Pre-Modern Seminar No 11: Mart Kuldkepp

On Monday November 14th at 18.15 at the library of Skandinavistika Mart Kuldkepp will give a talk called:

"Einarr Gilsson's "Selkolluvísur" as a meeting point of traditions."

The seminar will take place in the library of Skandinavistika (Ülikooli 17) at 18.15.

Mart has sent us a short presentation of the lecture:

"Einarr Gilsson's "Selkolluvísur" is an Icelandic skaldic poem from mid-14th century that tells the story of an Icelandic bishop's fight against a seal-headed troll woman. The poem is preserved in the context of Arngrímr Brandsson's Guðmundar saga Árasonar (the so-called Guðmundar saga D) and can be related to a contemporary propaganda campaign for bishop Guðmundr's canonisation. At the same time, it is a work of extremely complex style, almost on par with pagan poetry of much earlier times, and its folktale-like contents form an interesting contrast to the pious purpose it was apparently meant to fulfill. In my presentation, I am going to give a backstory to the canonisation project and attempt an analysis of the different layers of tradition and meaning in the poem itself."

Welcome!