240191 VS Konstruktionen des Nordens (P3) (2012S)

We will explore the cultural semantics of concepts such as Arctic, Subarctic and North by dealing with the ideational, emotional, and ideological connotations of a spatial and directional category. A number of images, concepts, stereotypes, and visions representative for the development of an imaginatio borealis will be introduced. The perspective will be diachronic, following western imaginations from Antiquity through the Middle Ages to Modernity. At the same time, the 20th and 21st centuries will receive particular attention, focusing on domains as diverse as science narratives, national mythologies, and popular culture.