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The Cretan labyrinth – myth, history, and afterlife

The motif of the labyrinth has a long history. Depictions in rock art may date back as far as 10,500-4800 BCE, and can be found from Nevada to Cornwall, from Lancashire to Spain. The purpose of the image is unclear, but they all share the same form – a unicursal, meandering symbol, turning and changing directions from outside to the centre but never crossing itself. But by far the most famous labyrinth of all is that of ancient Crete. This talk will consider the mythology, archaeology and history of this most famous of labyrinths, and it will also consider the ways the myth of the Cretan labyrinth has been utilised more recently. As a metaphor, and a motif, this talk will also explore the ways in which the labyrinth of Crete continues to occupy a powerful place in the geography of our imagination.

Bio

Katy Soar is a Senior Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the University of Winchester. Her research areas include Greek archaeology (especially the Bronze Age of the Aegean), the history and reception of archaeology, and the relations between archaeology and folk horror. She is the co-editor (with Amara Thornton) of Strange Relics: Stories of Archaeology and the Supernatural, 1895-1954 (Handheld Press), the editor of the British Library ‘Tales of the Weird’ volume Circles of Stone: Strange Tales of Pagan Sites and Ancient Rites, and a frequent contributor to the magazine Hellebore.

Curated & Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

image details are Knosos, 350-325 BCE, silver stater, head of Hera with polos labyrinth. Berlin MKAM. [image attached]

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The Child of Nature – Feral Children and understanding the human being

From Romulus and Remus to Tarzan of the Apes, stories have spread of children cut off from human society and growing up instead in the wilderness, nurtured perhaps by wild animals. Michael Newton will be talking about the deeper meanings of these stories, and how for writers, filmmakers, psychologists and philosophers, they have been seen as a good way to comprehend what is unique (or not) about human beings, our relationship to the natural world, and how far we need language to be fully human.

Bio

Michael Newton is the author of Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children and Age of Assassins: A History of Conspiracy and Political Violence, 1865-1981, both for Faber & Faber. On the subject of cinema, he has written on Kind Hearts and Coronets, Rosemary’s Baby, and It’s a Wonderful Life for the BFI Film Classics series and Show People: A History of the Film Star (Reaktion Books). He has edited Edmund Gosse’s Father and Son and a book of Victorian Fairy Tales, and an anthology of 19th and early 20th century science fiction for Oxford World’s Classics, and Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent and The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories for Penguin Classics. He has taught at University College London (where he received his PhD), Central Saint Martins College of Art, and Princeton University; since 2006, he has taught literature and film at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. .

Curated and Hosted by

Marguerite Johnson is a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean, specialising in sexuality and gender, particularly in the poetry of Sappho, Catullus, and Ovid, as well as magical traditions in Greece, Rome, and the Near East. She also researches Classical Reception Studies, with a regular focus on Australia. In addition to ancient world studies, Marguerite is interested in sexual histories in modernity as well as magic in the west more broadly, especially the practices and art of Australian witch, Rosaleen Norton. She is Honorary Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

Medieval Torture Devices

Step into the dark corridors of history with our captivating lecture on Medieval Torture Devices and Methods! Uncover the chilling ingenuity behind the instruments of pain that were used to extract confessions, punish the guilty, and instill fear in the hearts of the populace. From the infamous Iron Maiden to the sinister Rack, each device tells a haunting story of power, cruelty, and justice in a time when the line between right and wrong was often blurred. Join us as we explore the psychological and societal impacts of these methods, revealing how they shaped the legal systems of their time and echo in our understanding of justice today. With vivid imagery and gripping narratives, this lecture promises to be both educational and utterly enthralling—perfect for history buffs and the curious alike. Don’t miss the chance to delve into this fascinating yet macabre chapter of our past!

Bio:

Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day