Love and Emotions in Old Norse Literature

Patterns, Formulae, Reality  

2^nd Symposium of the Project “Formulae in Icelandic Saga Literature”

Tartu, 28-29 January 2022

Call for papers: Cfp1_Love_and_Emotions_Tartu

Love and emotions did for a long time belong to the periphery of Old Norse scholarship. During the last decades this has changed. Since the 1990s several monographs and articles have been published within this field of research, concerning all Old Norse genres. Today, emotions, and particularly love, in Old Norse literature constitutes an active field of research. Old prejudices concerning dating, taste, and originality have been abandoned. New perspectives are used, and new conclusions have been reached.

The present symposium is devoted to the theme of love and the depiction of emotions in Old Norse literature in all its genres, the courtly translations as well as the native sagas and poems. Both the role and meaning of love and the description of it will be in focus. At the symposium, we will share our knowledge, present and discuss our ongoing research, test new perspectives, develop new methods, and make new contacts for future collaboration.

Keynote speakers:

Alison Finlay, University of London

Sif Ríkharðsdóttir, University of Iceland

Klaus Johan Myrvoll, University of Stavanger

Brynja Þorgeirsdóttir, University of Cambridge

All researchers (including PhD students) who are interested in presenting their ideas or research results connected to these or similar topics are encouraged submit proposals for 20-minute paper presentations (followed by 10 minutes of discussion). The venue of the symposium will be University of Tartu, Department of Scandinavian Studies.

Please send short abstracts by November 1^st, 2021, to daniel.savborg@ut.ee. Further information about the symposium and its sub-topics can be found on the symposium website: https://www.maailmakeeled.ut.ee/en/departments/formulae-icelandic-saga-literature  

The organizers strongly believe in scholarly meetings in-person. Coffee breaks and free time at conferences usually offer the most important occasions for exchange of ideas, constructive debates, establishing of new contacts and planning of cooperation. We therefore plan to hold the symposium in-person. If, however, the corona situation makes it necessary, we will hold the symposium online.

You are of course welcome to forward this announcement to anyone whom you think might be interested.

Welcome to Tartu in January!

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