Call for papers: The Ontology of Supernatural Encounters in Old Norse Literature and Scandinavian Folklore: 4th symposium of Old Norse Folklorists Network In Tartu, Estonia, December 11-12, 2015

Dear colleagues, since several persons got the information about the symposium only at a late stage, mostly at the saga conference in August, we have extended the deadline for submitting abstracts for several persons. We have now decided to extend the deadline for everybody. New deadline for submitting an abstract is September 15^th.
The 4th symposium of Old Norse Folklorists Network is dedicated to the question of the ontology of supernatural encounters in Old Norse-Icelandic literature, myth and legend, as well as in later Scandinavian folklore. It focuses on the controversial issue of “truth” or “real experience” behind narrative depictions of such encounters, and seeks answers to questions such as the following: How were encounters with supernatural beings, or visits to supernatural places conceptualized and understood by the individuals or communities who experienced them, and what was their relationship to accepted “norms of truth”? To what extent were supernatural beings perceived as physical beings and how was their physical appearance interpreted? How can we use various kinds of sources to gain knowledge of these matters? What are the long-term continuities in the ways that the supernatural has been understood in the Scandinavian and geographically close (Baltic, Finnic etc) cultural areas? In spirit of the previous events of the ONF series, the conference seeks to stimulate discussion on these issues and to bring philological and folkloristic perspectives on both Old Norse and later sources into closer contact with each other.
Keynote speakers are:

• John Lindow, University of Berkeley
• Mikael Häll, University of Lund
• Daniel Sävborg, University of Tartu

All researchers (including PhD students) who are interested in presenting their ideas or research results connected to these or similar topics are encouraged to submit proposals for 20-minute paper presentations (followed by 10 minutes of discussion). The venue of the symposium will be University of Tartu, Department of Scandinavian Studies.
Please send short abstracts by September 15 (NEW DEADLINE!) to daniel.savborg@ut.ee. Further information can be found on the symposium website: http://www.flgr.ut.ee/et/osakonnad/ontology-supernatural-encounters
You are of course welcome to forward this call for papers to anyone whom you think might be interested.
Organizers:

• Daniel Sävborg, Professor, daniel.savborg@ut.ee
• Karen Bek-Pedersen, PhD, karen@bek-pedersen.dk
• Mart Kuldkepp, PhD, mart.kuldkepp@ut.ee

Conference secretary: Kristel Pallasma, kristel_pallasma@hotmail.com

Welcome to Tartu in December!
__________________
Daniel Sävborg
Professor of Scandinavian Studies
University of Tartu
Skandinavistika
Ülikooli 17
51014 Tartu
Estonia
Tel: +372 737 6250
email: daniel.savborg@ut.ee