In Defense of Valhalla
Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion as we revisit the lecture originally presented by former President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson at the University of Warsaw, March 4. 2020 entitled "Defending Asgard, Independence and Human Rights. The Use of History in Current Affairs".
The former President himself will be present as we discuss how hate groups are claiming old Norse symbolism for their causes and using it as beacons of hate. He will be joined by Johan Hegg, vocalist and lyricist of Amon Amarth, and Associate Professor in Archaeology Ben Raffield, with moderator Gunnar Sauermann.
Together, the panel will explore the cultural influence of Norse mythology in modern media and music through popularization and misinterpretation (e.g., Marvel films), in contrast to the responsibility to preserve historical integrity. They will address the dangerous appropriation of this heritage by extremist groups, and the crucial role of history in national identity, which creates the need to defend cultural heritage from distortion and misuse.
Thursday 17. April 12:00 - Room: Central Park
Mod: Gunnar Sauermann // Metal Hammer (DE)
Gunnar Sauermann is well known in the dark music scene as a freelancer for Metal Hammer Germany, for which he has been writing since 2001. His focus has been on the Norwegian and other Nordic black metal scenes as well as on bands from Britain and Romania. He joined Season of Mist in 2008 and worked eight years in France and two more from the Netherlands as head of promotion for the renowned French label. In 2018, Gunnar was offered a position as senior press officer of the Wacken Open Air and moved to Hamburg. Two years later, he returned to promotion, as head of the department of the acclaimed German label Prophecy Productions and others under the umbrella of SPKR Media. In another life, the dedicated European from Germany has studied iron age and early medieval archaeology, and comparative linguistics with a focus on Celtic and Germanic languages at the universities of Marburg and Dublin. When Gunnar is not at work or reporting from studios and festivals across Europe, he can often be found visiting friends or going fishing in Bergen, Norway.
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson (IS)
Former president Jóhannesson was born on June 26, 1968, in Reykjavik. He earned a B.A. in History and Political Science from Warwick University in 1991, an M.A. in History from the University of Iceland in 1997, an M.St. from Oxford University in 1999, and a Ph.D. from Queen Mary University of London in 2003. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson served as the sixth president of Iceland from 2016 to 2024.
Before becoming president in 2016, Jóhannesson was a Professor of History at the University of Iceland. He has also taught at Reykjavik University, Bifröst University, and the University of London. His research focuses on Iceland's foreign relations, constitutional matters, and contemporary history. He has published numerous scholarly articles and books, including one on the Icelandic presidency published in 2016. In 2017, he received an honorary degree from Queen Mary University.
Photo by: Spessi Hallbjörnsson
Johan Hegg // Amon Amarth (SE)
Johan Hegg is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth, which is known for its Viking-themed lyrics and heavy sound. The band was formed in 1992 and has released several albums that have gained them a significant following in the metal community. Their music often focuses on themes of Norse mythology, Viking age history, and epic battles.
He is also a co-founder of Grimfrost, a company specializing in high-quality Viking reproductions and contemporary products inspired by Viking and Norse mythology. They have supplied various TV and movie productions with items (Game of Thrones, Vikings, Beforeigners, etc), merchandise for bands (Amon Amarth, Wardruna) as well as crafted reproductions and supplied several museums (Birka and the History Museum in Sweden, Saga Museum on Iceland, Ostfoldmuseene in Norway, Société du Musée d’archéologie et d’histoire in Canada).
Ben Raffield // University of Uppsala (SE)
Ben Raffield is an Associate Professor in Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, Ancient History and Conservation at Uppsala University, Sweden. He holds BA and MPhil degrees in Archaeology from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Aberdeen. He has also held postdoctoral and visiting research positions at Simon Fraser University (Canada) and the University of Pittsburgh (USA).
Ben’s primary expertise lies in the study of Late Iron/Viking Age Scandinavia and early medieval Europe. Currently, his work focuses on the themes of 1) violence, martial culture, and their impacts on social and political organisation, 2) captivity, slavery, and social inequality, and 3) migration and conflict in cross-cultural settings. These are explored primarily through discussions of Late Iron Age society, but with substantial reference to broader, global archaeologies of migration, slavery, conflict, and state formation. His interest in conflict extends across multiple periods, and includes the study of the archaeology and cultural legacies of the 1941-45 Pacific War.
To date, Ben has produced several dozen research articles and books. Key research articles have focused on topics ranging from the archaeology of inter-group violence, to hegemonic masculinity and its intersections with martial culture, the archaeology of slave-trading and human trafficking, and structural violence. He regularly contributes to public lecture programs and podcast series, and he also works as a consultant for television and film projects.
