Sissel Undheim

@unsissel

Religious studies professor @University of Bergen, studying religion in Late Antiquity, Lego, pop culture and public schools.

926 Siguiendo1593 Seguidores214 Publicaciones

Bluesky

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y unsissel.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· 2d

Terracotta sirens with charming individualized faces. Not only their songs that can make you drawn to them, I guess. 🎶 Ex votos at Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria. 📸 me Museum description in ALT

From the museum label text: "Ex votos from the sanctuary of contrada Mannella at Locri."
"7. Siren, with a bird body and female head. 8. Votive figures of sirens of Locrian production. Exotic objects of Eastern production (Egypt, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Rhodes)"

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· 24d

From the Prime Minister's speech here just a few days ago, on 22 July: #MosaicMonday www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new...

Screen shot of text. For the whole speech, follow the link in the post.

"reeds and a bird. Some have been asking when will the steel structure be removed? The answer is never, because it supports this beautiful mosaic and shows us that we support one another.

The monument links together the city and the island of Utøya. The names of all 77 victims are engraved in the steel beam at the bottom. And when we look towards the mosaic, we are in fact also looking towards Utøya."

Screen shot of text. For the whole speech, follow the link in the post.

"These trees, and their roots, have survived. They are 'upholding'. The reeds and the bird in the mosaic seem fragile, much like life itself.
But nature - and we are all part of nature too -is also robust. Like the steel that preserved Picasso and Nesjar's 'The Seagull", and which now protects another bird, in another landscape."

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· 25d

Matias Faldbakken’s "En opprettholdelse" ('Upholding'), a mosaic consisting of 300 000 pieces framed by a blue steel rig. Commemorating the killings at Utøya and Regjeringskvartalet 22. July 2011. #MosaicMonday on a Sunday morning in Oslo ❤️‍🩹

Monumental 300 000 tesserae black and white mosaic depicting a fragile wading bird and its upside-down reflection in the water, surrounded by thin reeds, framed and supported (also partially) over the motif by a massive blue steel rig. The sun only reaches the upper half, leaving the bird's reflection in the lower half in the shadow.

Side view shoving the monochrome red back and the blue rig of the mosaic Upholding (Matias Faldbakken, 2026).

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· 25d

The laconic museum label (also given in the alt in the image here and above).

Text: Decorazione pittorica di una nicchia con Aiace e Cassandra Dalla Necropoli di Porto all'Isola Sacra, tomba 87

Pictorial decoration of a niche with Ajax and Cassandra From the Necropolis of Portus on the Isola Sacra, tomb 87

Meta del II secolo d.C. / Mid-2nd century AD Intonaco dipinto (affresco)/ Painted plaster (fresco)

Inv 10115

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· 26d

So much to say, and much written by wise and erudite experts, but what really haunts me after seeing Nolan's The Odyssey is this faded fresco from the museum at Ostia Antica. (I should perhaps label this with a #spoileralert, or maybe it's just me)

Cassasanda clinging to the altar and statue of Athena while Ajax forecefully drags her away from it. The motif is well known in myth as well as visual art.

From the museum's label:
"Decorazione pittorica di una nicchia con Aiace e Cassandra Dalla Necropoli di Porto all'Isola Sacra, tomba 87

Pictorial decoration of a niche with Ajax and Cassandra
From the Necropolis of Portus on the Isola Sacra, tomb 87
Meta del II secolo d.C. / Mid-2nd century AD Intonaco dipinto (affresco)/ Painted plaster (fresco)
Inv 10115

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jul 21

Constantine and I, - for scale.

Photo of the reconstructed colossal statue of Constantine the Great in the gardens of the Musei Capitolini, Rome. Me in front for scale.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jul 10

Glad Hadrian let Agrippa shine. I actually walked by Pantheon yesterday and couldn't help thinking about the potential of this ongoing drama for teaching Roman inscriptions: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Image of inscription where Trump's name was added to the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Photo from this article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/30/trump-kennedy-center-nye-band-cancellation

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jul 5

Lar meg rive med.

Street art av Pøbel, sett fra Bryne stasjon. Feirende Erling Braut Haaland. Tekst: "Snakk med fødne så går helste alt aent godt"

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jul 2

Look at these beautiful titles and covers! Was so thrilled to have them all in my mail box and now on my living room table. #tinyjoys #newbooks

Three books: Emily Wilson's Crossing the wine-dark sea, Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne's Fiction and education in the Roman world + Anna Bonnell Freidin's Birthing Romans.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 19

Sirius is always eager to contribute.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 16

Hector's funeral. 190-200 AD Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Antiquités Grecques,Étrusques et Romaines. Inv. MR 793 ; Ma 353 collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/5335... #SarcophagusSaturday 📸 me

To the left, Piam (in Phrygian cap) kneeling, pleading Achilles (not shown/preserved) to return his son. The whole scene appears very crowded and with a lot of movement, with Trojans accompanying Priam and Greek men in the background. The body of Hector, carried by two men, is foregrounded and occupies the central space of the relief. Mourning women, identified as Andromache, Cassandra and Hecuba, together with Hector’s son Astyanax, to the right of Hector's body.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 9

#tinyjoys ❤️🖤

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 7

Text on the sign outside the gate:
"PORTERIE DU GRAND COUVENT

XVe - XVIII siecle

Cette porte du XVIII siecle marque l'entrée de la porterie du Grand Couvent, monastere de femmes fondé par saint Césaire en 508 et comportant un cloître, des bấtiments conventuels et plusieurs églises. L'abbaye Saint-Césaire fut un des plus grands établissements religieux de la ville d'Arles
jusqu'a la Révolution Francaise.
Les abbesses, élues chaque année
étaient les filles des familles nobles d'Arles."

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 7

Still thinking about that time I went looking for Caesarius of Arles' monastery for women, and found this street art on the wall by the entrance.

Street art in Arles 2023. Seemingly elaborately framed version of Élisabeth Vigée-Le Brun's portrait of her daughter, Julie Le Brun, where the girl's face is covered by a black scarf mask with a red circle A.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· May 1

Oedipus and the Sphinx #FrescoFriday #VillaSanMarco 📸 me

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Apr 15

As seen in context centrally placed towards the lower part of the wall: #frescoFriday

Large part of the wall with elaborate and detailed decorations, some so-called"Egyptian style" and Egyptian deities. Also botanical elements near the floor.
Dark (faded black) background. The winged snake centrally placed on a horisontal band decorated with tiny figures. Villa dei Misteri, Pompeii

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Apr 15

One of my favourite characters from the Villa dei Misteri: a tiny winged snake with a cool crown-like head ornament. #frescoFriday

Winged snake with a head ornament, posing elegantly on an elevated kylix-like "plate". Square frame, black background.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Apr 10

Another Narcissus, this time for #FrescoFriday From the house of Octavius Quartio in Pompeii. 📸 me

Male figure seated on a large rock at the center of the mural, his face reflected in the water below.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Mar 25

Narcissus and Cupid, from Villa del Petraro, frigidarium 17 Stucco, c. AD 79 On display at Museo archeologico di Stabiae. #ReliefWednesday 📸 me

Text in the museum's description:

Seated Narcissus is reflected in the
water beside a cupid with a torch
Villa del Petraro, frigidarium 17
Stucco, c. AD 79
61002

Narciso seduto si specchia
nell'acqua, accanto un amorino
con fiaccola

Villa del Petraro, frigidarium 17
Stucco, 79 d.C. ca.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Mar 15

Search your camera roll for hell.

Photo of hallway with text indicating direction toward: "Hell Congress Hall". Taken in the lobby of Scandic Hotel Hell, Norway.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jan 31

#fetchforever 😅 #tinyjoys

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jan 31

Patiently waiting for the ball and a round of fetch. #tinyjoys

Snow covered field w/black dog in grey sweater decorated with a smiling Mickey Mouse motif on the back.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jan 6

The museum's description of the "Sarcophage dit de la Nativité".

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Jan 6

Lovely Epiphany scene on this late 4th century sarcophagus at the Musée départemental Arles antique. Note the star above Mary's head 🌟 And the two smiling animals.

Central scene on a late 4th century sarcophagus, divided in two square "boxes". Baby Jesus in the manger centrally placed, with ox and ass facing him and seemingly smiling. Mary on his left, with the star above her head. A shepherd on the right. The three magi in the "box" below, apparently discussing and pointing to the scene above them.
Musée départemental Arles antique. Photo: me. Photo of the museum's description will be posted below.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Nov 22

Have a happy and relaxed #Caturday! #CatsofPompeii

Tabby cat sleeping in the middle of the Pompeii street (via Consolare, at the porta Ercolano).
Photo: me, 17.11.2025

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Nov 21

More Stabia beauty for #FrescoFriday, with this reader immersed in his scroll. From Villa Arianna.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Nov 21

Suffering severe #sblaar / #aarsbl fomo, but spending some days in Stabia and Pompei do help. And it's #FrescoFriday! #VillaSanMarco

Part of wall fresco at Villa San Marco in Stabia. Lower part of the panel in dark red background, small female figure dressed in yellow over blue long dress standing at the bottom, holding the partly veiled Palladium (?) and a downward pointed rod. Upper panel:light background, female, semi-dressed, sitting with her back and face turned towards the viewer, holding a lyre. Panel framed by delicate gold pattern on left side and a slim solid golden column on the right.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Oct 11

#Caturday #CatsofGreece #Twins 😻😻

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Oct 4

Don't jump on the couch!

Sign at the site of ancient Thorikos, Greece. Yellow attention triangle above a round red/white/black sign that looks like a human standing on a crossed out couch.

Sissel Undheim@unsissel· Sep 24

I am teaching New Age spirituality this week, so I went through some old photos on my camera and found this perfect conversation starter.