Scottish Society for Northern Studies

Timothy Liam Waters is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Center for Folklore Studies at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on literary materialisms, generative AI, and folkloric reception in the Old Norse literary corpus.

Please click on the image to sign up for this free, online seminar!

SSNS Seminar - Dr. Timothy Liam Waters - 'Machine-Made Medievalisms, AI Vikings, Digital Folklore, and the Politics of 'Authenticity' - Scottish Society for Northern Studies % % Stephen will explore why so many of the crucial incidents leading to the downfall of the Norse line of northern Scottish jarls in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries.

The Norse in the North 2026 (Mind and Body) was held on 15th May 2026 at the University of Leeds and organized by Natalie Hopwood, Daniel Coultas, Sif Brookes, and Chris Latham. Please click below to read about this fantastic conference funding by the SSNS Conference Grant.

SSNS Funding - Norse in the North, University of Leeds - Scottish Society for Northern Studies A summary by Natalie Hopwood on the conference Norse in the North: Mind and Body at the University of Leeds.

Call for Papers for the 4th Old Norse Poetry in Performance Conference, which will be taking place in Oxford on 26–27 October 2026. Abstracts of 250-300 words should be sent along with a short biographical note to [email protected] by 30 June 2026.

The SHR is pleased to announce the call for the 2026 Early Career Researcher Article Prize.

The Prize is intended to promote the careers of ECRs, and especially those from social groups who remain under-represented in the SHR’s author profile, by providing an opportunity to publish in a leading peer-reviewed journal. The winning entry/entries will be published in the journal and receive a £500 award.

The deadline is Tuesday, 8 September at 5pm.

Prizes — Scottish Historical Review Trust | Promoting Research & Publication in the Field of Scottish History | Monograph Series | Edinburgh - Scotland - UK The Prize is intended to promote the careers of ECRs, and especially those from social groups who remain under-represented in the SHR’s author profile, by providing an opportunity to publish in a leading peer-reviewed journal. The winning entry/entries will be published in the journal and receive ...

Looking for funding a publication or conference? We have grants of all shapes and sizes for researchers who are interested. Please submit your applications by 22nd June. Follow the link below for details.

Funding - Scottish Society for Northern Studies Funding In accordance with its aims and objectives, the Society offers a variety of bursaries to eligible students and scholars at any stage in their career, regardless of country of residence or institutional affiliation. Opportunities include grants for fieldwork, publication, as well as funding f...

Anna’s extensive and enduring contributions to the field of archaeology, particularly on the topic of prehistoric and early medieval Scotland, were celebrated at the Common Ground conference, jointly hosted by the Scottish Society for Northern Studies and the Pictish Arts Society in 2022. That conference also led to the volume Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology, published last year in honour of Anna and her work, edited by Kelly Kilpatrick.

Exciting news! Andrew Orr's book, "The Flight of the Vikings", is now available for purchase. After three successful hardback issues, the book is in paperback. It has achieved widespread five-start acclain from the press, media, and historians alike.

The Flight of the Vikings When the full might of N**i Germany descended without warning upon neutral Norway in April 1940, many brave Norwegians wanted to escape to Britain to…

https://www.ssns.org.uk/featured/ssns-funding-sacred-networks-university-of-college-dublin/
Sacred Networks: New Perspectives on Hagiography and Saints’ Cults in the Celtic and Norse Worlds was held on 1-2 May at University College Dublin, and was organised by the Celtic Hagiography Network and Norse Hagiography Network. This conferenfe was supported by the SSNS funding body.

SSNS Funding - Sacred Networks, University of College Dublin - Scottish Society for Northern Studies A summary by Dr Courtney Selvage on the conference Sacred Networks: New Perspectives on Hagiography and Saints’ Cults in the Celtic and Norse Worlds. The conference was held on 1-2 May at University College Dublin and was supported by SSNS.

Title: Bishops, Butter, and Beer Cellars: The Role of Caithness in the Northern Scottish Jarldoms
Date: 26th May 2026 @7:00PM (GMT)
Location: Online (free)

Abstract:
Stephen Barnaby will explore why so many of the crucial incidents leading to the downfall of the Norse line of northern Scottish jarls in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries – some involving, yes, bishops, butter and beer barrels – occurred, not in Orkney, the administrative centre of the earldoms, but Caithness, the furthest north- east corner of the Scottish mainland. Through examining the written historical sources – which, although limited and of variable reliability, provide more information than the relatively meagre archaeological evidence – he will explain how Caithness’ position as the place where the interaction between the Scottish and Norse worlds was at its most intense meant that, as the powers and ambitions of both Scottish and Norwegian kings grew, it inevitably became the stress point at which the Norse hold of the northern earldoms would fracture.

SSNS Seminar - Stephen Barnaby - Bishops, Butter and Beer Cellars: The Role of Caithness in the Demise of the Northern Jarldoms - Scottish Society for Northern Studies % % Stephen will explore why so many of the crucial incidents leading to the downfall of the Norse line of northern Scottish jarls in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries.

We are excited to announce that Michael Zambon has passed his MRes viva examination on "'Not all early medieval stones are created equal': A further assessment of the Conan Stone, a Class II Pictish Cross-slab". We are so happy to have helped fund this project. Congratulations to Michael!

https://archaeologyorkney.com/2026/04/29/mres-success/