The theme of Mind and Body resonates with recent publications in Old Norse scholarship, such as Saga Emotions (2025) and The Norse Sorceress: Mind and Materiality in the Viking World (2023), considering how the mental and physical is understood and represented in the Old Norse world. This conference aims to tackle questions of how the mind and body are represented and understood in Old Norse-Icelandic language and literature, Icelandic and Scandinavian history and culture, and more. Potential topics may include (but not limited to):

• Emotions

• Dreams, Visions, and Magic

• Gender (non-)conformity

• Neurodivergence and Disability

• Body Autonomy and Materiality

• Supernatural minds and bodies

This conference warmly welcomes papers that consider medieval Scandinavia from interdisciplinary, intersectional, and global perspectives related to the theme of Mind and Body. The organizers invite paper proposals from across the full spectrum of textual, historical, and theoretical approaches. The conference will be hybrid, so online presentations are welcome.

Abstract Submission Information: We invite proposals for 20 minute  papers from current postgraduate  students (MA, MPhil, PhD) from any  area of medieval studies. Please submit a title and an abstract of 250 words, along with a short bio to norseinthenorthofficial@gmail.com by Monday, 2 February 2026.

Norse in the North is an annual postgraduate student conference run in collaboration with Durham University, the University of York, and the University of Leeds. The conference is designed to serve as a platform for demonstrating the strength and originality of Old Norse research in the North of England. You can find us on the following sites:

• Our website: norseinthenorth.wordpress.com

• Facebook: Norse in the North (public community and private group)

• Bluesky: @norseinthenorth.bsky.social