CML Videoseminar. Paul Gazzoli, "Approaching the Nordic Past Between Source-Criticism and Identity"

CML videoseminar by Paul Gazzoli (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc, Institut für Mittelalterforschung, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften).

Abstract

The period 800-1100 is often seen as a time when Norway and Denmark were 'unified' and made into something resembling nation-states. Underneath this, however, many questions of identity remain unaddressed. Addressing these questions necessitates a critical look at the sources: in the past, a preference for texts seen as more genuinely 'Nordic' (such as the Icelandic sagas) over others which were written in Latin or outside the Nordic countries has shaped the narrative of the history of this period. This paper argues for a new approach to questions of history and identity, primarily through the lens of Latin and other lesser-used sources.