KZOO Archive
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Infant Burials and Christianization: The View from East Central Europe
Posted on May 19, 2013 | No CommentsThis was the second paper in the Early Medieval Europe I series given at KZOO and another fabulous archaeology paper. It contrasted infant grave sites in early converted medieval Poland and Anglo Saxon England. -
Feasting with Early Medieval Chiefs: Locating Political Action through Environmental Archaeology
Posted on May 18, 2013 | No CommentsThis excellent paper was the first given in the session on Early Medieval Europe. It looked at various archaeological excavations in Iceland and Denmark and the political role feasting played in pre-Christian Viking societies. -
Louis the Pious and the Conversion of the Danes
Posted on May 17, 2013 | No CommentsThis paper was part of a very interesting session on the Early Middle Ages. The papers covered Eastern European Infant Burial, the archaeology of medieval feasting and conversion. This paper contrasted the conversion policies of Charlemagne versus those of Louis the Pious. -
Man Bites Dog: Alarming Effects of Medieval Animal Venom
Posted on May 16, 2013 | No CommentsThis paper was part of a fantastic series on mental health and disability in the Middle Ages. It was very humorous. This paper examined various types of bites, the "medieval symptoms" and some cures. So if you don't want to bark like a dog, or lash out at people with your teeth, read on... -
William the Conqueror and the Channel Crossing of 1066
Posted on May 16, 2013 | No CommentsWilliam the Conqueror waited several weeks before making his maritime crossing of the English Channel in 1066 - was he hampered by weathered or did the Norman Duke intentionally remain in Normandy, hoping that events in Anglo-Saxon England would turn to his favour? -
Androgynes, Crossdressers, and Rebel Queens: Modern Representations of Medieval Women Warriors from Tolkien to Martin
Posted on May 15, 2013 | No CommentsThis was another stellar paper given at the Tales after Tolkien session. It was an intriguing look at the women of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones and how each author portrays the mother and warrior characters of Galadriel/Cersi/Daenerys and Eowyn/Arya/Brienne. The paper examined the differences and problems posed by the portrayal of women in theses fantasy novels. -
The Meaning of the Middle Ages: Fans, Authors, and Industry
Posted on May 15, 2013 | No CommentsThis was a very enjoyable paper given on the topic of medievalism and the predominance of a European perspective in almost all fantasy literature. Young examined three authors who were moving away from the traditional telling of fantasy by subverting the typical pseudo-medieval narrative or by moving away from European cultures towards embracing Eastern, Aztec and other non-European worlds. -
George R. R. Martin’s Quest for Realism in A Song of Ice and Fire
Posted on May 14, 2013 | No CommentsThis was my last session of KZOO this year and it was the perfect way to end a great conference. This series was dedicated to examining medievalism in fantasy literature with the dominant topic being George R. R. Martin and Tolkien. -
Are We Post-Queer? A Roundtable on the Present and Future of Queer Theory in Medieval Studies
Posted on May 14, 2013 | No CommentsThis was part of an excellent panel discussion on the future Queer Theory, pedagogy, gender and the cross over between Queer Studies and politics. -
Chivalry and Public Disorder in Thirteenth-Century Florence
Posted on May 13, 2013 | No CommentsThe was the second of two fabulous papers given at the my first session on Medieval violence. Whereas the first paper in this series looked at violence in the university setting, this one tackled violence in an elite sphere - Florentine knights and their retinues. -
Student Violence at the University of Oxford
Posted on May 9, 2013 | No CommentsMy first foray of KZOO 2013 couldn't have been off to a better start with, “I just don’t want to die without a few scars”: Medieval Fight Clubs, Masculine Identity, and Public (Dis)order. There were only two papers in this session and both were riveting. I felt like I couldn't type fast enough to get it all in! The first paper was given by Professor Andrew Larsen of Marquette University. Professor Larsen published a book on high and late medieval student violence and the Saint Scholastica's Day Riot at Oxford university. -
Ten papers to look forward to at the 48th International Congress on Medieval Studies
Posted on January 19, 2013 | No CommentsWestern Michigan University has released a sneak preview of the schedule for this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies. -
The Kalamazoo Diaries – new play takes on the crazy world of the International Congress on Medieval Studies
Posted on July 1, 2012 | No CommentsMedievalists might be cringing or laughing until they cry soon, as a new play is in the works that takes a look at one of their most famous gatherings: the International Congress on Medieval Studies. -
Famine and Pestilence in the Irish Sea Region, 500–800 AD
Posted on June 27, 2012 | No CommentsMichelle Ziegler examines the questions on why does plagues seemed so much worse in the Middle Ages. Why did medieval populations die so much more frequently? Was it because of malnutrition? -
Queer Pedagogy (A Roundtable)
Posted on June 21, 2012 | No CommentsA roundtable discussion on teaching Queer Theory with Susannah Mary Chewning (Union County College) Lisa Weston (California State University–Fresno); and Michelle M. Sauer, (University of North Dakota) -
Perfect Virgins and Suicidal Maniacs: Monks in Early Thirteenth-Century Pastoralia
Posted on May 18, 2012 | No CommentsThis summary is of a paper that was the last in the English Cistercian series at Kalamazoo. -
Fuck This: On Finally Letting Go (A Roundtable)
Posted on May 17, 2012 | No CommentsA summary of the controversial “Fuck This” session at Kalamazoo. -
“A Fragment Detached”: The Hobbit and The Silmarillion
Posted on May 17, 2012 | No CommentsThis summary is a brief explanation of a paper that focused on the influences of The Hobbit, and The Hobbit in contrast with The Silmarillion. -
The Mythology of Magic in The Hobbit: Tolkien and Andrew Lang’s Red Fairy Book “Story of Sigurd”
Posted on May 16, 2012 | No CommentsThis paper was part of the Tolkien at Kalamazoo sessions. -
The Prince, the Park, and the Prey: Hunting in and around Milan in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries
Posted on May 15, 2012 | No CommentsCristina Arrigoni-Martelli of York University examines the efforts made by the Dukes of Milan during the later Middle Ages to take part in one of the most popular activities of European aristocrats - hunting. -
47th International Congress on Medieval Studies draws over 3000 medievalists
Posted on May 14, 2012 | No CommentsOver 3000 scholars, historians, writers, students and medievalists came to Kalamazoo, Michigan over the last four days, where they took part in the 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies. -
Schedule for Forty-Seventh International Congress on Medieval Studies released
Posted on January 23, 2012 | No CommentsThe schedule for the Forty-Seventh International Congress on Medieval Studies was released today, giving scholars a first look at what will be happening at the world's largest gathering of medievalists -
Call for Papers: “Space and Place in the Medieval Imagination”
Posted on August 22, 2011 | No CommentsSpecial Call for Papers: 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan: May 10-13, 2012 “Space and Place in the Medieval Imagination” Sponsored by Hortulus: The Online Graduate Journal... -
Call for Papers: Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages
Posted on August 17, 2011 | No CommentsThe Society for the Public Understanding of the Middle Ages (PUMA) would like to invite applications for membership, and announce its annual calls for papers for the International Congress in... -
French Connections: The Significance of the Fleurs-de-Lis in the Mosaic of King Roger II of Sicily in the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, Palermo
Posted on July 31, 2011 | No CommentsFrench Connections: The Significance of the Fleurs-de-Lis in the Mosaic of King Roger II of Sicily in the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, Palermo By Dawn Marie Hayes Paper given...
