Magical Writing in the North

Amulets from the Viking Age (750-1050) were usually worn close to the body, folded and used for healing or apotropaic purposes. The objects bear inscriptions carved in Latin minuscule or runes and were written in Latin or the vernacular, i.e. Old Norse. A significant number of the amulets contain inscriptions that, at least from a modern perspective, do not allow for a meaningful linguistic interpretation. This is either due to the fact that the arrangement of the signs does not yield a plausible interpretation or that the inscriptions were carved using rune-like signs. How did the act of writing - rather than the content of the inscriptions - contribute to the perceived magical efficacy of these amulets? To address this question,  Julia-Sophie Heier will also examine the small number of amulets that contain indications of ritual and performative writing practices.