معرفی
Elise Kleivane is an Associate Professor in Written Culture at the Department of Norse and Celtic Philology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo. She has served as Head of Teaching at ILN (Institute of Language and Literature) from 2021 to 2024 and maintains an active research and teaching profile in Norse philology and related fields.
Dr. Kleivane earned her PhD in Norse Philology from the University of Oslo in autumn 2011, following a Master of Arts in Norse Philology completed in spring 2003. Her academic journey has positioned her as a leading scholar in medieval Scandinavian writing culture.
Her research focuses on epigraphy, runology, and medieval literacy, with particular emphasis on the intersection of written and material culture in medieval Norway. Kleivane examines how writing functioned in both public and private spheres, analyzing inscriptions in runes and Roman script as evidence of medieval communication practices. Her work bridges philology, archaeology, and cultural history to reconstruct literacy patterns in pre-modern Scandinavia. Recent projects have explored religious texts, biblical translations, and the role of writing in ecclesiastical contexts.
Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory through medieval epigraphy and literacy studies. Her work demonstrates increasing sophistication in connecting material evidence with textual analysis, moving from specific inscription studies to broader questions about writing culture. The pattern shows strong engagement with interdisciplinary approaches, combining philological expertise with archaeological and historical methodologies. Her research increasingly addresses questions of religious practice, vernacular literacy, and the transmission of knowledge in medieval Scandinavia.
Among her significant appointments, she has been appointed to the Language Council's expert council for standardization and language observation (2023-2026) and to the Sources Commission (2023-2026), serving on the editorial board for the National Archives' scientific publication channels.
Dr. Kleivane has secured substantial research funding, most notably leading the Norwegian Research Council-funded project 'Letters between runes and manuscripts' (2017-2021) and participating in the NORDCORP-funded 'Retracing the Reformation' project (2013-2017). She currently contributes to the Riksbanken Jubileumsfond-funded research program 'Modes of Modification' (2018-2025) as a member of its steering committee, where her research focuses on 'Texts in the Open and Out of Sight: Public and Private Communication in Epigraphy.'
She teaches across multiple institutions including the University of Oslo and Stockholm University, covering subjects ranging from Norse literature and mythology to runology and medieval manuscript culture. Her teaching reflects her research interests in written culture across the medieval Scandinavian world.
