Gotland in English – In-Depth Studies

Information

Gotland in English – In-Depth Studies
You are invited to join the course featuring lectures in English covering in-depth studies of certain aspects of Gotland’s history with follow-up discussions in smaller groups.
I have chosen four completely different aspects drawn from the history of Gotland. Apart from giving you the opportunity to learn some new English vocabulary and expressions, my main aim is to place ‘what happened’ in a wider context, explaining why things happened and turned out as they did. Much of what happened in history still takes place today, albeit in a new guise. History repeats itself.

Guided tours are short, but the odd additional phrase explaining why something happened will add a human aspect to the bare facts. “Man is the joy of man”.
Why not pose a sometimes rather provocative question: “Isn’t this still going on today…what about…? This will give food for thought, so their memory of their visit will linger on. Bare facts and figures tend to be forgotten within a very short space of time, especially if you’re bombarded with new sets every single day of your cruise or holiday.

There will be four lectures and the cost will be 500 SEK for the full course. Please enrol by Wednesday 4th February at the latest.

If you wish to join just one, two or three of the lectures, please contact Anna Tiles at Studieförbundet Vuxenskolan: anna.tiles@sv.se. Each separate session will cost 150 SEK.

The lectures will take place at Kupan in Norra Hansegatan, where I have booked the cafeteria. We start at 6 p.m. and end at 8.30 p.m. including discussion time. They will be on 9th and 23rd February and 9th and 23rd March. (Hurray for 28 days in February!)
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Lecture 1: The Rise and Fall of the Hanseatic/Gutnic Joint Venture: What? Why? When? How?
9th February
The initial partnership between the German merchants/Hanseatic League and the Gutnic farmers gradually involved an element of competition. This rivalry intensified and finally led to total separation. This is a perfect example of the phrase “History repeats itself”. What are the basic human needs, drives, motivational traits that lead to this common situation? The lecture will trace the cause and effects of the development of this relationship, hopefully providing a better understanding of ‘what went wrong and why?’

Lecture 2: Midgård: Life and Beliefs on Viking Age Gotland, with a Focus on Women
23rd February
This will be a lecture, not a viewing of the exhibition.
Midgård, the exhibition. Focus will be on life back home on the island, with emphasis on the women who ran the farm, brought up the children and generally made sure that everything ran smoothly while the men were away in Novgorod, Miklagård, etc., seeking fortunes in the hope of creating a better life back home. We shall look at their clothing and jewellery, as well as home crafts, with an emphasis on spinning and weaving. As an example – they wove the sails that enabled the men to travel afar. We shall see how these everyday activities are reflected in their religious beliefs, noting the significant position of women in the period of the Aesir faith. We shall also study the tapestry: Överhogdalstapeten, which probably depicts Ragnarök, which is one of the themes of the Midgård exhibition. If nothing else, it is one of the few items in the exhibition that everyone in a large group can see at the same time!

Lecture 3: From Thor’s Hammer to the Crucifix
9th March
The transition from the Viking Age to the Medieval Period with a focus on religion. The conversion from the Aesir faith to Christianity, at least on Gotland, was a gradual, subtle process, which I characterise as an early example of ‘folkbildning’ (there is no good equivalent in English). Elements in the Vikings’ faith were retained but steadily enshrouded in Christian values. And no, Olav probably didn’t convert the islanders of Gotland to Christianity – this is not stated anywhere in the Gute Saga. What is the likely Olav connection?
Why were most pulpits in Gotlandic churches placed in the south east corner of the nave and not in the north east corner, as in most European countries at the time of the Reformation?
What were some of the consequences of converting to Christianity, how did life change?

Lecture 4: Big Wigs Make Decisions, but Ordinary People Get Things Done
23rd March
The lives of some ‘ordinary’ people who have lived in Visby and in certain cases, their achievements. How did some of them combat backlashes in life? How did some make an impact on life on Gotland? What caused farmers to feel the need to drain land in the 19th and early 20th centuries? What were the consequences – good and bad? Why did the negative consequences occur? Again, history repeats itself!