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May 2026   Confirmed  Hybrid
A Module in A History of the VikingsNon-Sequential Series
Mixed Lecture/Discussion Low intensity

Days and Times

Meeting Mondays at 2:00 PM Eastern for four 1-hour sessions on May 4, 11, 18, 25 with four supplemental videos.

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Discover essential aspects of everyday life in the world of the Norse! In this module we'll be exploring the rich cultural and religious life of the Scandinavian communities between the 8th and 11th century, trying to figure out what their cultural products can tell us about their mindset. We'll have a look at cosmogonical and eschatological concepts from Norse myth, funeray archaeology, the runic writing system and how it evolved, as well as the fascinating art styles that adorned objects ranging from small cups and sword pommels to the front doors of Christian churches. While the first two modules of the Viking age cluster would be recommendable, fell free to join the course regardless.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline 8-Session Structure
Week 1 Lecture 1: Norse myths and beliefs
Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material
Week 2 Lecture 2: Death and afterlife
Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material
Week 3 Lecture 3: Runes and runestones
Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material
Week 4 Lecture 4: Viking art styles
Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 4 material

Required Texts

Suggested text: The Viking World (Brink & Price, Routledge 2008) (please note that this is completely optional). Other bibliographical material will be provided by the tutor.
Sessions Overview
# Signum Time
US/Eastern
1 Fri, May 1
2:00 PM
Pre-recorded Lecture. This session is NOT LIVE.
2 Mon, May 4
2:00 PM
Live Discussion Session
3 Fri, May 8
2:00 PM
Pre-recorded Lecture. This session is NOT LIVE.
4 Mon, May 11
2:00 PM
Live Discussion Session
5 Fri, May 15
2:00 PM
Pre-recorded Lecture. This session is NOT LIVE.
6 Mon, May 18
2:00 PM
Live Discussion Session
7 Fri, May 22
2:00 PM
Pre-recorded Lecture. This session is NOT LIVE.
8 Mon, May 25
2:00 PM
Live Discussion Session
This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.

Delivery Plan
1. The first session each week will be a pre-recorded lecture sent to students at least 2 days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
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