I.LI 1- ..J :::, c:: <( I- ..J 0 ~ Associate professor of English and sponsol' of the Kolbitor Club, Dr. Larry Hunt reads from "The Poetic Edda,·· on Jan. 26. The Kolbitar Club began to reud the book, which was a collection ofold trayic literature from Jcelund. at the beginning of the spl'iny semester. I Photo by Kazu Fujisawu By Toria Parrett Dr. Greg Laing and Dr. Larry Hunt, associate professors of English, began bonding over a shared love of medieval literature when Laing joined the Harding faculty in 2010. After discovering their shared appreciation for the time period, Hunt proposed the idea of forming the now active English club, the Kolbitar Club. Hunt said the idea for the club came from a faculty group formed at Oxford University by authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien called The Coal-Biters who wanted to learn the Icelandic language. The name was a reference to medieval times and those who would sit around the fire listening to the Icelandic and Germanic myths and legends being told, so much so they would appear to be "biting" the coal of the fire. These myths and legends were what the original Coal-Biters studied and drew their own writings from. Hunt said the club offered students the opportunity to meet like-minded students who were also interested in exploring this type of literature in a way that might not be done in a typical class. "It was not a student-initiated club," Hunt said. "Greg Laing and I are both medievalists, and we just thought it would be an interesting club to have. We sponsor the club because we already like the material, but I like interacting with the students who come." The Kolbitar Club members spent their meetings analyzing works such as 'The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Hobbit," visiting a local blacksmith and learning to write using a medieval alphabet called "runes." Laing said while all of these activities were meant to explore the literature and the culture around it, he had also seen the spiritual application it taught the students. "One ofthe things that Ifind most rewarding with this club is that Lewis and Tolkien were both avid Christians," Laing said. "They used their storytelling as a way to advance their spirituality, and they were doing it by looking at non-Christian texts. It is kind of rewarding to consider the way that you can take something that is overtly pagan and think about the elements that ring true to a Christian reader. I love the way that this club tries to find general truth wherever it can." Junior club member Jonathon Lance said being involved in the club taught him about the formation of his own culture in addition to medieval culture. "I think that this club would be a good fit for anyone who wants to·learn a bit more about how our own culture was shaped, how humans interact with one another and the world around them through the example of one group of cultures, or who wants to hear and learn more about really good stories," Lance said. "I think that it is a part of human nature to enjoy and respond to stories, and the Norse have many good stories that deserve to be told and retold." ,\IISCELLANEOl' S CLl' BS 27,"i
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