Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I discuss the research for the upcoming experimental essay film Sleeping Glaciers Breathing Slowly, which explores how Alpine populations experienced and interpreted the appearance of ‘sky fires’ during the Little Ice Age.

Paper long abstract:

During the so-called Little Ice Age (approx. 1560 – 1700 CE), the average temperature in central Europe dropped about 2°C, which resulted in extremely cold winters, growing glaciers, spoiled harvests, and severe famines, and fueled newly emerging profit-oriented forms of commerce. In this paper, I discuss the research for the experimental essay film Sleeping Glaciers Breathing Slowly, which departs from a collection of illustrated newspapers from the 1560s and explores how Alpine populations experienced and interpreted the unusual meteorological events, in particular the appearance of the northern lights, so called ‘sky fires.’ Tracing the story of the Little Ice Age into the present, the film reconsiders the history of the Little Ice Age to question past and present forms of adaptation to environmental crisis. The paper thereby explores the role of sound and the practice of deep listening to encounter experiences of change in past and present Alpine landscapes.