At the International Congress on Medieval Studies

[Originally published on the first website of the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence on 19 April 2006,
with updates both there and here.]

Since 2006, the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence regularly co-sponsors Sessions with other scholarly organizations at the International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo.  The Sessions which we ourselves have sponsored since 1993 are listed here:

• Sponsored Sessions.

The Programs for each year’s RGME Sessions, both Sponsored and co-Sponsored, along with Abstracts, appear in our

• Kalamazoo Congress Archive.

Since 2007 we publish the Abstracts of some Papers and Responses for both forms of Sessions.  They may be found through our pages for the individual Congresses or through the Lists of Abstracts arranged

1. alphabetically by Author or
2. chronologically by Year.

Posters for Sessions, as is our custom since the 2011 Congress, are exhibited both within those Pages and in their own exhibition.

As they take shape, the Program and Abstracts for Sessions and Co-Sponsored Sessions appear:

• in our Blog on the International Congress on Medieval Studies and
• on our Page devoted to Congress Activities, including Sessions, Exhibitions, Business Meetings, and Receptions.

Co-Sponsorships

Here we celebrate the co-sponsorships with different organizations for sessions or other activities at the International Congress on Medieval Studies. They are listed in chronological order by starting-year for the co-sponsorship.

To date, the co-sponsorships involve these organizations:

I. Societas Magica (from 2006)

II. MEARCSTAPA = Monsters: the Experimental Association for the Research of Cryptozoology
through Scholarly Theory and Practical Application (2009)

III. King Alfred’s Notebook LLC (2012‒2013)

IV. Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Florida (2014‒2016)

V. AVISTA = The Association Villard de Honnecourt for the Interdisplinary Study of Medieval Technology, Science, and Art et alia (2017)

VI. P.-O.M.o.N.A. = Polytheism-Oriented Medievalists of North America (from 2019)

VII. IMANA = Ibero-Medieval Association of North America (2022)

VIII. Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies (2023)

IX. Postal History at Kalamazoo (from 2024)

X. Rossell Hope Robbins Library and Koller–Collins Center for English Studies at the University of Rochester (from 2026)

XI. Bāḥra ḥassāb: Knowledge Transmission in Ethiopia and Eritrea from Antiquity to Modern Times, at the University of Münster (from 2026)

Occasionally the co-sponsorships involve three organizations, as the RGME collaborates with two others. Such pertains to sessions

• with the Societas Magica and P.-O.M.o.N.A. (2025)
• with the Rossell Hope Robbins Library and Koller–Collins Center for English Studies at the University of Rochester and P.-O.M.o.N.A. (2026).

I.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with the Societas Magica
(2006‒2026)

Since 2006, we have co-sponsored sessions with the Societas Magica.

Besides sharing sessions, in 2014, to celebrate the anniversaries of both the Societas and the Research Group on Manuscript Evidence, we jointly held a celebratory Anniversary Reception.  This tradition continued at the 2015 Congress, with our Reception co-sponsored with both the Societas Magica and the Index of Christian Art at Princeton University.

List of Sessions

2006 (41st International Congress)

• “Codicological Contexts for Works of Magic”, Parts I and II
  organized by Claire Fanger

  2006 Congress

2007 (42nd International Congress)

• “Magic and the Holy Book”
  organized by Claire Fanger and Mildred Budny

  2007 Congress

2008 (43rd International Congress)

• “Consecrated Books / Books as Relics”
  organized by Katelyn Mesler (Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois)

  2008 Congress

2009 (44th International Congress)

• “Medieval Magic Manuscripts in Use”
  organized by Amelia Carr (Allegheny College)

  2009 Congress

2010 (45th International Congress)

• “Magic in its Manuscript Context”
  organized by Amelia Carr (Allegheny College)

  2010 Congress

2011 (46th International Congress)

• “Books and Secrets:  Epigraphs and Symbols / Ciphers and Signs”
  organized by Sarah Celentano Parker (University of Texas at Austin)

  2011 Congress

2012 (47th International Congress)

• “Dream Books”
  organized by László Sándor Chardonnens (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  2012 Congress

2013 (48th International Congress)

• “Astrology and Magic”
  organized by David Porreca (University of Waterloo)

• [Cancelled:  “Water as Symbol, Sign, and Trial:  Aquatic Semantics in the Middle Ages”
  organized by Mihai-D. Grigore]

  2013 Congress

2014 (49th International Congress)

• “Visualizing Learned Magic and Popular Magic through Talismans, Images, and Objects”
  organized by David Porreca (University of Waterloo)

  2014 Congress Announced and 2014 Congress Accomplished

2015 (50th International Congress)

• “Magic:  Sung, Spoken, Inscribed & Printed”
  organized by Frank Klaassen (University of Saskatchewan)

• “Efficacious Words:  Spoken and Inscribed”
  organized by Jason Roberts (University of Texas at Austin)

  Call for Papers for 2015 Congress, 2015 Congress Events Announced, and 2015 Congress Events Accomplished

2016 (51st International Congress)

• “Magic on the Page: Transmission and Representation of Magic”
  organized by László Sándor Chardonnens (Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  2016 Congress Planning, 2016 Congress Call for Papers and 2016 Congress Report

2017 (52nd International Congress)

• “Manuscripts to Materials”
  organized by David Porreca (Department of Classical Studies, University of Waterloo)

• “Islamic Magic: Texts and/as Objects”
  organized by Liana Saif (Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford)

  2017 Congress Report

2018 (53rd International Congress)

• “Celtic Magic Texts”
  organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt–House (Skagit Valley College, Whidbey Island Campus, Old Harbor, Washington)

• “Occult Blockbusters of the Islamic World, Parts I–I”
  • I.  “The Picatrix:  A Magical Bestseller”
    organized by David Porreca (Department of Classics, University of Waterloo)
  • II.  “Arabic and Persian”
    organized by Matthew Melvin–Koushki (Department of History, University of South Carolina)

    2018 Congress Report

2019 (54th International Congress)

• “Animals in Celtic Magical Texts”
  organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt–House (Skagit Valley College, Whidbey Island Campus, Old Harbor, Washington)

• “Embedded in the Mainstream:  Ritual Magic Incorporated in ‘Legitimate’ Texts”
  organized by Vajra Regan (Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto)

  2019 Congress Report

2020 (55th International Congress)
— Cancelled but Rescheduled for 2021

• “Revealing the Unknown, Parts I–II”
  
  • I.  “Scryers and Scrying in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period”
    organized by Sanne de Laat (English Department, Radboud University Nijmegen)
    and László Sándor Chardonnens  (English Department, Radboud University Nijmegen)
  • II.  “Sortilège, Bibliomancy, and Divination”
    organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt–House (Skagit Valley College, Whidbey Island Campus, Old Harbor, Washington)
    2018 Congress Report

2021 (56th International Congress)

• “Revealing the Unknown, Parts I–II”
  As above:  2020 Congress (Intended but Rescheduled).
  

2021 Congress Report

2022 (57th International Congress)

• The Iconography of Medieval Magic:  Texts and Images
  organized by Vajra Regan

2022 Congress Program

2023 (58th International Congress)

• Moving Parts and Pedagogy, Parts I–II
  organized by David Porreca

2023 Congress Program

2024 (59th International Congress)

• Alchemical Manuscripts, Early Printed Books, and Other Materials
  organized by David Porreca (University of Waterloo)

2024 Congress Program

2025 (60th International Congress)

• Grimoires of the Greater West, Parts 1 and 2
  organized by
  Vajra Regan (Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto),
  Gal Sofer (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev),
  Matthew Melvin-Koushki (University of South Carolina)

1) “Multicultural Solomonic Magic:
The Case of the Almandal”
2) “From Arabic and Persian to Hebrew and Latin”

• Dream Books, Spells, Divination,
  Incubation, and Interpretation:
  “Sandalphon, send me a dream” (co-sponsored also with P.-O.M.o.N.A.)
  organized by
  Mildred Budny (Research Group on Manuscript Evidence),
  Phillip Bernhardt–House (P.-o.M.O.N.A.), and
  Claire Fanger (Rice University)

2025 Congress Program

2026 (61st International Congress)

• The Alchemy of Learning: Magic, Pedagogy, and Public Engagement
  organized by Veronica Menaldi
• Grimoires of the Greater West: Conversations on Solomonic Magic
  organized by Gal Sofer and Matthew Melvin–Koushki

2026 Congress Program

Note

The contents of all sessions sponsored or co-sponsored by the Societas Magica are listed on its website:  Conferences.

The RGME website publishes the Abstracts, as their authors permit. (See above.)

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II.  Session Co-Sponsored with MEARCSTAPA (2009)

In 2009 we co-sponsored an inaugural Session with the new organization MEARCSTAPA (Monsters: the Experimental Association for the Research of Cryptozoology through Scholarly Theory and Practical Application). On that organization, see:

• http://www.medievalmonsters.blogspot.com and now here

2009 (44th International Congress)

• Monstrous Production and Reproduction
  organized by Asa Mittman (California State University at Chico)

  2009 Congress

The omission of one sponsor’s name, the RGME, in the 2009 Congress Program itself is corrected both in the Congress Corrigenda and here.  This session, and the organization itself, emerged from the momentum of our own sponsored sessions at the 2008 Congress.

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III.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with King Alfred’s Notebook LLC (2012‒2013)

For two consecutive years, in 2012 and 2013, we co-sponsored sessions with King Alfred’s Notebook LLC (kingalfredsnotebook@gmail.com).

2012 (47th International Congress)

• Medieval Manuscript Discoveries in North America:  Texts, Illuminations, Collections
  organized by Scott Gwara (University of South Carolina and King Alfred’s Notebook)

  2012 Congress

2013 (48th International Congress)

• Medieval Manuscripts in North American Collections
  organized by Scott Gwara (University of South Carolina ‒ Columbia)

  2013 Congress

*****

IV.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with the
Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Florida |
(2014‒2016)

In 2014 we began the tradition of co-sponsoring sessions with the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of Florida.  This tradition continued to flourish, with the dedicated collaboration of colleagues in a wide range of international centers, until the next proposed session (for the 2017 ICMS) was not accepted by the Congress Committee.

2014 (49th International Congress)

• “A Neglected Empire:  Bulgaria between the Late Twelfth and Late Fourteenth Centuries, Parts I and II”
  organized by Florin Curta (University of Florida) and
  Mildred Budny (Research Group on Manuscript Evidence)

  2014 Congress Announced and 2014 Congress Accomplished

2015 (50th International Congress)

• “The ‘Good’, the ‘Bad’, and the ‘Ugly’ Ruler:  Ideal Kingship in the Middle Ages”
  organized by Mildred Budny (Research Group  on Manuscript Evidence) and Florin Curta (University of Florida)

  Call for Papers for 2015 Congress, 2015 Congress Events Announced, and 2015 Congress Accomplished

2016 (51st International Congress)

• “Medieval Balkans as Mirror: Byzantine Perceptions of the Balkans and the World Beyond”
  organized by Mildred Budny (Research Group on Manuscript Evidence) and Florin Curta (University of Florida)

• “Crusading and the Byzantine Legacy in the Northwestern Black Sea Region”
  organized by Mildred Budny (Research Group on Manuscript Evidence) and Florin Curta (University of Florida)

  2016 Congress Call for Papers

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V.  Session Co-Sponsored with AVISTA:
The Association Villard de Honnecourt
for the Interdisplinary Study of
Medieval Technology, Science, and Art et alia
(2017)

• “Medieval Tools”
  organized by Sarah Thompson (Rochester Institute of Technology)

2017 Congress Report

*****

VI.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with
P.-O.M.o.N.A. (Polytheism-Oriented Medievalists of North America
(2019)

• Classical Deities in Medieval Northern European contexts
  organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt–House (Skagit Valley College — Whidbey Island)

2019 Congress Report

• Words as Agents

2023 Congress Program

• • Retrospect and Prospect for P.-O.M.o.N.A. . . .
    As the Curtain Falls (A Roundtable)
    organized by Phillip A. Bernhardt–House (Academic Vagabond)

2024 Congress Program

*****

VII.  Session Co-Sponsored with IMANA
(Ibero-Medieval Association of North America)
(2022)

• Alter(n)ative Alphabets in the Iberian Middle Ages
  organized by Donald W. Wood

2022 Congress Program

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VIII.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with the
Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies
(2023)

• 

  2023 ICMS, “Bound But Not Gagged” (Poster 1)

  Bound but not Gagged: The Eloquence of Medieval Book Bindings (Parts I and II)

  organized by William H. Campbell; co-organized by Mildred Budny

1. The Eloquence of Medieval Book Bindings from German Lands
2. The Eloquence of Medieval Book Bindings:
   Diverse Regional Techniques

2023 Congress Program

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IX.  Sessions Co-Sponsored with
Postal History at Kalamazoo
(from 2024)

• 

  2024 ICMS Postal Session: Poster 2

  Letters, Couriers, and Post Offices:
  Mail in the Medieval World
  organized by David W. Sorenson

2024 Congress Program

• Moving the Mail:
  Letters, Couriers, and Post Offices in the Medieval World
  organized by David W. Sorenson

2025 Congress Program

• Moving the Mail:
  Letters, Couriers, and Post Offices in the Medieval World
  organized by David W. Sorenson

2026 Congress Program

X.  Session Co-Sponsored with
Rossell Hope Robbins Library and Koller–Collins Center for English Studies at the University of Rochester
(from 2026)

• 

  2026 Congress Posters: Magic MSS Poster 2

  Magic, Manuscripts, and Material Culture (co-sponsored with P.-o.M.O.N.A.)organized by Anna Siebach–Larsen, Mildred Budny, Phillip Bernhardt–House, and Derek Shank

2026 Congress Program

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XI.  Session Co-Sponsored with
Bāḥra ḥassāb: Knowledge Transmission in Ethiopia and Eritrea from Antiquity to Modern Times,
at the University of Münster
(from 2026)

• Chronology and Divination Beyond the Medieval West, organized by Augustine Dickinson

2026 Congress Program

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Please watch our space for developments.

For co-sponsorship at the 2027 ICMS, see:

• 2027 International Congress on Medieval Studies: Call for Papers

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