 words in total. Final chapters will be tentatively due in early 2025. Chapter proposals of approximately 300 words should be sent to Natasha Bradley (natasha.bradley@lincoln.ox.ac.uk) and Tiffany Nicole White (tiffany@hi.is) by March 15th, 2024.
Leeds IMC 2024 Sessions Programme
International Medieval Congress: Leeds 1-4 July 2024
MONDAY 01 July 2024: 11.45-12.45
Session 1: 143
Title: The Cross in the Medieval North
Organiser: Natasha Bradley, Lincoln College, University of Oxford
Moderator: Natasha Bradley, Lincoln College, University of Oxford
143-a: The Hagiographic Narrative of the Holy Cross in Old Icelandic Literature (Language: English)
Tiffany Nicole White, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavík
143-b: The Origin of origo crucis in the North (Language: English)
Sabine Heidi Walther, Institut für Germanistik, Vergleichende Literatur und Kulturwissenschaft, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
143-c: Of Apostles and Poets in a Moment of Crisis (Language: English)
Eugenia Vorobeva, St Anne’s College, University of Oxford
TUESDAY 02 July 2024: 16.30 – 18.00
Session 2: 828
Title: Crisis in Norse Hagiography
Organiser: Natasha Bradley, Lincoln College, University of Oxford
Moderator: Tiffany Nicole White, Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavík
828-a: A Fragment of Nikulass saga erkibiskups in Oslo, Riksarkivet og Statsarkivet I Oslo, NRA 69: Trust, but Verify (Language: English)
Rutger Kramer, Department Geschiedenis en Kunstgeschiedenis, Universities Utrecht
828-b: Saintly Martyrdom amidst Military and Religious Unrest: A Comparative Review of Mauritius saga in Bibliotheca Hagiographica Latina 3446 (Language: English)
Victor Barabino, Centre de Recherches Archéologiques et Histories Anciennes et Médiévales (CRAHAM – UMR 6273), Université de Caen Normandy
828-c: The Maccabean Martyrs in Old Norse Translation: A Mother’s Crisis in Gyðinga saga (Language: English)
Natasha Bradley, Lincoln College, University of Oxford