Call for papers: dossier - Norse Myths in the Artistic Reception, Scandia 4, 2021.
Norse myths represent one of the greatest cultural legacies from ancient Scandinavia. Throughout history, they have been perpetuated, re-signified and transformed by the most different artistic means: from doors of Churches in the Middle Ages to today’s media. Some of our contemporary interpretations of such myths depend, to a greater extent, on different images that have been created in the past.
We invite researchers to present proposals on the most different supports, techniques and artistic means, from the period that dates back to the Viking Age to the present day. The Medieval period produced several artifacts and works of material culture that establish some relations between image and orality in myths, such as pendants, tapestries and sculptures, while spaces of Christianity reveal moments of hybridization and religious interpretations (in Church doors, for instance). After the 16th century, many publications and manuscripts started to present a close relationship between text and image, eliciting various situations in which these myths were used as part of ideologies of identity and antiquarianism. After the Nordic Renaissance, images of these myths were frequently and intensively used, becoming one of the main means of expression of Romantic Nationalism in several European countries (K. Ljøgodt, “Northern Gods in Marble", 2012), that were presented in great paintings, public sculptures, theatrical productions, dramas and operas. The 19th century was fundamental for the modern definition of certain iconic categories regarding mythology, a topic that is still full of investigative possibilities, especially for Scandinavism (T. Gerven, Scandinavism overlapping and competing identities in the Nordic world, 2020). Later, other types of media tried to further popularize Norse narratives, such as comics, cinema and electronic games.
Although some major publications have brought several analytical proposals (such as The Pre-Christian Religions of the North: Research and Reception, vol. 1 and 2, 2018), the study of the artistic reception of Norse myths is still a field calling out for new investigations and proposals. We invite the proponents to bring perspectives involving both reception studies and iconographic perspectives, theories of visual culture or artistic analysis methodologies.
The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2021, and they must be done via the website Journal: The dossier will be organized by Professor Johnni Langer (UFPB/NEVE). Scandia Journal will also be accepting articles not dealing with this dossier’s matter, in a free section - the deadline is the same.
