The introduction of the Latin alphabet in Scandinavia took place against the background of an already established epigraphic culture using the vernacular languages and the runic alphabet. In the epigraphic sphere, this particular context created preconditions for the spread of Latin written culture that differed markedly from those governing the production of manuscripts. In the absence of a pre-existing manuscript culture, the introduction of Latin generated entirely new literacy practices in Scandinavia. By contrast, the epigraphic practices arising from the introduction of Latin were, on the one hand, indebted to contemporaneous European models, while on the other hand they had to engage with the pre-existing vernacular runic tradition.
Despite the far-reaching implications of this shift of language and script, several central questions remain largely unanswered, for example with regard to when and where Latin epigraphy spread in Scandinavia, how it related to the existing vernacular tradition, and under what circumstances the vernacular languages were reintroduced as a medium for writing in the public space – this time in the Latin script rather than in runes.
In this presentation, I will introduce a new project entitled “Epigraphic Centres of Medieval Scandinavia”, funded by the European Research Council and running from 2026 to 2030. The project aims to retrace the establishment and spread of Latin epigraphy in medieval Scandinavia, its relationship to the previous and contemporaneous runic tradition, and the re-introduction of the vernacular – written in the Latin alphabet – in inscriptions. I will both present the overall project and its ongoing work, and address some aspects of the linguistic transformations undergone by Scandinavian epigraphy during the late Viking Age and the Middle Ages.
Alessandro Palumbo is Associate Professor of Runology and Scandinavian Language History, and the principal investigator of the project Epigraphic centres of medieval Scandinavia (EpiCentres). (More information TBA)
The event is open to the public, and all interested parties are cordially invited to attend. A Zoom link will be provided via the Classics Seminar mailing list. If you would like to subscribe to the list (or present at the seminar), please get in touch with Tor Ivar Østmoe. Following the presentation, we will gather at Café Eckers for drinks and further informal discussions. Everyone is welcome to join (please note that expenses are not covered by the seminar).