McFarland's Vikings and the Vikings Updated Information

Been meaning to update with with the new cover and contents: 

Vikings and the Vikings: Essays on Television’s History Channel Series

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/vikings-and-the-vikings/


Edited by Paul Hardwick and Kate Lister
Foreword by Justin Pollard
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 241
Bibliographic Info: notes, index
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7374-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3843-0
Imprint: McFarland


This essay collection is a wide-ranging exploration of Vikings, the television series that has successfully summoned the historical world of the Norse people for modern audiences to enjoy. From a range of critical viewpoints, these all fresh essays explore the ways in which past and present representations of the Vikings converge in the show’s richly textured dramatization of the rise and fall of Ragnar Loðbrók—and the exploits of his heirs—creating what many viewers label a “true” representation of the age. From the show’s sources in both saga literature and Victorian revival, to its engagement with contemporary concerns regarding gender, race and identity, via setting, sex, society and more, this first book-length study of the History Channel series appeals to fans of the show, Viking enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in medievalist representation in the 21st century.



Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments v

Foreword by Justin Pollard 1

Introduction (Paul Hardwick and Kate Lister) 3

The Once and Future Viking: The Popularity of Ragnar Loðbrók in the 18th Century (Stephen Basdeo) 7

Norse Noir: Sagas and Sources (Donna Heddle) 21

Fantasizing History: Anachronism, Creative License and the ­Re-Emergence of an Early Language of Storytelling (Eleanor Chadwick) 36

“What does a man do?” Representing and Performing Masculinity (Katherine J. Lewis) 59

Shieldmaidens in ­Anglo-Saxon England: Historical Possibility or Wishful Thinking? (Shane McLeod) 77

Motherhood in Vikings (Lillian Céspedes González) 93

“Have you done this sort of thing before?” Sexual Violence and Historical Revision in Vikings (Kate Lister and Paul Hardwick) 113

Dialogues with the Dead in Vikings (Howard Williams and Alison Klevnäs) 128

Nature and Supernature (Aleks Pluskowski) 153

Things in Vikings (Alexandra Sanmark and Howard Williams) 173

Ambiguous Images: “Vikingness,” North American White Nationalism and the Threat of Appropriation (Richard Ford Burley) 201

About the Contributors 225

Index 227



About the Editors:


Paul Hardwick is Professor of English at Leeds Trinity University, where he leads the creative writing programs and teaches medieval literature. He has published widely on the art and literature of the Middle Ages, with a particular focus on misericords and animal iconography, and on medievalism.

Kate Lister is a lecturer in the School of Arts and Communications at Leeds Trinity University. She has published in the medical humanities, material culture, Victorian Studies, and neo-medievalism. She is a columnist for inews and won the Sexual Freedom Publicist of the Year Award in 2017.

Coming Soon: Vikings and the Vikings: Essays on Television’s History Channel Series

Now available for pre-ordering from McFarland:

Vikings and the Vikings: Essays on Television’s History Channel Series
Edited by Paul Hardwick and Kate Lister
https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/vikings-and-the-vikings/

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Copyright Date: 2019
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7374-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3843-0
Imprint: McFarland
Not Yet Published
$39.95


Vikings and the Vikings is an excellent and wide-ranging exploration of a television series which has more successfully summoned the world of the Vikings for modern audiences than any which has preceded it. From a range of critical viewpoints, the book explores the ways in which past and present representations of “Vikings” converge in the show’s richly textured dramatization of the rise and fall of Ragnar Loðbrók—and the exploits of his heirs—creating what for many viewers is a “true” representation of the age. From the show’s sources in both saga literature and Victorian revival, to its engagement with contemporary concerns regarding gender, race, and identity, via setting, sex, society and more, this first book-length study of the History Channel series will appeal to fans of the show, Viking enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in medievalism in the 21st century.


Paul Hardwick is a professor of English at Leeds Trinity University, where he leads the creative writing programs and teaches medieval literature. He has published widely on the art and literature of the Middle Ages, with a particular focus on misericords and animal iconography, and on medievalism.

Kate Lister is a lecturer in the school of arts and communication at Leeds Trinity University. She has published in the medical humanities, material culture, Victorian Studies, and Neo-Medievalism. She is a columnist for inews and won the Sexual Freedom Publicist of the Year Award in 2017.

CFP History Channel's Vikings Collection (proposals 6/1/2016)

Courtesy Tim Rayborn:

New anthology on the Vikings television show

McFarland Publishers, an independent book publisher devoted to a wide variety of topics, including history, sports, and pop culture, is releasing a collection of essays on the History Channel’s television series "Vikings." I will act as editor, being a medievalist and having an interest in Northern European culture and history. I have written three books for McFarland (two available now and one published early next year), and am a professional performer of early music.

Entering its fourth season in 2016, the show has a large and growing audience of fans, though it also has detractors and critics, mainly for its tendency to take liberties with historical events and details. However, it does make use of period languages, and is known for its cinematography.

In assembling a collection of essays, I am looking for a considerable variety of topics, including history, sociology, pop culture studies, gender studies, etc. Possible subjects might include:

• Historical vs. onscreen representations of events, people, etc. The show often mixes elements together from different accounts. The point here would not be to overly criticize the series for its departures from history, but rather to examine differences and perhaps investigate why certain changes were made.
• Representations in the show of everyday life, such as food, drink, farming, and domestic activities.
• A study of Ragnar’s Saga and related accounts.
• Sexuality in the show, from both pagan and Christian perspectives.
• How religion is portrayed in various episodes, including Ragnar’s vision of Odin in the first episode, the events at Uppsala, Floki’s “Heathen fundamentalism,” Christian imagery in France and England, scenes such as the Viking blessing of the crops in Anglo-Saxon England, and Ragnar’s “funeral” at Paris.
• Related to the previous topic, a study of the character of Æthelstan and Anglo-Saxon monasticism in general (at Lindisfarne and elsewhere) would be welcome.
• Representations of women in the show. Viking women such as Lagertha, Siggy, Aslaug, Porunn, Helga, as well as Saxon and French women (such as Judith and Princess Gisla) are all worthy of further study, perhaps contrasting these characters with historical information.
• Sociological studies would be welcome, such as why the show is so popular now (the trailer for Season Four was a hit at San Diego Comic-Con 2015, and has some 850,000 views on YouTube; the show routinely has more than 4 million weekly viewers), and which themes seem to resonate with modern viewers.

The point of this anthology is to view the show for its own merits, understanding that it is a mixture of history, saga literature, fiction, and anachronism, all of which gives it its own unique flavor. Critical essays, rather than merely criticism, are what we seek. Ideally, potential contributors would want to view the upcoming Season Four (premiering in March, 2016) to include aspects of it in their articles, though there are certainly enough topics to begin work now, and to propose subjects of study.

Essays must be in English, fully cited with end notes, and bibliography, all in accordance with the current Chicago Manual of Style. The length of each contribution should be between about 5,000 and 10,000 words, unless there is a good reason that a given essay should be shorter or longer. Please use clear, concise writing.

Peer review will be conducted after the collection is submitted, currently scheduled for September 1, 2016.

Accordingly, the deadline for article submission is June 1, 2016. Submissions before that deadline are, of course, most welcome and helpful.

If contributors wish to include images not in public domain or text excerpts from copyrighted materials requiring written permission to reproduce, they will be expected to obtain such permissions on their own, and pay the required reproduction fees (if needed). McFarland cannot reimburse for this expense. I will need hard copies of each such permission. McFarland also discourages the use of quotations of dialogue from individual episodes, as well as images/screen captures, as these require additional permission/fees from the television network and can delay publication.

Potential contributors should submit a one- to two-page proposal including a potential title, a short description/abstract of the topic(s) for your essay, a brief summary of your background and qualifications, and contact information.

Please email your proposals to me at: trayborn@sbcglobal.net

Thank you for your time and interest, and I look forward to receiving and reading your proposals.


Best wishes,

Tim Rayborn

www.mcfarlandbooks.com
www.timrayborn.com

Medieval Studies on Screen at ICoM 2013

International Society for the Study of Medievalism
Annual Conference
October 17-19, 2013
St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin

Full program at http://www.medievalism.net/conferences/2013issmconference/2013issmprogram.pdf.

Friday, October 18

9:30-10:45
Session 2, Merlin and Mearcstapas
Moderator Mike Lovano, SNC
1. Tara Foster, Northern Michigan University
“Merlin (2012): Un beau cadeau au public?”
2. Jon Sherman, Northern Michigan University
“Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Children’s Program The Boy Merlin ”
3. Vickie Holtz-Wodzak, Viterbo University
“Prowling the Margins: Hagrid the Mearcstapa and Other Creatures That Can Take Care of Themselves”

11:00-12:00
The Kathryn Haselblad-Pascal Plenary Lecture
Nickolas Haydock, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
“Medievalism and Anamorphosis: Curious Perspectives on the Middle Ages”


3:00-4:15
Session 6, The French and the Fabulous
Moderator John Pennington, SNC
Paper 3 (of 3): Tom Conner, St. Norbert College
“Filming Roland: Klaus Kinski’s Medievalism”


Saturday, October 19

9:30-10:45

Session 7, Misfits in the Margins
Moderator Elizabeth Cannon
1. Pamela Clements, Siena College
“A Matter of Stature: The Medieval Dwarf”
2. Lauryn Mayer, Washington and Jefferson College
“’Gladly Lerne’: The Problems and Profit of Male Mentorship for Women in Game of Thrones”
3. Carol Robinson, Kent State University, Trumbull
“The Quest for a Deaf Lesbian Dwarf and/or Midget/Gnome: Neomedievalism and Video Game Character Development”


11:00-12:15

Session 9, The Dangerous North
Moderator Timothy Glenn, SNC
1. Stefan Hall, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
“Trolls Medieval to Modern”
2. Michael Nagy, South Dakota State University
“The Post-medieval Troll”
3. Juan Kuang Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
“Horny Norsemen: Ragnar Lodbrok and the History Channel Vikings”


3:30-5:00

Film Screening and Medievalism Gaming Workshop