Haunted Shores is inviting contributions to our blog. Our online platform aims to broaden the reach of our academic work, generate discussion, and engage scholars, scientists, artists, and members of the general public.

This panel seeks papers that address any aspect of the laws and customs, broadly defined, of the early modern sea. It aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue about such norms, one that transcends geographical, linguistic, and methodological boundaries. Topics may include (but are in no way limited to) maritime law, naval warfare, piracy, cartography, navigation, international trade, the lex mercatoria, ship building, and the political question of open seas. Papers that consider the literary or artistic conventions governing the depiction of ocean space are welcome too.

This panel will be part of the Renaissance Society of America’s annual meeting in Chicago (21–23 March 2024).