Blog

June 29, 2023

Rituals and Spaces of Punishment: NetMAR at the International Medieval Congress in Leeds (2023)

By Michaela Pölzl (UNI BA)

The EU-funded project Network for Medieval Arts and Rituals (NetMAR), which will participate in the upcoming International Medieval Congress in Leeds (IMC, 03-06 July 2022), takes once again the opportunity to share with the NetMAR blog readers a preview of the four papers of its session that will be given by some of the project’s young researchers.
December 30, 2022

Of Mumblings and Carvings: How magical is the Old High German Word rûna (‘rune’) and its Derivations?

By Dr Aletta Leipold, Saxon Academy of Science and Humanities

The Old High German noun rûna does not denote a character, as one might erroneously assume based on the meaning of the German word Rune. The majority of words connected to rûna, rûnên and related derivates and compounds pertain to the semantic field of words such as ‘whisper’, ‘whispering’, ‘murmur’, and ‘murmuring’. This semantic range, associated with orality, was further expanded to include meanings related to ‘sorcery’ and ‘secret’. How much magic is in these Old High German words and what may we learn from them about medieval concepts of magic?
November 30, 2022

The Perpetual Cycle between Birth and Death in Medieval Art

By Savvas Mavromatidis, University of Cyprus (PhD student in the Interdepartmental Programme in Byzantine Studies and the Latin East)

How is the ‘distance’ or perhaps the lack of ‘distance’ between cultural and social phenomena, such as conception, birth, death, and the practices regarding the care of newborns and the dead conveyed in medieval art? This blog post investigates the didactic, social, devotional, and performative role of painting and funerary sculpture as formed in the Middle Ages.
September 30, 2022

Teaching (in) the Middle Ages: Arts – Rituals – Education: Recap of the First International NetMAR Summer School

By Michaela Pölzl (UNI BA)

International NetMAR Summer School: NetMAR is excited to share with its blog readers a recap of its very successful summer school on “Teaching (in) the Middle Ages: Arts – Rituals – Education” that was held at the University of Bamberg in July 2022.
August 31, 2022

Stultiphonic Soundscapes and the Ship of Fools

By Alyssa Steiner

Alyssa Steiner (University of Bamberg). ‘Lyplep, Cris Cras, Rrrrrrrr!’ The fools on board of Sebastian Brant’s didactic Ship of Fools (1494) are a loud and rowdy crew. In contrast, the medieval church is a highly codified and ritualised soundscape. Embrace the noise and discover what happens when the two clash in Fool’s literature.
July 31, 2022

Research Communication and Communication Networks in Medieval Studies

By Viviane Diederich M.A.

Research communication plays an increasingly important role in contemporary societies. Young researchers are expected to start from an early stage to present their research to different types of audiences. It is, therefore, very important to test their communication skills and build their confidence through different channels such as those offered by NetMAR. This blog post explores various levels of research communication and substantiates its findings with examples from the field of Medieval Studies.
June 27, 2022

Creating, Performing, and Transgressing Borders and Boundaries

By NetMAR

NetMAR at the International Medieval Congress in Leeds, 2022. NetMAR is excited to share with its blog readers a preview of its two sessions and six papers that will be delivered by some of the project’s PhD candidates and young researchers at IMC on 05 and 07 July 2022. Visit our blog space to learn more about NetMAR's participation in IMC.