North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old Norse-Icelandic
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This article presents an annotated bibliography of doctoral dissertations written at North American institutions of higher learning that treat topics pertaining to Old Norse-Icelandic language, literature, history, and culture.1 More specifically, it provides a list of doctoral dissertations written since the publication of An Annotated Bibliography of North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old Norse-Icelandic (1998), which includes resumés of dissertations written between 1873 and 1995.2 Our article follows the arrangement and scope of the book in that it is divided into two parts: Old Norse-Icelandic studies, and interdisciplinary and related studies. Each of these two parts is subdivided into three main categories: general works, historical works, and literary works. Within each category, the dissertations are listed in alphabetical order.
This article shows interesting new trends within the field in comparison with An Annotated Bibliography of North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old Norse-Icelandic. Whereas between 1873 and 1995, 35 percent of the dissertations fell squarely within the category of Old Norse-Icelandic, only 24 percent of dissertations written since 1997 can be categorized as studies within the field of Old Norse-Icelandic. [End Page 1]
Within the category of Old Norse-Icelandic, significant changes are also noticeable. Since 1995, there have been no dissertations on concordances and dictionaries; the number of studies in style and language has dropped from 6 percent to 1.5 percent; and manuscript studies, such as individual studies or editions of texts, have dropped from 6 percent to 3 percent. Studies of scholars and scholarship have remained the same at percent. In contrast, the study of historical and cultural objects (here broadly defined to include dissertations dealing with the Viking world) has increased from 2 percent to 4 percent, and anthropological and archaeological studies (similarly broadly defined) have increased from 1 percent to 6 percent. The number of folklore dissertations remains about the same at approximately 1 percent, though it should be noted that in this article, three potential candidates for the folklore category (13 [Carrie Ann Roy], 35 [Scott A. Mellor], and 39 [Merrill Kaplan]) were placed in the category of literary works. Studies of music presented itself as a new category. As far as dissertations on Old Norse-Icelandic literary works are concerned, the overall percentage has fallen from 17 percent to 8 percent. Judging from the number of dissertations, it appears that interest in the study of themes and topics has decreased ever so slightly from 2.5 percent to 2 percent, that interest in the study of poetry has decreased from 3 percent to 2 percent, and that interest in the study of prose has decreased from 11 percent to 5 percent.
The number of interdisciplinary studies with Old Norse-Icelandic as a topic has, as mentioned above, increased in the last two decades, although there are also changes here. There are fewer studies in language (23 percent as opposed to 10 percent now), fewer editions (1 percent as opposed to 0.5 percent now), but more of an interest in studies of scholars and scholarship (4 percent as opposed to 2 percent now). Interestingly, there has also been a surge in the number of dissertations on aspects of historical work. Studies of historical and cultural objects have increased from 3.5 percent to 4 percent; anthropological studies (now accompanied by archaeological studies) have increased from 1.5 percent to 5 percent; and folklore has increased from 3 percent to to 6 percent. The study of runes and art remains the same at 2 percent. Once again, there is the new category of music at 1.5 percent. as far as literary works are concerned, the proportions remain more or less the same: the study of Old Norse-Icelandic influence on modern literature is now 8 percent (as opposed to 7 percent), Beowulf studies are now 5 percent (as opposed to 4 percent), and miscellaneous studies are now 4 percent (as opposed to 3 percent); only studies of themes and topics have increased, from 14 percent to 24 percent. [End Page 2]
