CFP: Special Issue of ARV. Nordic Yearbook of Folklore “Metamorphosis”

ARV. Nordic Yearbook of Folklore is an open access journal published by The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy for Swedish Folk Culture. The editorial team is now inviting articles for a special issue of the journal on the theme of “Metamorphosis – studies in changing relations between people and supernatural beings.”

Supernatural beings come in many sizes and shapes, from the largest dragon to the tiniest gnome. As variable are their attitudes, inclinations and habits, and their relations with the human world, ranging from indifferent, to beneficial, to deeply malevolent. What is more, this gamut of variability, including shapes, inclinations and human relations, is subject to historical changes.

While the concept of metamorphosis is applicable to many aspects of monster studies, for instance to how supernatural beings may have the power to alter their appearances, or to how their origin stories may contain mythical alterations, or to how they can disturb and change the fate of a person who happens to cross their path, the title for this publication marks the specific intention to orchestrate analytical close encounters with significant changes in the human/monster interaction patterns, when you for instance can see that people start describing supernatural beings in different genres, sorting them in different categories, experiencing different kinds of encounters with them, or placing their images in different locations and on different objects.

The editorial team of ARV looks for articles that use a range of research strategies for describing, exploring and interpreting these kinds of changes and leave you at liberty to apply the theoretical and methodical approaches that you prefer. This whish for methodical and analytical plurality is motivated by how the supernatural beings themselves are multi-faceted and moldable, and on the assumption that no single approach can hold them.

Abstracts (250–500 words) are due December 15, 2025 at audun.kjus@norskfolkemuseum.no and should include working title, description of source materials and main analytical objectives. Editorial replies will be sent by January 15, 2026.