Interdisciplinarity of Research on the Jómsborg Legend
Interdisciplinarity of Research on the Jómsborg Legend

Summary/Abstract: Widely defined interdisciplinarity is an undisputed and essential element of Old Norse studies. Almost any research on cultural, social and political developments of medieval Scandinavia is both supposed and forced to land at the crossroads of various disciplines: history, archeology, linguistics, literary and legal studies to name only these few most prominent ones. Such a situation, on a one hand, makes the subject even more intriguing, on the other, even more demanding. Despite potential and obvious difficulties, such a junction of various points of view and ways of interpretation of historical data, seems to provide a chance for better understanding of various phenomenons being a part of medieval past of the North. The legend of Jómsborg seems to be an good example in this case. Due to its specific historical subject and structure, state of preservation and numerous references to literary and material culture, the story of infamous warrior band, from the very first glance, reveals its complexity that requires necessity of interdisciplinary approach. The aim of this paper is to point at the main disciplines (history, literary studies and archeology) that, providing different perspectives on the subject, treated jointly, are able to push us further in research struggles to better understanding of the legend, its origins and its development.

• Details
• Contents