Associate Professor of History Elly Truitt has written a piece for Aeon that asks the question, "What is it about the current era that draws our gaze towards the top of the globe? Where does our fascination with ‘northernness’ come from?"
From the article:
"Alongside the trolls of Frozen and the giants and White Walkers of Westeros, Vikings have taken a prominent place on the cultural stage. Since the start of the 21st century, major museum exhibits on early Scandinavian culture have appeared worldwide, from Washington, DC and Berlin to Suzhou in China."
Truitt teaches medieval history, including courses on medieval medicine, the history of magic, intellectual history, the crusades, global networks in the Middle Ages, and courtly culture. Her research interests are in the history of science, medicine, and technology.