Category: Features
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What Do We Truly Know About the Vikings: Helmets, Masculinity, and Violence
Vikings are instantly recognizable for their horned helments and battle-born attitudes, but how much of that is accurate to history. Michaela Hamman discusses how popular perceptions of vikings do not match the archaeological realities of Scandinavia.
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Hot to Go: The Historical Trend of Lesbianism in Pop Culture
The summer of 2024 celebrates queer women in media, but historical trends suggest future acceptance may be uncertain and fleeting. Daisy Carter takes us back to twentieth-century Paris, exploring how women began to create a same-sex haven for themselves – and how this was met with resistance in the interwar period.
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A Colonial Reading of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Bram Stoker’s novel is widely known as one of the most seminal pieces of vampire literature. Kate Phillips draws our attention to the colonial undertones of the story and how this is configured through the shadowy figure of Dracula himself.
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Shattering Idols: The Timeless Nature of Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm, historically linked to religious and political changes, shapes cultural identities and evokes societal tensions today. Ami John explores how this practice has destroyed – and shaped- history.
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Statues of Soviets: The case of Grutas Park, Lithuania
Darcy Gresham examines Grutas Park in Lithuania, a unique site for preserving Soviet-era statues.
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Satirising the Honour System: The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig
Jazmine Chambers explores The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig, a satirical take on the honour system in early Irish literature.
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“I Never Saw Myself as a Spy”: How Klaus Fuchs Leaked United States Atomic Bomb Secrets to the Soviets
The history of the Cold War is filled with dubious tales of espionage. Eva Beere recounts the real-life case of Klaus Fuchs, the spy who passed details of the British and American atomic bomb projects to the Soviets.
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The Eroding Consequences of the European Comparison
Peter the Great’s attempt to turn Russia into Rome of the north did not last after he passed away. Emilio Luppino analyzes 19th century Russian literature on Russia’s identity crisis in relation to Europe.
Retrospect Journal 