Author Description

The idea of the Nordic nations as champions of gender equality is firmly rooted in today's perceptions of society. But how does such a modern comprehension influence our perceptions of history? Does our understanding of gender impact on our perceptions of the past? And do the ways in which we gender the past have an effect on our present identities? From the Stone Age to the Early Modern period, and from warriors and queens to households and burials, this groundbreaking volume draws together research conducted as part of the project Gendering the Nordic Past, an inter-Nordic collaboration aimed at (re)evaluating and revitalising the field of gender studies in the region. The chapters gathered in this volume, contributed by archaeologists and historians, theologians, art historians, and specialists in gender studies, aim to offer novel perspectives on the ways in which we gender the past. While many of the chapters focus explicitly on the Nordic countries, comparisons are also drawn with other regions in order to provide both internal and external views on the role of the collective past in present Nordic identities. The result, presented here, is an essential dialogue into the importance of gender in creating and maintaining past identities, as well as a new understanding of how the identities that we construct for the past can relate to heritage narratives.