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From Dragons to Marital Power Moves, How Game of Thrones Blends Elements from Varying Cultures, Time Periods

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Published: Thursday, 16 May 2019 00:00

With the much-anticipated final season of Game of Thrones nearing its conclusion, Rutgers University medievalist Larry Scanlon discussed the medieval traditions, genres and motifs that have influenced the cultural juggernaut and its source material, George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels.

Scanlon is a professor in the Department of English at Rutgers–New Brunswick’s School of Arts and Sciences, with an expertise in the literature of late medieval England. Though Game of Thrones is set in another world and reflects influences from periods before and after our world’s Middle Ages, Scanlon called it “TV’s most watchable medieval show.”

Rutgers Medieval Art History Expert Discusses Notre Dame Cathedral Fire

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Published: Friday, 19 April 2019 11:40

A massive fire devastated the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this week, an 856-year-old structure that survived wars, riots and revolutions.

While the cause of the fire is undetermined, more than $1 billion in donations have already been pledged to restore the cathedral. As police, fire officials and architects determine the extent of the damage, Laura Weigert, a professor of art history in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University–New Brunswick and director of the Program in Medieval Studies, discussed the historical value of the renowned structure.

Weigert, who teaches a course in gothic art and architecture, offered insight into the significance of the cathedral and what it means in history and architectural ingenuity.