Articles by Eduardo Ramos
Postmedieval: a journal of medieval cultural studies , 2020
The field of medieval studies exists and functions under structural racism. The pervasive whitene... more The field of medieval studies exists and functions under structural racism. The pervasive whiteness of the field treats the white perspective as ‘neutral’ and authoritative to the exclusion of alternate perspectives. This treatment not only drives people of color away from medieval studies, it also signals that white bodies are the rightful occupants of spaces associated with the Middle Ages. However, as the medieval past is increasingly politicized and utilized by violent white supremacists from
beyond the academy, there is a growing need for medievalists to confront the whiteness of the field and respond by being antiracist. This article illustrates how practices within medieval studies uphold whiteness by excluding, silencing, and dismissing scholars of
color, and how these practices inadvertently reinforce the views espoused by white supremacists outside the academy who co-opt the medieval past. It further argues for antiracist practices that challenge the association of whiteness with authority and make for more equitable academic spaces and intellectual engagement. By confronting
whiteness and practicing antiracism, medieval studies can begin to dismantle the structural racism within the field and better respond to racist uses of the Middle Ages from beyond the academy.
Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies , 2015
The final battle scene in Hrólfs saga kraka includes a striking episode in which the famed champi... more The final battle scene in Hrólfs saga kraka includes a striking episode in which the famed champion Bǫðvarr bjarki fights in the form of a bear. Despite the story of King Hrólfr kraki and his champions surviving in various medieval sources, Bǫðvarr’s taking bear form at the final battle is unique to Hrólfs saga. Traditionally Bǫðvarr and the rest of the king’s champions were berserkir, warriors with the strength and rage of ferocious beasts. However they could not take animal form. The presence of animal double forms is common in the Icelandic sagas, but that tradition is separate from that of the berserkir. By the time that Hrólfs saga reached its current form, continental romance influence was prominent in Icelandic literature. This created a troublesome environment for a heroic berserkr. By analyzing medieval Icelandic animal-warrior and animal-double traditions, this article explores how chivalric influence led to a convergence of these motifs in Hrólfs saga kraka.
Book Chapters by Eduardo Ramos
What is North? Imagining and Representing the North from Ancient Times to the Present Day , 2020
MA Thesis by Eduardo Ramos
Medieval Icelandic literature is rich with animal references. We often read of characters appeari... more Medieval Icelandic literature is rich with animal references. We often read of characters appearing in dreams as animals, taking the shape of animals, or even simply fighting like ferocious beasts. Particularly prominent are the traditions of animal warriors, such as berserkir, and animal doubles embodied by fylgjur and those who are said to be hamrammr. Traces of these animal traditions can be found across the Old Norse sphere, but they are most persistent in the literature of Iceland. Despite the changes in perspective to pre-Christian material that took place over the centuries, the versatility of these animal traditions allowed them to remain current and relevant in Iceland. By conducting a study of the character Bǫðvarr bjarki, with particular focus on his shape changing episode in Hrólfs saga kraka, this thesis demonstrates the resilience and versatility that allowed these rich animal traditions to endure for centuries within the Old Norse-Icelandic context.
Gjarnan er vísað til dýra í íslenskum miðaldabókmenntum. Oft koma sögupersónur fram í draumum sem dýr, taka á sig ásýnd dýra eða einfaldlega berjast eins og þau væru dýr. Einkar eftirtektarverðar eru frásagnir af hermönnum sem hafa dýrsleg einkenni, t.d. berserkir, en einnig fylgjur í gervi dýra auk þeirra persóna sem sagðar eru hamrammar. Menjar um þessa sagnahefð má finna víða í fornnorrænni menningu en eru mest áberandi í bókmenntum Íslands. Þó að afstaðan til hins forkristna efnis hafi breyst í gegnum tíðina, gerði sveigjanleiki sagnaminna um hamskipti af þessu tagi þeim kleift að halda gildi sínu í íslenskum bókmenntum eftir því sem sögu þeirra vatt fram. Með því að rannsaka sérstaklega sögupersónuna Bǫðvar bjarka og hamskiptum hennar í Hrólfs sögu kraka, er reynt í ritgerðinni að sýna fram á sveigjanleika en einnig varðveislu þessarar hefðar um aldaraðir í samhengi norrænna og íslenskra miðaldabókmennta.
Uploads
Articles by Eduardo Ramos
beyond the academy, there is a growing need for medievalists to confront the whiteness of the field and respond by being antiracist. This article illustrates how practices within medieval studies uphold whiteness by excluding, silencing, and dismissing scholars of
color, and how these practices inadvertently reinforce the views espoused by white supremacists outside the academy who co-opt the medieval past. It further argues for antiracist practices that challenge the association of whiteness with authority and make for more equitable academic spaces and intellectual engagement. By confronting
whiteness and practicing antiracism, medieval studies can begin to dismantle the structural racism within the field and better respond to racist uses of the Middle Ages from beyond the academy.
Book Chapters by Eduardo Ramos
MA Thesis by Eduardo Ramos
Gjarnan er vísað til dýra í íslenskum miðaldabókmenntum. Oft koma sögupersónur fram í draumum sem dýr, taka á sig ásýnd dýra eða einfaldlega berjast eins og þau væru dýr. Einkar eftirtektarverðar eru frásagnir af hermönnum sem hafa dýrsleg einkenni, t.d. berserkir, en einnig fylgjur í gervi dýra auk þeirra persóna sem sagðar eru hamrammar. Menjar um þessa sagnahefð má finna víða í fornnorrænni menningu en eru mest áberandi í bókmenntum Íslands. Þó að afstaðan til hins forkristna efnis hafi breyst í gegnum tíðina, gerði sveigjanleiki sagnaminna um hamskipti af þessu tagi þeim kleift að halda gildi sínu í íslenskum bókmenntum eftir því sem sögu þeirra vatt fram. Með því að rannsaka sérstaklega sögupersónuna Bǫðvar bjarka og hamskiptum hennar í Hrólfs sögu kraka, er reynt í ritgerðinni að sýna fram á sveigjanleika en einnig varðveislu þessarar hefðar um aldaraðir í samhengi norrænna og íslenskra miðaldabókmennta.
beyond the academy, there is a growing need for medievalists to confront the whiteness of the field and respond by being antiracist. This article illustrates how practices within medieval studies uphold whiteness by excluding, silencing, and dismissing scholars of
color, and how these practices inadvertently reinforce the views espoused by white supremacists outside the academy who co-opt the medieval past. It further argues for antiracist practices that challenge the association of whiteness with authority and make for more equitable academic spaces and intellectual engagement. By confronting
whiteness and practicing antiracism, medieval studies can begin to dismantle the structural racism within the field and better respond to racist uses of the Middle Ages from beyond the academy.
Gjarnan er vísað til dýra í íslenskum miðaldabókmenntum. Oft koma sögupersónur fram í draumum sem dýr, taka á sig ásýnd dýra eða einfaldlega berjast eins og þau væru dýr. Einkar eftirtektarverðar eru frásagnir af hermönnum sem hafa dýrsleg einkenni, t.d. berserkir, en einnig fylgjur í gervi dýra auk þeirra persóna sem sagðar eru hamrammar. Menjar um þessa sagnahefð má finna víða í fornnorrænni menningu en eru mest áberandi í bókmenntum Íslands. Þó að afstaðan til hins forkristna efnis hafi breyst í gegnum tíðina, gerði sveigjanleiki sagnaminna um hamskipti af þessu tagi þeim kleift að halda gildi sínu í íslenskum bókmenntum eftir því sem sögu þeirra vatt fram. Með því að rannsaka sérstaklega sögupersónuna Bǫðvar bjarka og hamskiptum hennar í Hrólfs sögu kraka, er reynt í ritgerðinni að sýna fram á sveigjanleika en einnig varðveislu þessarar hefðar um aldaraðir í samhengi norrænna og íslenskra miðaldabókmennta.