Anna Barbariol: The 10th century Eldgjá eruption: a global phenomenon?
This thesis explores the societal and cultural consequences of the 10th-century Eldgjá eruption, a major volcanic event with the potential to have triggered short-term climatic cooling across the Northern Hemisphere. By integrating palaeoenvironmental, archaeological, and literary evidence, the study examines how Norse societies navigated this environmental disruption. Archaeological findings from Norway, including signs of demographic contraction, shifts in land use, and socio-political fragmentation, suggest heightened vulnerability in the aftermath of the eruption. The literary analysis centres on the kings’ sagas, particularly Heimskringla, which recount episodes of famine and hardship during the mid-10th century. These narratives, shaped by medieval political philosophy, often present natural disasters as divine judgments on flawed rulership. Within these texts, skaldic poetry—composed contemporaneously and embedded within the saga prose—offers a possible trace of oral memory, preserving authentic details of environmental distress through poetic convention. The thesis argues that while material records document real societal impacts, the literary tradition selectively mythologizes or moralises such events. Together, these strands reveal a complex interplay between environmental shock, social structure, and cultural memory in Viking Age Scandinavia.
Kaja Ladstein: A Presence of Overwhelm: Displaying emotions of climate change in museum exhibitions
How does a concept engage emotionally when it is materialized? This article investigates how spaces emotionally engage audiences by exploring the affective presence of three media installations in museum exhibitions addressing climate change. I propose a framework to examine these installations, based on the premise that materiality and affect shape the experience of environments. While specific materials may elicit certain emotional responses, a variety of material presences within a space ensures affective responses occur independently of intention. Central to this exploration is the concept of overwhelm, understood as a presence co-created by the interaction between the installations' material environments and the emotional reactions they inspire. Despite historical uses of overwhelm in museum design to evoke awe, climate communication raises concerns about its potential numbing effects. This article questions the discussion on whether overwhelm is beneficial or detrimental, challenging the idea of affects and emotions as inherently positive or negative.