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All Outputs (23)

'Modern Productions of Medieval English Drama'. (2011)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2011). 'Modern Productions of Medieval English Drama'. In R. Beadle (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Theatre. (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press

A survey of major productions of medieval English plays since the beginnings of modern revival of them, ca. 1900, with an analysis of what has been learned about medieval English theatre from these productions.

The Fantasy Giantess: Brana in 'Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra'. (2009)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2009). The Fantasy Giantess: Brana in 'Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra'. In Á. Jakobsson, A. Lassen, & A. Ney (Eds.), Fornaldarsagaerne: Myter og Virkelighed. Museum Tusculanum

A literary and psychological analysis of the function of the giantess in the Old Norse legendary saga 'Hálfdanar saga Brönufóstra'

Wisdom from the dead : the Ljóðatal section of Hávamál. (2007)
Journal Article
McKinnell, J. (2007). Wisdom from the dead : the Ljóðatal section of Hávamál. Medium ævum, 76, 85-115

This article analyses the last major section of the Old Norse Eddic poem 'Hávamál', demonstrating that the mythical account of the sacrificial hanging of Óðinn is closely linked to the eighteen magic songs that he learns as a result, concluding that... Read More about Wisdom from the dead : the Ljóðatal section of Hávamál..

'The Narrator as Everyone's Voice: A Project to Produce the Ecerinis of Albertino Mussato'. (2007)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2007). 'The Narrator as Everyone's Voice: A Project to Produce the Ecerinis of Albertino Mussato'. In P. Butterfield (Ed.), The Narrator, the Expositor, and the Prompter in European Medieval Theatre. Brepols Publishers

A plan for a reconstruction of the original staging methods of the 'Ecerinis' of Albertino Mussato (Padua, ca. 1318); the play is important as the first known attempt by a medieval humanist to compose a 'classical' tragedy.

'Why did Christians Continue to Find Pagan Myths Useful?'. (2007)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2007). 'Why did Christians Continue to Find Pagan Myths Useful?'. In J. P. Schjødt, P. Hermann, & R. T. Kristensen (Eds.), Reflections on Old Norse Myths. Brepols Publishers

This article considers the problem of why early Christian pseakers of Germanic languages preserved the myths of their heathen ancestors. It concludes that in most Germanic societies the major reasons for preservation were their usefulness in connecti... Read More about 'Why did Christians Continue to Find Pagan Myths Useful?'..

'Hamðismál'. (2007)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2007). 'Hamðismál'. In A. Faulkes (Ed.), 'A New Introduction to Old Norse. Part II - Reader' (363-382). (4th ed.). Viking Society for Northern Research

An student edition of the Old Norse heroic poem 'Hamðismál'

Hávamál B: A Poem of Sexual Intrigue (2005)
Journal Article
McKinnell, J. (2005). Hávamál B: A Poem of Sexual Intrigue. Saga-book, 29(2005), 83-114

The collection of mythological and gnomic verse in the Poetic Edda which is known as Hávamál is shown to be made up of four major elements, of which the second is a witty poem about sexual intrigue, probably composed in the 12th century under the inf... Read More about Hávamál B: A Poem of Sexual Intrigue.

Hick Scorner [John McKinnell (production director); David Williams (video director)] (2004)
Digital Artefact
McKinnell, J., & Williams, D. (2004). Hick Scorner [John McKinnell (production director); David Williams (video director)]. [[Media unknown]]

Video of a live performance of the morality play 'Hick Scorner' (1514) by Durham Medieval Theatre Co, directed by John McKinnell (first modern European production) John McKinnell (production director) David Williams (video director)

Encounters with Völur (2003)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2003). Encounters with Völur. In M. C. Ross (Ed.), Old Norse myths, literature and society (110-131). University Press of Southern Denmark

‘Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Hyndluljóð’ (2002)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2002). ‘Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Hyndluljóð’. In R. Simek, & W. Heizmann (Eds.), Mythological Women. Studies in Memory of Lotte Motz (265-290)

‘On Heiðr’ (2001)
Journal Article
McKinnell, J. (2001). ‘On Heiðr’. Saga-book, 25(4), 394-417

This article considers the enigmatic figure of Heiðr in the Old Norse mythological poem 'Völuspá' and concludes that she is the narrator of the poem, that her name means 'heath', and that she is not the same figure as Gullveig 'the gold lady' (i.e. t... Read More about ‘On Heiðr’.

Nature (ca. 1495), (2001)
Digital Artefact
Medwall, H. (2001). Nature (ca. 1495),. [[Media unknown]]

Video of a live performance by Durham Medieval Theatre Co of Henry Medwall's morality play 'Nature' (ca. 1495), (second modern production, first in Europe). John McKinnell (production director) David Williams (video director)

Eddic Poetry in Anglo-Scandinavian Northern England (2001)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2001). Eddic Poetry in Anglo-Scandinavian Northern England. In J. Graham-Campbell, R. Hall, J. Jesch, & D. Parsons (Eds.), Vikings and the Danelaw. Select Papers from the Proceedings of the Thirteenth Viking Congress (327-344). Oxbow

Ögmundar þáttr: Versions, Structure and Ideology (2001)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2001). Ögmundar þáttr: Versions, Structure and Ideology. In Á. Egilsdóttir, & R. Simek (Eds.), Sagnaheimur. Studies in Honour of Hermann Pálsson (159-174). (Studia Medievalia Septentrionalia). Fassbaender

Significant Gestures: Two Medieval Illustrations of Classical Theatre (2001)
Book Chapter
McKinnell, J. (2001). Significant Gestures: Two Medieval Illustrations of Classical Theatre. In S. Carpenter, P. King, & P. Meredith (Eds.), Porci ante margaritam : essays in honour of Meg Twycross (289-320). University of Leicester

This article uses two important manuscript illustrations to contrast fourteenth-century ideas about the performance of classical tragedy, which were based on rather inaccurate antiquarian reconstruction, with those for the comedies of Terence, which... Read More about Significant Gestures: Two Medieval Illustrations of Classical Theatre.