October 2008: Riddarasögur and the Translation of Court Culture in 13th

Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo,
17-18 October 2008
The 13th-century riddarasögur were mainly translated from French romances
into Old Norse, supposedly for the court of King Hákon Hákonarson. The
translations depart significantly from their originals. The traditional
explanation is that medieval translators did not aim for faithful
translation: another explanation is that texts were adapted to the target
language culture and that subsequent manuscript transmission involved
rewriting for various functions and contexts. In this context the
riddarasögur have been related to the Norwegian king's intention to
introduce European Court ideals into Norway. It is debatable, however,
whether the riddarasögur had a clear cultural agenda; and their social
consequences appear to have been wider and less predictable. This
conference will explore the relationship between linguistic and cultural
translation in the riddarasögur.
The conference is arranged by the Centre for Medieval Studies, University
of Bergen and the Department for Linguistic and Scandinavian Studies,
University of Olso and organised by Professor Else Mundal and Dr. Karl G.
Johansson

For details please contact:

Dr Karl G. Johansson, Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies,
University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1106 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, Norway
>
> Email: k.g.a.johansson@iln.uio.no
> http://www.hf.uio.no/iln/forskning/forskergrupper/norron/
>