Scandinavian Impulses series examines vengeance and violence

This fall semester the German and Scandinavian Studies Program is sponsoring its second Scandinavian Impulses lecture series, focusing on the theme of "Vengeance and Violence."

On Oct. 1, John Lindow will speak on "Violence and Narrative in Old Scandinavian Literature." Lindow is professor of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley. His many publications on Scandinavian myth and folklore, including Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs, and Vengeance and Violence Among the Gods: Baldr in Scandinavian Mythology, are standards in the field. His talk will be at 5:30 p.m.  in 316 Bartlett and is co‐sponsored by the Department of English.

Christine Ingebritsen will talk on “Transformations in the Scandinavian Welfare State: Real or Imagined?” on Oct. 22.  Ingebritsen is director of the Center for West European Studies at the University of Washington, where her specialty is the position of small states in international relations. Her work seeks to explain how and why Scandinavian governments have responded differently to contemporary challenges — from a more globalized international political economy to an integrated Europe.

On Nov. 19, ethnomusicologist Benjamin Teitelbaum will speak about the musical tastes and preferences of the right-­‐wing nationalists in Scandinavia today, illustrating how music is being used to promote their political agenda. Teitelbaum is instructor and head of Nordic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, whose research interests include the intersections of race, nationalism and expressive culture in the Nordic countries.