Centre for Viking and Medieval Studies (CVM) is a gathering place for researchers on all aspects of medieval history and culture at Aarhus Universitet. Ours is a vision of an expansive and inclusive Middle Ages. Following English-language usage, we consider the Viking Age as a subset of the Early Middle Ages – and following Scandinavian-language usage, we also consider the Viking Age as a separate period considered alongside the Middle Ages. Our members have expertise from the 500s to the 1500s, from Greenland in the West to Central Asia in the East. We have expertise in the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and even the Pagan Middle Ages. Our methods include archaeology, art history, history (cultural, economic, legal, religious, social), literary studies, and philology. The CVM emphasises a broad, European, transnational perspective, where the Danish and Nordic Middle Ages are examined in their confluence with a common Christian Latin culture, and where that broader Latin culture engaged in contact zones with other linguistic and religious spheres, including Byzantium and the Islamic world. CVM is a unique institution amongst Scandinavian universities for its breadth of expertise, and aims to consolidate Aarhus Universitet's historic position as a leader in Viking and Medieval Studies.
A central aim of the CVM is to foster diversity of method and thought. We aim to support each other's approaches, interests, and projects, making it possible for individual scholars to pursue their own research trajectories in a convivial environment. CVM is therefore an interdisciplinary research centre, including researchers from the School of Culture and Society, the School of Communication and Culture, and the School of Business and Social Sciences.
CVM members participate vigorously in the Danish research environment, but we are also active internationally. We have hosted high-profile guest researchers from Germany, Norway, the UK, and the US. We have an English language podcast, The Chronicles [https://bit.ly/3X9BDnq], to disseminate our expertise and research as widely as possible.
This course provides an in-depth introduction to the two most important languages for this period – Old Norse and medieval Latin – by combining language teaching with close contextual study of historical sources for the Viking Age. Students can choose between the Old Norse and medieval Latin streams, taking language lessons for part of the day, with both streams coming together in the afternoon for seminar-style lectures on the theory and practice of Viking Age historiography.
Aarhus University is a major international centre for Viking and Old Norse Studies, sustaining a vibrant interdisciplinary milieu with frequent seminars and conferences
