Why are Wolves Victimised?
Wolves are shy animals that play an inordinate role in the Anthropocene as symbols of nature encroaching upon humans intent on living their modern lives in comfort, without concern for climate change, catastrophes, or wars.
As such, the wolf stands for an unruly and frightening future that is perceived as trespassing upon modern people and their desire to fulfil the pleasant dream of an eternal suburban life. In some political contexts, it even stands for “migrants”. “Who brought them here?” people ask.
How did the wolf acquire this unsavoury reputation?
Why was the Medieval Wolf Hunted to Extinction?
10/02/2023Roman and Germanic people revered the wolf in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. So why did a pernicious hate of one of Europe’s remaining predators supersede the veneration in the Early Middle Ages? Read more
Werewolves – a Key to understand the Old Norse World of Wilderness?
17/01/2023The Old Norse idea of wilderness, landscapes and human beings differed radically from that of Latin and Christian Europe. A new study of ten narratives about wolves in the Old Norse-Icelandic poems, sagas and other texts offers valuable insights into this half-forgotten and complex world Read more
Werewolf Histories
17/01/2016Werewolves are not a distinct species nor a common European literary motif. Rather the idea of the werewolf constitutes a collection of histories or genres differing through time and space. Read more
The Wolf and the Vargr in Early Medieval Scandinavia
17/01/2023When did the war on wolves commence? Only in the later Middle Ages it appears. On the contrary, poetry, sagas, onomastics, and pictorial art were rich in the motif of the wolf and the man and their myriad metamorphoses. Read more
The Vosges in the Early Middle Ages, ca. 400 – 750
31/01/2024In the Early Middle Ages, the Vosges were regarded as a wilderness – by elites, poets and priests. However, the ideas about how to live in and utilise this wilderness were contested. Read more
The Land of Bodi and the Nature Reserve at Bislicher Insel
15/07/2023Bislich, where the grave of Bodi was discovered more than fifty years ago, lies in the middle of a protected river landscape well worth visiting Read more
The Heroic World of the Vikings Depicted in their Skaldic Verses
19/07/2019Since 2002, the Skaldic project has published a large part of the Skaldic Verses from the Viking world. Although not complete, it does offer us a preview of what was the main outline of the heroic world of the Vikings as depicted here. Read more
The Beasts of Battle: Associative Connections of the Wolf, Raven and Eagle in Old English Poetry
12/04/2015THESIS: The beasts of battle: associative connections of the wolf, raven and eagle in Old English poetry Read more
Santo Toribio de Liébana
05/05/2025The monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana, dating back to the 6th century, stands as one of the most significant religious sites in Northern Spain, nestled within the dramatic landscape of the Picos de Europa mountains. Read more
Overwhelming Support for Rewilding and Release of Large Animals in the Oder Delta
03/02/2024Germans and Poles living in the Oder Delta strongly support rewilding and the introduction of large animals – including wolves and lynx, returning its landscape to its former medieval glory. Read more
Hunting Wolves? Or Run with Wolves in the ancient Norse manner?
18/01/2023This January, more than 200 hunters from Sweden, Denmark and Norway went on a blood-curling wolf hunt in the Swedish Forests. Might we be inspired by literature to rethink? Read more
Beowolf and other Wolves in Old English Texts
17/01/2023In the Middle Ages, two views of the wolf – as the emblem of the heroic warrior or the embodiment of the devil – fought over people’s minds. A new book explores this complex set of narratives as it unfolds in Early Medieval Literature in England. Read more
Animals and Animated Objects in the Early Middle Ages
19/01/2023Animals played a large role in Early Medieval Northern and Central Europe animating all from art to religious thinking. Upcoming book tells about burial customs, gravegoods, ornamental art styles and shapeshifting Read more