Postdoctoral Position in Play in Old Norse Culture

Postdoctoral Position in Play in Old Norse Culture

Department of Scandinavian Studies and Experience Economy within the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for a postdoctoral position in Old Norse studies and cultural history. The position is affiliated with the research project ‘Vikings Playing. Changing Perceptions and Memories of the Past’ funded by AUFF NOVA.

The postdoctoral researcher position is a full time and 1-year fixed-term position. The position begins on 01 February 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background. 

Project

The project investigates the role and function of adult play in ancient Scandinavian worldviews, mindset and behaviour and examines play and playful attitudes as vehicles for sociocultural transformations, innovation and development. The project considers play as a cultural asset that is tightly entangled with values, politics and societal institutions. The project approaches the past by textual means, and the source material consists of Old Norse texts of various genres. The working language of the project is English.

The successful applicant will be responsible for making case analyses in the work package Play, Ceremony and Ritual. You will be expected to investigate play in the context of religious ritual, magic and spirituality and to consider aspects of gender and social status. The postdoctoral researcher will be expected to publish the results in English-language articles, at a panel at the Medieval Congress in Leeds in July 2026 and in other dissemination activities. 

Qualifications

Applicants must have a PhD degree or must document equivalent qualifications in a relevant field related to Old Norse studies, for instance, literary studies, history, or history of religions. Applicants must be able to document, relevant to the position:

• an internationally oriented research profile within Old Norse studies and cultural history as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications
• competences in Old Norse language and knowledge of Old Norse textual history
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills, in order to engage productively both within the research team and with external organisations and institutions
• experience in the self-directed management of research projects

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• a track record of research publications of a high international standard commensurate with the length of the applicant’s academic career
• experience of participation in national and international research networks
• time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognised research institutions.

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a proposal for research to be undertaken within the stated framework of the research project (max. 1-2 pages).
Please note that although the application process can be completed on the Aarhus University system without uploading publications, applications that do not include uploaded publications (maximum two) will not be considered.

Although the Aarhus University application system includes an option to upload letters of recommendation, please do not include letters of recommendation or references with the application. Applicants who are invited to an interview may be asked to provide references.

Deadline

1 September 2025

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