Nordic Spirit Symposium

Many exciting Viking-era discoveries have been made by archaeologists in recent years, giving a new understanding of the Viking Age. Viking boat burials in Estonia that pre-date the “beginning” of the Viking Age in 793 A.D., genomic proof that a skeleton in a Swedish chamber grave filled with Viking weaponry is a female’s, a fifth ring fortress in Denmark, a Viking Age city beneath Oxford, England, a Harald Bluetooth treasure trove in northern Germany, a long-sought Irish Viking settlement, and the Viking Galloway hoard in Scotland are some of the exciting discoveries this symposium will explore. In addition, Icelandic sagas will be treated in two ways new to the symposium series – a live drama presentation of The Saga of Gudridur and discussion of putting the sagas to film, illustrated with film clips representing the Saga of Gisli the Outlaw.

Performers and speakers include Thorunn Clausen, an Icelandic actress trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, London, and Complete Vocal Institute, Copenhagen; Samuel Claussen, assistant professor of history, Cal Lutheran; Ágúst Gudmundsson, film director, Iceland; Neil Price, distinguished professor of archaeology, University of Uppsala, Sweden; and Henrik Williams, professor of Scandinavian languages, University of Uppsala.

The symposium begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Friday  and concludes with a Saturday evening dinner. Reservations are requested for the Friday reception ($15) and required by Jan. 31 for dinner on Saturday ($40). Admission is $25 for the Friday evening lectures and $50 for the daylong Saturday program; these presentations are free for Cal Lutheran students, faculty and staff. Click here for the full symposium schedule.

The Nordic Spirit Symposium is sponsored by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation and Cal Lutheran and is made possible by generous grants from the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation and the Norway House Foundation in San Francisco. For information and early registration fees, contact Howard Rockstad at (805) 497-3717 or hrockstad@gmail.com.

Image: Jelling stone with crucifix, Denmark