Judith Jesch
@judithjesch.bsky.social
2.1K followers 640 following 830 posts
Retired professor of Viking Studies, FBA. The Saga of the Earls of Orkney coming out in November: https://birlinn.co.uk/product/the-saga-of-the-earls-of-orkney/ See also https://uonenglish.substack.com/s/ragnas-islands and @RagnasIslands.bsky.social
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judithjesch.bsky.social
The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde has to shore up its windows in the autumn to protect the ships against winter storms and flooding. So they're building a new museum building www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/nytmuseum 2/2
A viking ship in the Vikingskibsmuseet, #Roskilde, with wooden supports shoring up the window which looks out onto the harbour.
judithjesch.bsky.social
L: Sea-Stallion and Cathedral; R: the Sea-Stallion's original, Skuldelev 2, in the Viking Ship Museum, #Roskilde. 1/2
The Sea-Stallion, a reconstruction of the 11th-century Skuldelev 2 viking ship Fragments of what was an 11th-century viking ship, Skuldelev 2, at the Vikingeskibsmuseet, #Roskilde
Reposted by Judith Jesch
norsemap.bsky.social
What is a viking to you? Has your perception of them changed over the years? NorseMap is a @erc.europa.eu funded research project where we want to map the legacy of vikings in areas like literature & art, branding, tourism & politics. Comments below -what comes to mind when you think of vikings?
Reposted by Judith Jesch
norsemap.bsky.social
Our NorseMap website is now live! Go check it out: www.ucc.ie/en/norsemap
Reposted by Judith Jesch
kristelzilmer.bsky.social
Those interested are welcome to contact me with inquiries regarding the position.
Reposted by Judith Jesch
kristelzilmer.bsky.social
Vi har en ledig stilling som forsker i #runologi for en periode på 12 måneder ved Kulturhistorisk museum, UiO. Stillingen er en del av infrastrukturprosjektet NORCHRON: Norwegian diachronic corpus 200–1814, finansiert av Norges forskningsråd. www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-still...
Reposted by Judith Jesch
judithjesch.bsky.social
Exciting international #runic event in Kirkwall, Monday 20 October 2025. Free, open to all, and with refreshments! #runes #runology #Orkney
Poster for 'Rune Relay', an event with an international group of runologists, 7.30 pm on 20 October in St Magnus Centre Kirkwall. For info contact lorainejc@earthlink.net
Reposted by Judith Jesch
shroomgirl.bsky.social
ON hross n. 'horse' also occurs in the following #NorthernIsles #PlaceNames: Ross Geo & Russiger (with gjá f. 'Inlet, coastal gully' & garðr 'enclosure') in #Papay, and, Ruskilie (perhaps with hlíð f. 'slope, hillside') in #FairIsle
Colour photo of Ross Geo in Papay. A rocky inlet below a grass slope.
Reposted by Judith Jesch
shroomgirl.bsky.social
The Henry Moore of fungi...? Misshapen Giant Puffball (Calvatea gigantea) for #UKfungusday today! @britmycolsoc.org.uk
A large white mushroom that looks like it is made up of three conjoined spheres.
Reposted by Judith Jesch
shroomgirl.bsky.social
Two #Orkney #PlaceNames Knarston (Scapa Bay & Harray) may contain ON knǫrr­ m. a type of ship, specifically a ‘large Nordic merchant & warship’ (ONP) compounding with either staðr m. farm-settlement/dwelling’ or stǫð f. 'landing-place, jetty’. Find out more: open.substack.com/pub/uonengli...
judithjesch.bsky.social
Some lucky person in Stavanger is going to get to move in here, perhaps with a cat or cats!
handansken.bsky.social
Nu er det offentligt. Køb vores gamle lejlighed!!
www.finn.no/realestate/h...
judithjesch.bsky.social
I have to confess I drink ale but don't know how it is made 🍺
judithjesch.bsky.social
I guess 'hrosti' perhaps means 'mash' rather than 'malt'?
judithjesch.bsky.social
Merryn, I've followed you for years, so I know! You might like this little stanza about Earl Þorfinnr's drinking of 'the swamp of malt' (a kenning for 'ale') all winter! The normal ON word is 'malt', but here the poet uses a poetic word 'hrosti' (cf. Norwegian 'roste') skaldic.org/m.php?p=vers...
Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Þorfinnsdrápa 2
Edition of stanza: Arnórr jarlaskáld Þórðarson, Þorfinnsdrápa 2
skaldic.org
Reposted by Judith Jesch
norseincork.bsky.social
Published a short piece in 'The Conversation' about Kash Patel's use of the white-supremacist dog whistle 'see you in Valhalla'. For my uncensored feelings on the subject, please just see the image below.

theconversation.com/see-you-in-v...
judithjesch.bsky.social
The largest island in #Orkney, Mainland, is called Hrossey in two sagas. Such names with animal specifics are commonly of quite small islands. Gammeltoft suggested that 'an original Pictish element, e.g. *ros „moor, plain‟ might hide itself behind the specific', reinterpreted by Norse speakers.
onp.ku.dk
Yesterday’s #Wordle: hross (sb. n.): 83 cits, e.g. (horse as working animal/item of value/trade commodity) horse, riding horse, draught horse // (hest som brugsdyr/værdigenstand/handelsvare) hest, ridehest, transporthest ‘ha̋lft fimmta hundrad j hrossum’ (DI in AM 263 fol) onp.ku.dk/o37049
Reposted by Judith Jesch
thetls.bsky.social
Paul Binding on a new look at the unappealing figures of Nordic folklore
Sympathy for the troll
www.the-tls.com
Reposted by Judith Jesch
hetanshah.bsky.social
We’ve opened a call for our British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships which enable established scholars to have the time to complete a significant piece of humanities or social sciences piece of research, through a one year period of leave
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships
The British Academy/Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships are intended to enable established scholars, needing relief from teaching and administration, to have the time to bring to completion a signi...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
judithjesch.bsky.social
Love these things. @eblueaxe.bsky.social made us one some years ago emidsvikings.ac.uk/items/reprod...
hornesupremacy.bsky.social
#Viking-Age tafl board game pieces from Birka grave Bj 523. Made from glass, the 'king' piece is the most prominent, and features prominent black eyes on its head.

My 📷 | Ref. Historiska museet
Glass tafl gaming pieces, with a larger 'king' piece.
Reposted by Judith Jesch
em-ehx.bsky.social
Happy to share a call for papers for our PGR/ECR research showcase on Life and Landscape. The showcase is a fantastic opportunity to share environmental research with both the academic community and the wider public. Please share widely!