From Villain to Antihero: She-Wolf in Old Norse Literature

This project investigates the similarities between superhero narrative in modern popular culture and medieval Icelandic literature so as to (1) establish a viable theoretical framework based on current research on superheroes and (2) to apply it to a selection of medieval Icelandic texts that feature strong, politically powerful women who do not conform to conventional gender roles.

The primary corpus will be drawn from the legendary and the chivalric sagas between ca. 1300 and 1600, which were composed under heavy influence of medieval French romances.

Criteria will be established so as to define 'she-wolf' -- a concept drawn from both the Old Norse-Icelandic traditions of shapeshifting and fylgja and later chivalrid literature, and from the symbolism of wolf in European folklore that gave rise to Shakespeare's epithet 'she-wolf'.

Based on the criteria, relevant characters will be classified into physical-visual, metaphorical-associative, and behaviourable she-wolves for further case-study based analysis.

On the methodological side, this project constructs a spectrum based on character-types in superhero narratives: villain, anti-villain, and anti-hero, into which different categories of she-wolves will be analysed.

A selection of post-medieval texts with roots traceable to the medieval materials will also be considered to highlight the motif's continuity and contemporary relevance.Overall, this project aims to bridge three academic fields -- medieval (literary) studies, medievalisms, and popular culture -- and shed lights not only on Old Norse-Icelandic literary motifs (such as the Maiden King and the supernatural elements) but also on the conceptualisationand representation of female, femininity, and issues of gender and ethnicity in the society that produced and enjoyed this literature.