This past weekend, Plymouth State University had the honor of hosting the 33rd Annual Medieval Forum. Experts and enthusiasts came from around the country as well as across the pond, to enjoy this event while learning about this year’s theme, Prophecy, Divination, and Apocalypse.
The two-day forum started with an opening ceremony on Friday Apr. 20, 2012 at 9 a.m. in front of Rounds Hall. Plymouth faculty member, Karolyn Kinane, followed by President Sara Jayne Steen gave opening remarks in front of the Hartman Union Building. Closing the opening remarks, Michael DiTommaso accompanied by the Campton Elementary School Third Grade Class, perform the first verse of Gaudeamus Igitur, So Let Us Rejoice.
As the forum started to progress, those who were there as spectators were welcome to come and go as the please enjoying the multitude of talks and lectures that were taking place. All of the lectures took place in Rounds Hall, ranging from the first to the third floor. The weekend was broken up into seven sections, which went on for about an hour and a half. Each session was broken down into umbrella topics then subtopics with a connection between each. During the first section, academics spoke about their findings on the subjects of Women Prophets, Prophecy and Apocalypse in Shakespeare, the Middle Ages in Popular Culture, Intertextuality, and Prophecy in Early England. Each of these headline topics had three sub lectures that were taking place at the same time.
The weekend moved along with many other lectures discussing the ideas and connections between our modern way of life and the lifestyle of those during the medieval period. However, lectures and discussions were not the only entertainment at the forum. At the closing of the second session, a workshop on making chain mail was available to those who were interested. Materials were provided by the Medieval Society Student Organization as a part of a demonstration as well as a hands-on feel for those that had little to no experience. Following the lectures and workshop was a quick one-hour lunch which led into a Human Chess Match that was sponsored and organized by the Medieval Society Student Organization.
On Friday, at 4 p.m. in the Hage Room, Dr. Michael A. Ryan was welcomed as the keynote speaker at this year’s forum. His essay, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Magical Fraud in the Late Medieval Mediterranean, was another attribute to his already impressive portfolio which includes his published work such as, A Kingdom of Stargazers: Astrology, Divination, and Authority in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon. Dr. Ryan is a professor of history at the University of New Mexico and has published widely on dreams, prophecy, Antichrist, and the Apocalypse.
At the closing of the forum, students, faculty, and the community enjoyed a wonderful feast in Heritage Hall. Many went to the feast in full garb to make the event seem as authentic as possible. The weekend was extremely successful in its efforts to reanimate a majestic era of our world history.