IMC 2026: Sessions

The Vikings and the Viking Age are parts of a transnational memoryscape. While the malleability of these concepts enables them to be re-used in a variety of situations and contexts, there are several familiar, reoccurring tropes that dominate and define individuals’ understanding of the period, such as horned helmets, axes, ships, and the figure of the viking warrior. These are just a few examples of what we call Vikingisms – a term which encompasses references to and use of the Vikings throughout history. Inspired by Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of ”chronotope”, we look at Vikingisms through the lens of the ”chronoscape” – encompassing both time in a longue durée perspective and landscape as reflected in the phenomenon’s transnational context. The papers in this session show how vikingisms can and do provide an effective analytical basis in the study of the creation and the use of histories originating in the Viking Age. The presence of Vikingisms is relevant to examine in a wide range of societal processes, as these directly impact phenomena such as policies, identities, religions, and cultures. These are addressed in this session’s papers via the following themes: reenactment’s chronotopes, Vikings in branding, state-funded museums, and digital tools in historical reenactment.