The Mediterranean adventures of an 11th-century Norwegian king known for his invasion of England will be brought to life as part of a gaming-inspired initiative led by historians from the University.
Tostig and Harold Hardrada are victorious and receive the submission of the city of York. Image credit duncan1890 via Getty Images.
Researchers will combine historical research and mixed reality technology with actual play – an increasingly popular gaming trend blending table-top gaming with dramatic stage improvisation – to help audiences gain a more intimate understanding of Harold Hardrada – sometimes referred to as the last Viking ruler.
Ruler’s legacy
Hardrada is famous for his role in shaping the Kingdom of Norway and his failed attempt to conquer England in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which was a prelude to the Battle of Hastings and the Norman conquest of England.
His status as one of the best-documented travellers of his time and the formative years he spent in the Mediterranean between 1033 and 1042 are surprisingly underrecognised, researchers say.
Audience participation
A stage production ‘Horror in the Cistern - Cthulhu in Byzantium’ born out of an international research project known as Viking in the Sun, is being showcased online and at the fifth-century Theodosian Cistern – an ancient water reservoir in Istanbul on 13 June.
The production, which explores the Viking ruler’s years in the Mediterranean following his exile from Norway after the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, uses the gaming genre of actual play – also called real play – a format which is growing in popularity from turning gaming into entertaining performances focused on audience participation.
Medieval mystery
In the show, actors will improvise medieval characters to solve a mystery involving Hardrada set in Constantinople in 1035 using the format of the popular, role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
The plot of the mystery is inspired by medieval sources from Iceland and Byzantium, as well as archaeological objects and sites, all of which will be brought to life via an immersive audio-visual light show during the performance.
Permanent exhibition
Actors will wear custom made-historical costumes based on eleventh-century mosaics, which will go on tour as temporary installations in museums in the Mediterranean and Scandinavia following the performance, and finally join a permanent exhibition in Iceland.
Enthusiasts will be able to view a recording of the production via the YouTube channels of the game company Chaosium and the History and Games Lab starting from August.
Supporting research
The production is led by the History and Games Lab at the University of Edinburgh, which studies how video and table top games can support research through representing historical events, including using games in teaching and bringing historians and game designers together for creative and commercial projects.
The production is one of a number of activities we are using to imaginatively interrogate the formative years of the Viking ruler, Harold Hardrada. It uses his experiences and their legacies as a case study for a wide-ranging exploration of the Mediterranean and its links to the Nordic World in a time of transition.
Dr Gianluca Raccagni
School of History, Classics and Archaeology
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Chaosium, one of the largest role-playing game companies have developed the production, working with the Turkish Koç University, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul, the Snorrastofa Cultural and Medieval Centre in Iceland and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Turkey.
The Viking in the Sun Project, which draws on a range of academic disciplines including History, Classics, Byzantine Studies, and Literature, is supported by the University of Edinburgh, the Leverhulme Trust, and UKRI – UK Research and Innovation.
Related links
Lead image- Tostig and Harold Hardrada are victorious and receive the submission of the city of York. Image credit duncan1890 via Getty Images.
Second image - The fifth-century Theodosian Cistern, courtesy of Gianlucca Raccagni
