One of the most exciting and unique aspects of my research project at Leeds was attending the Leeds International Medieval Congress (IMC), “Europe’s largest forum for sharing ideas in medieval studies.” The IMC brings together thousands of scholars from around the world for an incredible week of interdisciplinary exchange every year.
The heart of the IMC is, of course, the conference sessions. I started off with listening to master’s students share their dissertation, which gave me a sense of how people find and develop their own research topics in the humanities early on.
My next two full days were dedicated to the fascinating world of arms and armour. These sessions covered everything from warfare tactics and historical martial arts to the sounds of an army on the move. Most exciting for me were the discussions around gauntlets, which tie directly into my Laidlaw research project. It is a complex field and being able to understand the context and connect my own work with the latest scholarship was incredibly rewarding.
Between the crossbows and bascinets, I also attended sessions on power, punishment and penance in medieval myths. These studies combine literature and law, my areas of study.
Many of the papers tied into this year’s theme of “Temporalities”, the study of time. The theme invited us to examine how medieval people perceived, structured, and experienced time. This could be read in connection with religious and philosophical concepts, everyday rhythms of life, calendars, and memory. The IMC challenges academics to approach the Middle Ages from a wide range of angles, across past, present, and future.
Outside the formal sessions, there was a storytelling circle one evening. People gathered to share or listen to riddles, folksongs, and tales as it got dark. It was a relaxed and enjoyable way to wind down after a long day.
I’ve met so many amazing people this past week and would like to thank all the organizers and medievalists that took their time to answer my questions and share their work, making my first IMC unforgettable. I also met an owl, the cutest ball of fluff!