You are cordially invited to the fifth Medieval Fantasy Symposium, organised by Koszalin University of Technology, which will be held in Unieście between 1 and 4 June 2017. Medieval Fantasy Symposia aim at bringing together specialists in the areas of medieval and fantasy literature, in particular those who seek to find cultural connections between the numerous supernatural elements in the literary output of the Middle Ages (e.g. Beowulf, Norse and Celtic mythologies, Arthurian cycle) and modern tales in the fantasy genre which are set in different quasi-medieval worlds (as in The Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire). The scope of the symposia is not, however, strictly limited to the world of literature, as it also embraces the many fields of artistic expression including the fine and cinematic arts.

‘Reges quondam regesque futuri’: Various Aspects of Royal Power in Medieval and Modern Fantasy Literature Medieval kingship is a complex, multi-layered cultural construct. On the one hand, in its primary sense, it lays emphasis upon the numerous royal duties (moral, political, military etc.) which arise from the very fact of being a king. Hence, despite being a sovereign,he is, at the same time, a person who is, first of all, subject to the law of his realm, one who should use his power solely for the benefit of its inhabitants. Indeed, a “king is he that can hold his own, or else his title is in vain”, claims the elvish prince Maedhros in J.R.R.

Tolkien’s Silmarillion. On the other hand, though, there are numerous examples of medieval rulers who often transgress their royal duties to satisfy their exuberant egos. They are the reges horrendi of the biblical Book of Wisdom, the rois maudits from the historical novels of Maurice Druon.

The conference will focus exclusively upon various aspects (cultural, religious, political, intellectual etc.) traditionally associated with kingship.The thematic scope will cover all sorts of texts of undisputedly medieval origin (poems, sagas, chronicles etc.) as well as post-medieval fantasy (including historical fantasy) works written by, amongst others, William Shakespeare, J.R.R. Tolkien, Maurice Druon, George R.R. Martin and Elżbieta Cherezińska.