Lari Ahokas
@ahokas
Doctoral researcher (History, Uni. Helsinki): medieval book history, manuscript studies, DH. Views own. He/him. Väitöskirjatutkija (historia, Helsingin yliopisto): keskiajan kirjahistoria, käsikirjoitustutkimus, digitaaliset ihmistieteet. Näkemykset omia.
In addition to the conference programme, there was also time for an excursion to to Royal Armouries (the dioramas *were* lit) to see the "Genghis Khan: How the Mongols Changed the World" exhibition (until 1 November 2026) — thanks for the tip to @monicamedhist.bsky.social! 6/6
Among those greatly missed was the late Rosamond McKitterick, who was toasted in the gathering for early medievalists. It has been her and her networks' scholarship that have been a major contributing factor to Leeds' attraction over the years for me as well. 5/
On Friday, it was time to attend the Digital Medieval Studies Institute #DMSI2026 workshop. This year I attended @delphinedemelas.bsky.social session on using LLMs and VLMs & what they can and can't do. Very useful, thanks to organizers @lauramorreale.bsky.social and @nkivilcimyavuz.bsky.social! 4/
One of the firsts in this Congress was the reception on Tuesday hosted by Mirator (journal.fi/mirator), the multilingual peer-reviewed OA journal published by Glossa, the society for medieval studies in Finland — probably the first reception in IMC history hosted by a Finnish institution. 3/
Of the Congress events, I had booked a concert "Sounding Manuscripts" by Vox Silentii (Johanna Korhonen and Hilkka-Liisa Vuori), feat. Jorma Hannikainen, singing from the extensive liturgical manuscript collection of @kansalliskirjasto.fi, as part of the Tradition and Variation project. 2/
A post-Leeds #IMC2026 thread. This year, I was speaking about the manuscript transmission of the polemical texts of the Investiture Contest. We had a nice session with both papers exploring the uses of network analysis. Thank you to organizers @matthewholford.bsky.social and @sebdm.bsky.social! 1/
I will also be speaking tomorrow in #IMC2026 about my PhD project on network analysis of polemical texts of the Investiture Contest in the two sessions tomorrow morning on '"Big Data" and medieval manuscripts' organized by @matthewholford.bsky.social and @sebdm.bsky.social. Come and have a look!
Checking in at Leeds #IMC2026 with a strawberry and creme sandwich, inspired by this year's theme colour.
It is wild watching a potential schism unfold in the Catholic church in real time when you have been reading on the debates on excommunication in the one that happened *checks notes* 950 years ago.
Yesterday I attended a medieval singing workshop organized by project 'Tradition and change: Medieval chant in the Diocese of Turku' at the National Library of Finland. Dr. Jorma Hannikainen demonstrated liturgical variation of religious orders and their influence on early Lutheran liturgy.
"WIJ Christina medh Gudz näde Sweriges Göthes och Wendes vthkorade Drottningh..." Tällä päivämäärällä perustettu Helsingin yliopisto juhlisti 386-vuotispäiväänsä tarjoamalla kakkua yliopistomuseolla. @helsinki.fi celebrated its 386th anniversary with cake at the university museum.
Aamu-tv:stä huomasin, että sentään yksi obskyyriin tutkimusaiheeseeni (investituurariita) liittyvä ilmaisu on jäänyt yleiseen tietoisuuteen.😅 From morning TV I noted that at least one expression relating to my obscure research topic (the Investiture Contest) remains a figure of speech in Finnish.😅
Yesterday ended the #diesmedievales 2026 at Jyväskylä – three days of old and new acquaintances, interesting talks and performances by the early music ensemble Yr Awen. I presented some interim results about my PhD project on transmission of the texts of Libelli de lite (emphasis on the subtitle😅).
Glossa, Society for Medieval Studies in Finland, kicked off its 30th anniversary celebration at biennial Dies Medievales conference at University of Jyväskylä, awarding Valoisa keskiaika ("Bright Middle Ages") prize to Prof. Kirsi Salonen (University of Bergen). #glossa #diesmedievales #medievalsky
Yesterday last visit to @kansallisarkisto.fi before the renovation. Mixed feelings about future, but enjoyed the atmosphere of the Old Reading Room – and the free book giveaway🤭 Also goodbye to the New Reading Room, where I first discovered the nature of historical research reading 18th-c. letters🥲
Verkostohistorioitsijana olen suhteettoman innostunut tästä Bluesky-käyttäjien sosiaalisesta graafista – vaikka se sijoittaakin minut brittihistorioitsijoiden klusteriin "edistyksellisten suomalaisten asiantuntijoiden" sijasta. Minkäs teet, jos akateeminen vertaisryhmä on siellä🤷♂️ bluesky-map.theo.io
And now, for something completely different: speaking at @uudenajanalku.bsky.social Early Modern Research Days on continuities of medieval spirituality in the earliest recorded Finnish charm (and what do the Birgittines have to do with it) from @katikallio.bsky.social @sksfinlit.bsky.social project.
This week I participated in Medieval Materialities and Intellectualities #MeMI workshop on digital methods with a presentation on "AI and programming your own scripts in text reuse analysis". There was also lively discussion on the future of digital methods in medieval studies. #Medievalsky
New professors' inaugural lectures @helsinki.fi: Eetu Mäkelä (@jiemakel.bsky.social), Professor of Digital Humanities, presenting on possibilities and limitations of using artificial intelligence in analyzing complex signals in large humanities datasets.
In my free time, I serve as vice chair for the parish council of Helsinki Cathedral Parish. A new dean will be elected for the parish in December. I think the best one for the job is the bright Bible scholar and brave ecclesiastical debater, Doctor of Theology Päivi Vähäkangas. Share if you agree!
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Finnish Historical Society. Interesting discussions on the impact of digital humanities and artificial intelligence on the study of history, and on the mission of historical research in society.
Hymn "Veni creator spiritus" (Helsinki, National Library of Finland, F.m. IV.69, f. 2v, fragmenta.kansalliskirjasto.fi/viewer/fragm...)
What does a medievalist do on a Friday night? For example, participates to a singing workshop by @kansalliskirjasto.fi project www.kansalliskirjasto.fi/en/projects/.... This time we sang Bridgettine nuns' chants from Naantali fragments led by wonderful Hilkka-Liisa Vuori.
Paluumatkalla Wormsin Burkhard-konferenssista. Kuluneet kaksi päivää ovat tarjonneet uusia näkökulmia Burkhardin Decretumin (ensimmäinen laajalti levinnyt kaanonkokoelma) rakenteeseen ja leviämiseen, sekä herättäneet uusia ajatuksia omaankin tutkimukseeni investituurariidan poleemisista teksteistä.
Suuntaa Wormsiin kuulemaan varhaisen kanonisen oikeuden systematisoijan, Wormsin piispa Burkhardin (1000–1025) kuoleman tuhatvuotismuistokonferenssia, jonka järjestää www.burchards-dekret-digital.de -editioprojekti. Vaikuttava puhujalista ja kiinnostavia esitelmiä luvassa!
Laura Kolbe, Professor of European History at University of Helsinki, delivering her farewell lecture at University of Helsinki, entitled "My Europe, My City, My University", recurrent themes in her research. Thanks to an inspiring and insightful teacher, and above all, an academic role model!
Pia Widén försvarar sin avhandling, en banbrytande jämförande studie av strategiskt alumniengagemang vid universiteten i Cambridge, Uppsala, Harvard, Helsingfors och Penn State 1840–2018, med prof. Laura Kolbe som kustos och prof. @johanostling.bsky.social som opponent (hdl.handle.net/10138/599570).
@villekaariainen.bsky.social defending his thesis (hdl.handle.net/10138/597941) on state formation and the interaction of state and local society in 17th-century peripheric Eastern Finland based on a comprehensive analysis of parish court records, eg. spatial analysis of the effect of distances.
Esimerkkinä työpajassa tekemäni nopea visualisaatio Database of Medieval Publishing Networks -projektin (dmpn.helsinki.fi#/) paikkatietodatasta keskiajan julkaisukeskuksista, karkeasti institutionaalisen ja ammattimaisen käsikirjoitustuotannon sekä varhaisen kirjapainotuotannon aikakausiin jaettuna.