Skaldskapr: Poetry in the Viking world Alicia Maddalena and Matt Townend
Event details
In the Viking world, poetry was an art-form and medium of exceptional power. It was used to praise rulers, shame enemies, and commemorate the dead. It was the vehicle for communal wisdom and religious debate, and poets were both celebrated and feared.
Alicia Maddalena and Matt Townend of the University of York explore Viking Age skaldskapr or poetry, combining an account of its power with a sample of readings.
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About the speakers
Alicia Maddalena is an Associate Lecturer in Medieval Literature in the Department of English and Related Literature, and is a member of the interdisciplinary Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of York. She specialises in Old Norse language and literature, and is particularly interested in lexical approaches to Old Norse poetry.
Matt Townend is a Professor in the Department of English and Related Literature, and the Centre for Medieval Studies, at the University of York. His research interests are in Old Norse language and literature, the history and culture of Viking Age England, and medievalism and philology in the nineteenth century. His publications include Viking Age Yorkshire (2014).
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