Alessandro Palumbo is an Associate Professor at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies , University of Oslo , specializing in runology and historical Scandinavian language development. His research intersects medieval epigraphy , historical sociolinguistics , and graphemic analysis , focusing on bilingualism and biscriptality in medieval Scandinavia. Appointments : Associate Professor (2020–), Head of Research (2023–2024), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (2020–2023) Education : PhD in Scandinavian Languages, Uppsala University (2018) Palumbo investigates multilingual landscapes through projects like Bear Out! (2024–2026) and LangMix (2019–2022). His 15 most recent articles analyze topics such as Latin-runic hybrid inscriptions , orthographic shifts in medieval runes, and geographical epigraphic domains in Västergötland. He leads courses like Hands-on Runology and has taught at Uppsala University, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, and L'Orientale University of Naples. Awards : Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship Collaborations : Anna Blennow, Jonatan Pettersson, Edith Marold Grants : Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (2020–2025), Horizon 2020 (2019–2022)
Arjen Versloot is a full-time Professor of Frisian Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities , University of Amsterdam . His research focuses on historical linguistics, phonology, morphology, and sociolinguistics within Germanic languages, particularly Frisian, Old English, and their interactions with Dutch and other regional languages. Research Interests : Historical development of Frisian and Germanic languages Phonological and morphological constraints Language contact and bilingualism Dialectology and sociolinguistic variation Language policy and preservation Publications highlight comparative studies across Germanic varieties, phonological evolution, morphosyntactic analysis, and sociolinguistic impacts of multilingualism. His work spans corpus-based historical dialectology, computational modeling of language change, and interdisciplinary approaches to linguistic documentation. Contact: a.p.versloot@uva.nl
Eric Lander is an Assistant Professor at Uppsala University's Department of Nordic Languages since August 2023, specializing in runology and historical linguistics. His work focuses on Proto-Norse and Viking Age runic inscriptions, with expertise in morphology, syntax, phonology, and etymology. Nordic Languages Runology Historical Linguistics Morphology & Syntax Current research includes mapping dialectal variation in Viking Age runic material and leading an RJ-funded project (starting 2025) on Swedish negation evolution from ej to icke and inte , analyzing syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functions of negation across Nordic languages. Publications span topics like verbal hyperbaton in runic inscriptions, nanosyntax applications, and historical clause structures, reflecting his interest in grammatical change patterns and computational linguistics frameworks. Contact: eric.lander@nordiska.uu.se
Lasse Mårtensson is Professor of Nordic Languages at Uppsala University's Department of Nordic Languages, specializing in medieval Nordic philology, paleography, and digital manuscript analysis. His current research focuses on scribal attribution, text transmission, and Nordic onomastics, with leadership roles in major projects like the Riksbankens jubileumsfond-funded 'Digitization of West Nordic Manuscripts' (2022–2025). Research Interests: Martensson's work spans three core areas: Grafonomy & Paleography : Developing computational methods to analyze scribal habits in medieval manuscripts using digital tools like quill-feature analysis. Textual Criticism : Critical editions of Old Norse/Icelandic texts (e.g., Codex Upsaliensis ) for the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA). Onomastics : Quantitative study of personal names in medieval Swedish runic inscriptions, highlighting Viking Age naming traditions. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles (2010–2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on integrating digital humanities with traditional philology, particularly in scribal identification, orthographic analysis, and Old Norse textual studies. Computational paleography and quantitative approaches dominate his methodological innovations. Awards & Honors: Dag Strömbäcks belöningsfond (2015) for the monograph Skrivaren och förlagan . Westinska priset (2008) for his doctoral dissertation. Icelandic Ministry of Education Scholarship (1999–2000). Supervision & Projects: Advises PhD student Birger Mård on Old Swedish bynames. Secured 13.4M SEK (2016–2020) for the project 'Nya ögon på Sveriges medeltida skrivare,' applying digital paleography to Swedish medieval scribes. Co-investigator in 4+ international projects including 'Konungsbók Snorra Eddu' (Iceland, 2016–2018). Academic Service: Co-editor of Scripta Islandica (2013–present), chair of the Icelandic Society, board member of Svenska fornskriftsällskapet and Kungl. Humanistiska Vetenskaps-Samfundet, and coordinator of the Early North European Seminar (ENES).
Matteo Tarsi is a Researcher at the Department of Nordic Languages , Uppsala University , focusing on historical linguistics and lexicology of Nordic languages, particularly Icelandic. His work spans loanword analysis, language purism, valency patterns, and medieval terminology. Research Areas: Medieval Icelandic lexicology, Gothic syntax, language contact, and Nordic textual traditions. Collaborations: Co-authored works with Chiara Zanchi (Gothic valency), Lasse Mårtensson (Scripta Islandica), and Giovanni Verri (Árni Magnússon's essays). Publications: Recent works include studies on Nordic element naming (2023), Gothic valency patterns (2021), and Icelandic language purism (2016-2022). Database Contributions: Co-created the PaVeDa Gothic valency dataset (2023) and Nordic loanword databases (2023).
Pragya Vohra is a Lecturer in Medieval History at the Department of History, University of York, where she is based at King's Manor. She previously held academic positions at Aberystwyth University (Lecturer in Early Medieval European History, 2013), University of Leicester (Teaching Fellow, 2012), and has taught at the Universities of York, Sheffield, and Hull. Her educational background includes a BA (with Honours) from St. Xavier’s College (University of Mumbai), an MA from the University of Mumbai, and MA/PhD from the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. Her research focuses on Viking Age social dynamics, with particular expertise in migration patterns, diaspora formation, and cultural memory processes across the British Isles and Scandinavia. Vohra's scholarly work examines how kinship structures sustained Viking diasporas in the North Atlantic, the memorialization of King Knut's reign, and regional identity development in Anglo-Scandinavian England. Her publications reveal consistent engagement with Scandinavian runic evidence, elite identity construction, and the intersection of historical memory with material culture, particularly through her discovery of the Tees Valley runic inscription. She has directed significant research initiatives including the Leverhulme Trust 'Impact of Diasporas on the Making of Britain' project (2014-2016) as Research Associate and Project Manager, and contributed to the AHRC 'Languages, Myths and Finds' project that identified England's eighteenth Scandinavian runic inscription. Vohra actively bridges academic research and public engagement through BBC History Extra and In Our Time podcasts, heritage trail consultancy, and exhibitions like the 'Coppergate Woman' sculpture project, demonstrating commitment to knowledge exchange beyond traditional academic boundaries.
Paul Kershaw is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Virginia, where he maintains an office in NAU 235 with office hours on Mondays from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM and Wednesdays from 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM. His academic expertise focuses on North-Western Europe and the Mediterranean world in late antiquity and the earlier Middle Ages, with particular concentration on the period circa CE 700-950. His educational background includes a PhD from King's College, University of London, an MPhil in Medieval History from Jesus College, University of Cambridge, and a BA (Hons) in Medieval and Modern History from King's College, University of London. Dr. Kershaw's research interests encompass Carolingian Europe; post-Roman Britain; the Viking world; early medieval diasporas; political thought and practice; historiography; and travel, cross-cultural communication, and diplomacy. His scholarly work demonstrates a consistent focus on how political power intersected with cultural exchange and concepts of peace in the early medieval period, particularly examining how rulership was conceptualized through the lens of peaceful governance. Analysis of his publications reveals a sustained scholarly trajectory exploring the intellectual frameworks of early medieval political thought, with particular emphasis on how peace functioned as both an ideal and practical component of rulership. His work spans diverse geographical contexts including Frankish territories, Anglo-Saxon England, and the Viking world, consistently examining cross-cultural interactions and the transmission of political ideas across linguistic and cultural boundaries. Major Awards and Honors: Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (elected 2013) NEH/Richard A. and Sara Page Mayo Distinguished Teaching Professorship (2013-16) University of Virginia Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award (2005) Dr. Kershaw has made significant contributions to major collaborative online projects, most notably the CISP Database of Non-runic Inscriptions from Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, South-Western England and Brittany (400-1100 AD), demonstrating his commitment to digital humanities and accessible scholarly resources. His book Peaceful Kings: Peace, Power and the Early Medieval Political Imagination (Oxford University Press, 2011) represents a landmark contribution to the field, offering the first comprehensive scholarly exploration of the relationship between peace and rulership in early medieval political thought. His scholarly activities indicate active engagement with multiple research communities through his editorial work on collections such as Cities, Saints and Communities in Early Medieval Europe (Brepols, 2020), suggesting leadership within his academic field and commitment to fostering collaborative scholarly dialogue.
Helena Wistrand is a Lecturer in Swedish Language at the University of Gävle, specializing in historical linguistics and medieval manuscripts. Her research examines language evolution through historical documents. Research focuses on: Medieval loanwords in Swedish Runic inscriptions Textbook representations of language history Intertextuality in women's writing Publications analyze linguistic features in regional charters, runic monuments, and literary texts. Recent work explores didactic approaches to language history education. She teaches courses in Swedish language history and historical text analysis.
Rudolf Szentgyörgyi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Hungarian Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and Dialectology, Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. His research focuses on the history of the Hungarian language, with particular emphasis on Old Hungarian and Middle Hungarian language monuments, classical linguistic modernization, applied linguistic history, and historical onomastics. Institution : Eötvös Loránd University Department : Hungarian Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics and Dialectology His work spans historical linguistics , dialectology , and dimensional linguistics , examining socio-cultural determinants in language evolution. He has extensively analyzed the Deed of Foundation of Tihany Abbey (1055), focusing on personal names , toponyms , and Byzantine linguistic influences . His publications include studies on past tense systems in Middle Hungarian and multilingualism in witch trials. Scientific trends in his research include etymological analysis of Hungarian-Greek connections, language standardization processes, and pedagogical applications of historical linguistic knowledge. He co-edits The Hungarian Language , journal of the Society of Hungarian Linguistics, and contributes to textual criticism and source edition methodologies.
Klaus Johan Myrvoll is a Professor of Nordic linguistics at the University of Stavanger, working within the Department of Cultural Studies and Languages in the Faculty of Arts and Education. He received his PhD in Old Norse philology with a focus on skaldic metre from the University of Oslo in 2015. His academic career centers on the intricate relationship between language, literature, and history in medieval Scandinavia. Professor Myrvoll's research interests span several interconnected fields of medieval Scandinavian studies. His primary focus is on Old Norse philology, particularly examining the metrical structures of skaldic poetry and the textual criticism of medieval manuscripts. He has made significant contributions to onomastics, investigating the origins and development of personal names and place names in the Norse world. His work on the etymology of Norway's name and the analysis of names like Erlingr and Erlendr demonstrates his expertise in historical linguistics. Additionally, he explores the historical contexts of sagas, challenging established theories about authorship and provenance, as seen in his work on Fagrskinna where he argues for a specifically Norwegian origin rather than the traditionally accepted Icelandic one. His publication record shows consistent scholarly output across multiple disciplines within medieval Scandinavian studies. Recent works examine everything from runic inscriptions on the Svingerud stone to the historical background of A.O. Vinje's writings. His research demonstrates both depth in specialized areas like dróttkvætt metre analysis and breadth across linguistic, literary, and historical aspects of Norse culture. Professor Myrvoll actively participates in the academic community through doctoral examinations, as evidenced by his role as second opponent for Þorgeir Sigurðsson's thesis defense. His work bridges linguistic analysis with historical and cultural interpretation, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of medieval Scandinavian literature and society.
Dr. Andreas Rau is a researcher at the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology (Schleswig branch), specializing in non-Roman Central and Northern European archaeology. Since 2008, he has served as a scientific assistant and thematic coordinator for 'Man & Society' at ZBSA/LEIZA. His career includes previous research positions at Aarhus and Copenhagen universities (2005-2008) through the Carlsberg Foundation's 'Iron Age in Northern Europe' project. His research focuses on: Iron Age warfare and ritual practices Scandinavian war booty offerings Runic inscriptions and material culture Archaeological methodology and interpretation Notable publications analyze sites like Nydam and Thorsberger Moor, examining weapon deposits through interdisciplinary approaches combining archaeology, epigraphy, and scientific dating methods. Awards: Dr. Walther-Liebehenz Prize (2012) for prehistory research Dr. Rau maintains active scholarly networks across European institutions and contributes to academic discourse through publications, exhibitions, and collaborative fieldwork.
Lasse Christian Arboe Sonne serves as an Associate Professor at the SAXO Institute within the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen. His academic profile centers on Viking Age societies and medieval Scandinavian history, with particular expertise in religious transformations and calendrical systems during this period. He maintains active scholarly engagement through research publications and teaching activities focused on early medieval Northern Europe. Professor Sonne's research spans Viking Age history, the evolution of religious practices in pre-Christian Scandinavia, and medieval timekeeping systems. His work integrates archaeological evidence, historical texts, and anthropological perspectives to analyze societal structures, settlement patterns, and cultural exchanges. Current investigations examine runestone inscriptions, Viking expansion dynamics, and the political narratives surrounding figures like Svend Estridsen, revealing complex interactions between indigenous traditions and external influences. His recent publications (2016-2017) demonstrate concentrated scholarship on Viking Age archaeology and medieval Danish society. Literature reviews critically assess works on Hebridean settlements, urban development, and numismatics, while book chapters explore political biography and literary representations of paganism. These outputs collectively highlight interdisciplinary methodologies bridging history, archaeology, and religious studies, with recurring themes of cultural memory, identity formation, and the material manifestations of religious change in medieval Scandinavia.
Michael Lerche Nielsen serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen. His office is located at Emil Holms Kanal 2, 2300 Copenhagen S (Building 22, Section 1, Room 22-5-14) with contact details including phone +4535328566 and email lerche@hum.ku.dk . His research expertise centers on Onomastics, Historical Linguistics, and Runic Inscriptions, with specialized focus on Danish place names (particularly those ending in -torp, -rup, -strup), personal names, and runic inscriptions. Current projects examine Danish name legislation (1904-2005), digital publication of runic inscriptions, and 17th-18th century runic research within Older Danish Language History. With 114 research outputs spanning journal articles, book chapters, and internet publications, his recent work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary integration of linguistics with archaeology, history, and cultural studies. Key trends include analysis of street nomenclature, Sámi naming traditions, and runic artifacts in textile production contexts, revealing connections between material culture and linguistic evolution. Scientific awards and honors are not mentioned in the provided text. The provided information does not include details about students supervised or research grants received. Details about specific research laboratories or collaborative teams are not provided in the text.
Lennart Elmevik is a Professor at the Department of Scandinavian Languages at Uppsala University, specializing in Nordic linguistics, etymology, and place name research. His extensive academic career spans several decades with continuous scholarly contributions to the field of Scandinavian studies. Professor Elmevik's research interests focus on Nordic linguistics, etymology, place name research (toponymy), runology, historical linguistics, and Old Norse studies. His work demonstrates deep engagement with the evolution of Scandinavian languages, particularly through the analysis of place names and historical linguistic patterns across the Nordic region. His research often bridges linguistic analysis with cultural and historical contexts, providing insights into medieval Scandinavian society through language evidence. Analysis of Professor Elmevik's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Scandinavian toponymy and historical linguistics. His work frequently examines Swedish and Norwegian place names, exploring their etymological roots and historical development. He has made significant contributions to understanding runic inscriptions and their linguistic implications. His research often connects linguistic evidence with broader cultural and historical contexts of the Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia, demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches that combine philology, archaeology, and cultural history. Throughout his career, Professor Elmevik has served in editorial capacities, notably for Scripta Islandica (1972-1979), and has contributed to numerous academic journals focused on Nordic languages and cultural history. He has participated in scholarly discussions about the reconstruction of lost words from place names and the interpretation of historical linguistic patterns across Scandinavia. Professor Elmevik has been active in academic communities, contributing memorials for colleagues and participating in ceremonies of the Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy for Swedish Folk Culture. His work reflects a deep commitment to preserving and analyzing Nordic linguistic heritage through meticulous scholarly research.
Eric T. Lander is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Scandinavian Languages, Faculty of Languages, Uppsala University. He specializes in historical linguistics with a focus on Nordic language history and runology. His research expertise spans multiple subfields of linguistics: Morphology Syntax Phonology Etymology Dr. Lander's primary research focuses on Proto-Nordic and Viking Age runic inscriptions, with current work examining dialectal variation in the Viking Age runic material. He is also a member of a research project funded by the Bank of Sweden (Riksbankens Jubileumsfond) investigating the historical development of negators in Swedish, specifically examining the evolution of ej , icke , and inte . His publications demonstrate expertise across historical linguistics, runology, and syntactic theory, with recent work spanning Old Icelandic studies, runic inscription analysis, and theoretical syntax. His research bridges empirical historical data with contemporary linguistic theory. Dr. Lander has received research funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers (NPLA-2023/10057) for his work on Old Icelandic language and texts.
