Christian Cooijmans
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ccooijmans.bsky.social
Christian Cooijmans
@ccooijmans.bsky.social
6.4K followers 530 following 290 posts
Viking Historian | Research Fellow @uio.no | Assoc. Researcher @livunihss.bsky.social | vikings in continental Europe | medieval(ism) | histor(iograph)y

https://hcommons.org/members/ccooijmans
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ccooijmans.bsky.social
Patron: Okay, for this scene, I need a fiery chariot carrying Elijah up to heaven. Can you do that?

Printmaker: You bet! I think I've seen a chariot once - they're like little soapbox cars, right? Four wheels? Self-driving?

Patron: I mean, not usually.

Printmaker: Cool, just leave it with me.
A page from a so-called Biblia pauperum, (here) a fifteenth-century printed block-book bible, representing, somewhat poorly, a scene from 2 Kings 2:11-12, in which Elijah 'went up by a whirlwind into heaven' by means of a 'chariot of fire, and horses of fire'. The scene on this page, however, contains neither chariot, horses, or fire, but sees Elijah ascend in what appears to a crude wooden box on wheels with no apparent means of propulsion. A detail from a so-called Biblia pauperum, representing, somewhat poorly, a scene from 2 Kings 2:11-12, in which Elijah 'went up by a whirlwind into heaven' by means of a 'chariot of fire, and horses of fire'. The scene on this page, however, contains neither chariot, horses, or fire, but sees Elijah ascend in what appears to a crude wooden box on wheels with no apparent means of propulsion.
November 11, 2025 at 11:53 AM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Adding to their prior list of unethical shenanigans, Spotify are now running recruitment ads for ICE, the US federal agency behind mass deportation and surveillance of immigrant communities. Time to move to a platform that doesn't profit from cruelty.

app.sosha.ai/s/TD9Uh2FT
Don’t Stream Fascism: Cancel Spotify
app.sosha.ai
November 9, 2025 at 11:18 AM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Wintry road trip through Iceland (in four parts) ⛰️
A road cutting through a wintry, sunny landscape in northern Iceland - the sea and distant mountains visible. A road cutting through a wintry landscape in northern Iceland, with a dramatic sky and distant mountains. A road cutting through a wintry landscape in northern Iceland, with the sun shining on a nearby mountain. A photo of an Icelandic landscape seen through the side mirror of a car, with mountains visible and the sun setting.
November 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
hopesteffen.bsky.social
Really exciting book news out of Norway. And while the article focusses on the sealskin binding, I'm even more excited by the fact that these neumes are not square, which suggests a date well before 1200.
November 4, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
makingawarrior.bsky.social
Today's vikingism: the statue Landnemar ('Settlers'), overlooking the city of Akureyri, Iceland. Sculpted by Jónas Jakobsson (1956), it represents Thorunn hyrna and her husband Helgi magri, who, according to Landnámabók, were the first to settle the area during the late ninth century.
A bronze statue of two figures, a woman and a man, on a concrete plinth in a snow-covered field overlooking a cityscape (with a distant mountain in the background). An abstract bronze representation of a viking ship is seen at the base of the plinth. A bronze statue of two figures, a woman and a man, on a concrete plinth in a snow-covered field overlooking a cityscape (with a distant mountain in the background). An abstract bronze representation of a viking ship is seen at the base of the plinth.
November 1, 2025 at 4:07 PM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
'Those staff and employees who dedicate their working lives to safeguarding Scotland’s heritage, deserve better, deserve support and deserve a management that is not mired in controversy, racism and mounting scandals.'
November 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Breaking with a 15-year tradition of falling asleep and missing the northern lights to actually see them this time around, in Vatnsnes, Iceland 🌌
The green glow of the northern lights over Miðfjörður, near Hvammstangi, Iceland The green glow of the northern lights over Miðfjörður, near Hvammstangi, Iceland The green glow of the northern lights over Miðfjörður, near Hvammstangi, Iceland
October 29, 2025 at 4:07 PM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
In the wake of its older sibling last month, the 23-meter Gokstad Ship will also be making its 94-meter journey into the new Viking Ship museum today!

www.vikingtidsmuseet.no/english/relo...
The Gokstad viking ship in a protective metal case, with supports and rigging in place, before being lifted up for transport along a suspension rail into the new museum. The Gokstad viking ship in a protective metal case, with supports and rigging in place, before being lifted up for transport along a suspension rail into the new museum.
October 29, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
northernstudies.bsky.social
Some great news coming out of Caithness!
Plan approved to build Scotland's first broch for 2,000 years
The tall, double-walled drystone towers have only been found in Scotland.
www.bbc.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
northernstudies.bsky.social
Coming soon...
A picture of a book with a blue cover, titled 'Common Ground in Scottish Archaeology: Contributions in Honour of Anna Ritchie'. It is edited by Kelly Kilpatrick.
October 21, 2025 at 7:47 AM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Checking up on an old friend over lunch
Close-up of a Pictish stone slab, containing an armed horseman drinking from a horn - from Bullion, Invergowrie, Angus (first half tenth century) - now in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (X.IB 229)
October 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Checking out the Viking-Age hall reconstruction in Lejre, Denmark
A 60m-long Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, in green surroundings A 60m-long Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, in green surroundings A decorated internal archway in the Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre The main internal space in the Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, with various furnishing surrounding a central firepit.
October 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Checking out the Viking-Age hall reconstruction in Lejre, Denmark
A 60m-long Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, in green surroundings A 60m-long Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, in green surroundings A decorated internal archway in the Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre The main internal space in the Viking-Age wooden hall reconstruction in Lejre, with various furnishing surrounding a central firepit.
October 13, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Very happy to finally see this in the flesh today: the remains of an early tenth-century calendar from Landévennec, Brittany, whose entry for the year 913 contains an annotation that the local coastal monastery of Winwaloe was attacked by vikings during that year.

Copenhagen, KB Thott 239 2°, f.10r
A medieval manuscript page from the tenth century, on vellum. Text in black ink and red rubrication using Carolingian miniscule. A marginal annotation on a manuscript, containing the (abbreviated) Latin sentence: 'Eodem anno destructum est monasterium sancti winualoei a normannis' (translation: 'In the same year, the monastery of saint Winwaloe was destroyed by Northmen').
October 9, 2025 at 10:42 AM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
Very happy to finally see this in the flesh today: the remains of an early tenth-century calendar from Landévennec, Brittany, whose entry for the year 913 contains an annotation that the local coastal monastery of Winwaloe was attacked by vikings during that year.

Copenhagen, KB Thott 239 2°, f.10r
A medieval manuscript page from the tenth century, on vellum. Text in black ink and red rubrication using Carolingian miniscule. A marginal annotation on a manuscript, containing the (abbreviated) Latin sentence: 'Eodem anno destructum est monasterium sancti winualoei a normannis' (translation: 'In the same year, the monastery of saint Winwaloe was destroyed by Northmen').
October 9, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
makingawarrior.bsky.social
Today's vikingism: the replica of the Jelling runestone of Harald Bluetooth that was gifted to Utrecht University (Netherlands) in honour of its 300-year anniversary in 1936.
A low angle of a runestone in front of a medieval church building, with the church spire rising from behind a tree in the background. A large decorated runestone replica in front of a brick wall
October 1, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
drkarrschmidt.bsky.social
Der IGEL!

Lothar Meggendorfer really knew how to evoke lifelike movement! This book from the Olin Library special collections at Wash U is only one spectacular example! #movablebooksociety
#Hedgehog #paperengineering
October 1, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
makingawarrior.bsky.social
The Great Viking Survey is at the Wilde Furda festival in Belgium today, catching some final summer sunshine. ☀️ Don't be a stranger!
The festival ground of Wilde Furda, Elewijt , Belgium, featuring a range of tents, crafts, and reenactors on a green, sunny field A white dog outside a tent at a viking reenactment festival
September 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
iandunt.bsky.social
Reform will apparently pledge today that they'd abolish indefinite leave to remain - including retrospectively, to people already granted it. Obviously this is a moral abomination but it is also a practical and legal impossibility.
September 22, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
earlymodernjohn.bsky.social
Some people argue that 'the British Isles' isn't political and we shouldn't be bothered by it, which is why they're invariably so open to my suggestion that we should switch to 'the Irish Isles' for the next few hundred years while we work out a solution.
aidanosullivan.bsky.social Aidan O'Sullivan @aidanosullivan.bsky.social · Sep 22
This is interesting - a thorough Wikipedia explanation of the terminology used to denote “these islands”…

I tend to use “Britain and Ireland”, but accept thats problematical (eg the Isle of Man issue”)

Never in a month of Sundays would I say “the British Isles”

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termino...
Terminology of the British Isles - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
September 22, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
ccooijmans.bsky.social
I've never really used LinkedIn, as it was always a very privacy-averse place, but they'll now also be hoovering up your personal data to train GenAI models (as per their new T&Cs). The fact that this is opt-out rather than opt-in speaks volumes.
A paragraph from the new T&C from Linkedin: 'Generative AI Model Training: We are now including these regions in the locations where we use and share member data and content to train generative AI models that create content. Starting on November 3, 2025, we’ll start to use some data from members in these regions to train these content-generating AI models that enhance your experience and better connect our members to opportunities. Our GenAI features can help hirers find and reach you more easily, and assist members in creating content such as profile updates, messages, and posts. This may include data like details from your profile, and public content you post on LinkedIn; it does not include your private messages.'
September 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
makingawarrior.bsky.social
Today's vikingism: the widely popular 'Immigrant Song', from Led Zeppelin's third studio album (III), released in late 1970. Its lyrics famously reference themes from Norse mythology and describe viking groups journeying overseas ('from the land of the ice and snow').
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Led Zeppelin
www.youtube.com
September 19, 2025 at 12:31 PM
ccooijmans.bsky.social
I've never really used LinkedIn, as it was always a very privacy-averse place, but they'll now also be hoovering up your personal data to train GenAI models (as per their new T&Cs). The fact that this is opt-out rather than opt-in speaks volumes.
A paragraph from the new T&C from Linkedin: 'Generative AI Model Training: We are now including these regions in the locations where we use and share member data and content to train generative AI models that create content. Starting on November 3, 2025, we’ll start to use some data from members in these regions to train these content-generating AI models that enhance your experience and better connect our members to opportunities. Our GenAI features can help hirers find and reach you more easily, and assist members in creating content such as profile updates, messages, and posts. This may include data like details from your profile, and public content you post on LinkedIn; it does not include your private messages.'
September 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
kcommons.bsky.social
🧵 (1/5) We have a bunch of new followers today so we thought it was a good time for an introduction! 👋

✅ We're a nonprofit network that allows users to build profiles, websites, and discussion groups. Our repository, KCWorks, is fully open access and anyone can upload items & receive DOIs!
Knowledge Commons logo
September 18, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Reposted by Christian Cooijmans
nposegay.bsky.social
I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose???

This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.
By creating an Account with Academia.edu, you grant us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license, permission, and consent for Academia.edu to use your Member Content and your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, voice, signature, photograph, likeness, city, institutional affiliations, citations, mentions, publications, and areas of interest) in any manner, including for the purpose of advertising, selling, or soliciting the use or purchase of Academia.edu's Services.
September 17, 2025 at 5:16 PM