Storytelling goes back as far as human history, with myths, legends, and fairy tales reflecting our
ability to share the same stories over and over again in different settings. The medieval and
Renaissance periods are ripe with such tales. Whether we look at legendary figures like King Arthur,
Catherine de’ Medici, and Joan of Arc; or tales like Spenser’s The Faerie Queen, Valmiki’s Ramayana,
The Thousand and One Nights, or Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the medieval and early modern periods have created a legacy of iconic stories that continue to inspire writers, artists, and scholars.
Perth Medieval and Renaissance Group, Incorporated, welcomes abstracts which address the theme
of ‘Myths, Legends, and Fairy Tales’ in the medieval, early modern to renaissance periods (or
equivalent periods from global history) and their afterlives including:
Legendary figures and/or narratives (e.g. Bluebeard, Mélusine, King Arthur, and historical
figures to whom legends have accrued) and their adaptation and/or afterlives, including
their role as touchstones for politics and cultural identity
- Modern adaptations of myths, legends, or fairytales in literature, art, film, theatre, or
gaming - Representations of fairy tales, myths, or legends in contemporary historical paintings,
sculptures, tapestries, or other art - The cross-cultural spread of fairy tales, myths, and legends between communities and
nations - The importance of space and place in myths, and the function of liminal spaces
- Myths, legends, and fairy tales in relation to nature, landscape, and/or ecocriticism
- Portrayals of fairies, demons, and other supernatural beings (e.g. A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Labyrinth, A Court of Thorns and Roses) - Representations of legendary figures in modern media (Niccolò Machiavelli in Assassin’s
Creed, Robin Hood in many titular films, Lucrezia Borgia in The Borgias) - Myths, legends, and fairy tales used to reinforce social values such as gender roles,
heteronormativity, and social structures - Resurgence of legends, fairy tales, and myths in modern media (Disney films, Chinese xiānxiá
fiction, Japanese ninja tales)
We welcome abstracts for twenty-minute papers. We will also consider papers in other forms,
especially shorter or combined papers to encourage students to share their work. This is an
interdisciplinary conference seeking papers from academics, early career researchers, postgraduate
and undergraduate students, and independent scholars in all fields, and we encourage abstracts from beyond the humanities.
Please send abstracts of 150–200 words with your affiliation and a short (up to 50 word) biography to
the conference subcommittee. The conference will take place in
hybrid form at The University of Western Australia and over Zoom. Please specify in your submission
whether you would attend in-person or online and which GMT time zone you will be joining us from.
Deadline for abstracts 23 June 2024. For further details, go here.
Australian Early Medieval Association Gazette 