This May, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the Norse in the North conference, hosted at the beautiful and historic King’s Manor, part of the University of York. With its medieval origins and tranquil courtyard gardens, King’s Manor was the perfect setting for a gathering of scholars exploring the medieval North.
I presented my paper, “Heroes and Horses: The Power Dynamics of Mount and Rider in Göngu-Hrólfs Saga,” which was met with a warm reception and some thought-provoking questions. It was incredibly exciting to see new interest sparked in Göngu-Hrólfs Saga, a saga often overshadowed by the more widely studied works of the Old Norse canon. My paper explored how the relationship between hero and horse in this saga reflects broader questions of control, dependence, and embodied power between humans and animals in Old Norse literature—a theme that resonates closely with the aims of Bodies and Being.
The day was filled with excellent papers from early-career and established scholars alike, all engaging with Old Norse literature in dynamic and often surprising ways. A particular highlight was the keynote lecture by Gracy O’Duffy, whose research on consent in Old Norse sagas opened up timely and nuanced discussions about autonomy, coercion, and narrative voice in medieval texts.
Beyond the academic insights, what truly stood out was the sense of community. Whether we were debating the finer points of saga authorship or exchanging favourite sagas and narratives over coffee, there was a shared passion and enthusiasm among participants that made the day feel both intellectually rich and personally rewarding.
Norse in the North reminded me how vibrant and welcoming the field of Old Norse studies can be. I left feeling inspired, encouraged, and more connected to a wider network of researchers who, like me, are passionate about the bodies, texts, and lived experiences of the medieval past.
Bodies and Being 