For the first time the Manx Museum is to give a free subtitled public lecture using its own equipment.

The museum has chosen ’Deaf and Dauntless’ by Gareth Foulkes as its first lecture to subtitle in-house.

Katie King, community outreach officer for Manx National Heritage, said: ’We are delighted to be working with StageTEXT for the very first time, who will help the museum to provide live subtitling of our Deaf and Dauntless lecture so that everyone can enjoy it.

’We hope to obtain valuable feedback on this service after the lecture to review whether this is something the Manx public would benefit from at future lectures.

’The Manx Museum is also delighted to welcome Gareth back to the Isle of Man to share his fascinating research on the Vikings with us.’

Mr Foulkes returns to the Manx Museum of Thursday, September 28, to deliver the lecture, ’Deaf and Dauntless -the Portrayal of Disability in Norse Sagas and early Celtic Literature’.

The free public lecture will focus on how disability, in particular deafness, is portrayed through Viking sagas and what this can tell us about attitudes towards disabilities in Viking and Celtic societies.

Gareth said: ’It would appear that a number of the Viking gods included representations of disability - Odin had one eye, Hodor was blind and Tyr only had one hand. 

’The Icelandic poem "Havamal" gives clues as to how people with disabilities were accepted within Viking/ orse society.

’I will also explain more about who sought safety in the ’The Valley of the Deaf’, and why warriors returning from the "Cauldron of Rebirth" could not speak.

’I will also be focusing on the unusual practice of using ear bones as votive offerings during this period - including an example discovered on the island.’

The public lecture, with live subtitling, takes place at the Manx Museum Lecture Theatre at 6pm on Thursday, September 28.

Tickets are free and can be obtained via Eventbrite, accessible from the museum’s website and social media pages.