The Ratatǫskr Research Group for Literary Animal Studies was founded in 2018 by people working in Comparative Literature at Södertörn University who have an interest in this field:

• Amelie Björck External link. (associate professor)
  
• Claudia Lindén External link. (professor)
• Ann-Sofie Lönngren External link. (professor)
  

The research group's purpose is to read and discuss each other’s texts, plan conferences, apply for research funding, develop courses and benefit from each other’s networks. We also want to develop cooperation with people who are active in this field in Comparative Literature and in other subjects, both inside and outside Södertörn University. In the long run, our aim is to find a place for the group in the international arena for literary animal studies. If you wish to join our e-mail list for information about our events and activities, or have other questions, please email us at ratatoskr@sh.se

The study of the relationship between animals and humans is an interdisciplinary field that is currently thriving, and which is represented in several subjects at Södertörn. Comparative Literature has strong links to current research in this area and offers several courses in literary animal studies. We are particularly interested in questions such as: How is the animal–human relationship depicted in literature? How can various literary forms (such as zoopoetics) and different types of reading help challenge anthropocentric paradigms in comparative literature? How can we understand the relationship between matter, metaphor and agency in literary depictions of non-human animals? What is the relationship between the hierarchically organised animal/human dichotomy and ideas about categories such as sex, sexuality, ethnicity and disability? What ontologies can be imagined regarding the human-animal relationship? And how are these questions linked to ethical issues and dilemmas in the wider humanistic field and in ongoing social interactions between species?

Ratatǫskr is from Nordic mythology, and is a squirrel that runs up and down the tree of life, Yggdrasil, carrying messages between the dragon in its roots and the eagle in its crown. It is thus both a representation of a ‘real’ animal species and a carrier of meaning in human mythology. This, as well as its agency and conveyance of knowledge about the world itself, makes Ratatǫskr an illustrative symbol of the research group’s interests.

Publications

Ratatoskr research group for literary animal studies published its first anthology in early 2022. It is in English, peer reviewed, and contributions come from researchers throughout northern Europe: Squirrelling : Human–Animal Studies in the Northern-European Region External link..

Conferences and symposiums

• On 9-10 December 2024, Ratatoskr organised an international symposium, Multi-Species Methods, with Jonna Bornemark from Södertörn University's Centre for Studies in Practical Knowledge and Andréa Petitt, University of Liège, Belgium. There were more than 30 speakers and another 15 participants from Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Poland.
• On December 5-6, 2019, there was a northern-European symposium with invited speakers from Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sápmi and Sweden. The symposium attracted around 50 persons and resulted in the publication of Squirrelling (see above, Publications).

Nordic network

The Ratatǫskr Network for Literary and Cultural Animal Studies was founded after the symposium in 2019. Its Swedish representation is the Ratatǫskr Research Group for Literary Animal Studies, and in other countries it is represented by the following people:

• Camilla Flodin External link, opens in new window., associate professor, University of Agder, Norway
• Sune Borkfelt, research assistant, Aarhus University, Denmark
• Gunnar Eggertsson, researcher, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
• Karoliina Lummaa, associate professor, University of Turku, Finland
• Michael Lundblad External link, opens in new window., professor, University of Oslo, Norway
• Timo Maran, professor, University of Tartu, Estonia

• Hanna Mattila, doctoral student, Sámi University of Applied Sciences, Norway
• Malgorzata Poks External link., senior lecturer, University of Silesia, Poland