Medieval Studies (MEDIEVAL) < University of Wisconsin-Madison

MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/SCAND ST 235 — THE WORLD OF SAGAS

3 credits.

The Icelandic sagas viewed in their social, cultural, and literary contexts. An introduction to one of the greatest bodies of vernacular literature of the early Middle Ages.

Requisites: None

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Elementary
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Fall 2024

Learning Outcomes: 1. Recognize, describe and analyze shifting geographic, cultural, and ethnic/racial factors in the Northern European region during the Viking Age, and put it into context
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Identify and distinguish between different types of sources used in the study of the Nordic region during the Viking Age
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Demonstrate a general understanding of major scholarly approaches, concepts and current research findings concerning the Nordic region during the Viking Age
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Synthesize information, engage in discussion and research, and argue persuasively about key topics in the Nordic region during the Viking Age
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Analyze the connections between images of the Vikings Age and the wider workings of modern culture
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Guide, mentor and support peers to achieve excellence in practice of the discipline
Audience: Undergraduate

7. Work in multi-disciplinary teams to analyze the cultural material from various disciplinary points of view
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/LITTRANS/RELIG ST 253 — OF DEMONS AND ANGELS. DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY

3 credits.

Have you ever wondered about human nature? What is our place in this world? Through readings, videos, and original images, explore and discuss Dante's answers from one of the greatest world literary classics, his Divine Comedy. From Hell, through Purgatory to Paradise, we will travel together with Dante in a universal tale of the journey of the human soul. Along the way, learn about Dante, his life and his works, development of literary history, historical and socio-political context of medieval Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Make connections that cross today's geographic and cultural lines in an exploration of literary topics, the history of ideas, and shared history, pondering universal concepts and patterns in the development of civilization that can still be observed today.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Spring 2025

Learning Outcomes: 1. Learn about Dante Alighieri, his life, and works
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Understand medieval civilization and its human culture(s)
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Describe literary, historical, cultural concepts and phenomena
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Analyze from multiple perspectives a text, a situation, a context
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Synthesize information acquired from primary and secondary sources
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Learn the dangers of anachronism
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/LITTRANS 255 — BLACK DEATH AND MEDIEVAL LIFE THROUGH BOCCACCIO'S DECAMERON

3 credits.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live during the Black Death? Were our medieval and early-modern ancestors different from us, or are we challenged with similar problems? What can we learn from their lives? And, if we could, what could we teach each other? Discuss these topics while reading one of the world's greatest literary classics, Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron, a text that will make us both laugh and cry. Through reading the Decameron, investigate medicine, art, culture, music, politics, religion, interpersonal and transcultural relations, warfare, fashion, gender and gender roles, as well as everyday life in the Middle Ages and early modernity. Also examines medieval written documents, twentieth-century feminist responses to the Decameron and filmic renditions of it, medieval frescoes, historical descriptions of the plague, and modern descriptions of, and reactions to, the COVID-19 pandemic.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Fall 2024

Learning Outcomes: 1. Learn about Giovanni Boccaccio and his Decameron, medieval civilization and its human culture(s)
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Acquire intercultural knowledge and competence and apply them to past and current issues
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Analyze a text, a situation, a context
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Synthesize information acquired from primary and secondary sources
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Learn the dangers of anachronism
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Engage in problem solving
Audience: Undergraduate

7. Develop critical and creative thinking skills
Audience: Undergraduate

8. Engage in effective teamwork
Audience: Undergraduate

9. Design and construct new content based on skills acquired throughout the semester
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/HISTORY/RELIG ST 309 — THE CRUSADES: CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM

3-4 credits.

An examination of the Crusades from both Christian and Islamic perspectives; the historical, social, and religious context and significance of the Crusades for both Christians and Muslims.

MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/RELIG ST/SCAND ST 342 — NORDIC MYTHOLOGY

3 credits.

Mythology, literature, ritual, traditions, medieval folklore, and religion from Nordic areas and Scandinavia.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Fall 2024

Learning Outcomes: 1. Recognize, describe and analyze cultural phenomena, specifically pre-Christian Nordic Religion, and put it into context.
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories, approaches, concepts and current research findings concerning medieval Nordic mythology and religion.
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Synthesize the written and material information and use insight and creativity to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge base from the field.
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Communicate effectively through written essays, oral presentations and discussion.
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Retrieve, analyze, and interpret the professional and lay literature providing information to both professionals and public.
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Guide, mentor and support peers to achieve excellence in practice of the discipline.
Audience: Undergraduate

7. Work in multi-disciplinary teams to analyze the cultural material from various disciplinary points of view
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/LITTRANS/SCAND ST 345 — THE NORDIC STORYTELLER

3 credits.

Exploring the oral nature and performance traditions of folklore, ethnography, tales and ballads, literature and culture from Nordic areas and Scandinavia.

Requisites: Satisfied Communications A requirement

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Spring 2025

Learning Outcomes: 1. Recognize, describe and analyze cultural phenomena, specifically Nordic Narrative, and put it into context.
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories, approaches, concepts and current research findings concerning Nordic Narrative and folklore studies.
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Synthesize the written and material information and use insight and creativity to demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge base from the field.
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Communicate effectively through written essays, oral presentations and discussion.
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Retrieve, analyze, and interpret the professional and lay literature providing information to both professionals and public.
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Work in multi-disciplinary teams to analyze the cultural material from various disciplinary points of view.
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 407 — INTRODUCTORY OLD NORSE

3 credits.

Designed with a linguistic purpose: to obtain a reading knowledge of Old Norse-Icelandic through the study of Old Icelandic grammar and selections of Old Norse-Icelandic texts.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Humanities
Level - Advanced
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Fall 2024

Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate a basic understanding of Old Norse-Icelandic phonology and grammar with a focus on nominal and verbal inflection.
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Read and understand basic Old Norse-Icelandic texts in normalized editions and access more challenging texts with the help of a dictionary.
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Identify the characteristic features of the various genres of Old Norse-Icelandic texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 408 — INTERMEDIATE OLD NORSE

3 credits.

Designed with a linguistic purpose: to obtain a reading knowledge of Old Norse-Icelandic through the study of Old Icelandic grammar and selections of Old Norse-Icelandic texts.

Requisites: SCAND ST/MEDIEVAL 407

Course Designation: Breadth - Humanities
Level - Advanced
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Spring 2025

Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of Old Norse-Icelandic grammar and vocabulary to read Old Norse- Icelandic texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Read and understand basic Old Norse-Icelandic texts in normalized editions and access more challenging texts with the help of a dictionary.
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 409 — SURVEY OF OLD NORSE-ICELANDIC LITERATURE

3 credits.

Eddic and skaldic poetry; homilies and saints' lives, kings' sagas, sagas of the Icelanders; mythical-heroic sagas and romances; rimur.

MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 414 — LITERATURE OF THE CASTILIAN MIDDLE AGE (XII-XV CENTURIES)

3 credits.

The study of a particular author, work, topic, or literary genre of the Middle Ages and/or Early Renaissance (through the 15th century): Poema de mio Cid, mester de juglaria, Libro de buen amor, mester de clerecia, El conde Lucanor, La Celestina, etc.

Requisites: (CHICLA/SPANISH 222 or SPANISH 223) and SPANISH 224

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Advanced
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: Yes, unlimited number of completions

Last Taught: Spring 2023

Learning Outcomes: 1. Analyze Castilian medieval literary texts (12th to 15th century).
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Describe the historical, political, social, and cultural context of medieval Castile.
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Apply communication skills in reading, speaking, listening, and writing in Spanish to analyze the form and content of Medieval texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/ART HIST 415 — TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL ART

3 credits.

Advanced topics in Medieval art. Topics may include: "Death and the Afterlife in Medieval Art"; "Civic Art and Architecture and Public Space in Medieval Italy"; "Rome in the Middle Ages"; "Pilgrimage the Cult of the Saints in Medieval Byzantine Art."

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 423 — TOPIC IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE AND CULTURE

3 credits.

Study of a topic in medieval literature.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 424 — MEDIEVAL DRAMA

3 credits.

Dramatic traditions of medieval England, from early church rituals performed inside quiet monasteries in the tenth century to the elaborate and often raucous urban guild cycles and morality plays of the fifteenth, and with special attention to the significance of spirituality, work, and play in medieval culture.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 425 — MEDIEVAL ROMANCE

3 credits.

Important early form of narrative fiction, covering tales of adventure, magic, courtly love, and King Arthur from the twelfth through the fifteenth century.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 426 — CHAUCERS COURTLY POETRY

3 credits.

Poetry of the most famous and influential medieval English poet, from his short lyrics on love through his dream visions of talking birds and castles built on ice to the historical romance Troilus and Criseyde. Readings will be in the original Middle English; no prior experience with the language is required.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 427 — CHAUCER'S CANTERBURY TALES

3 credits.

Study of the most famous and influential medieval English poet through his best-known work and its playful and profound responses to some of the most pressing literary, social, political, and spiritual issues of his time. Readings will be in the original Middle English; no prior experience with the language is required.

MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 430 — THE VIKINGS

4 credits.

Within a historical framework, a thorough introduction to the culture, literature, and religion of the Vikings.

MEDIEVAL/ITALIAN/RELIG ST 440 — POVERTY, ECOLOGY AND THE ARTS: ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

3 credits.

Focuses on literature about Francis of Assisi, from medieval accounts to contemporary literature, and related artistic portrayals of St. Francis as a religious symbol and model for economic, political and environmental justice.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S
Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Spring 2023

Learning Outcomes: 1. Articulate the significance of Francis of Assisi as a multi-faceted historical, literary and symbolic figure, especially in relation to economic and environmental justice and reform.
Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad

2. Read and assess critically a range of literary genres that employ and depict Francis.
Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad

3. Compare interpretive models of Francis in literature and related artistic media over time and contexts.
Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad

4. Craft cogent written analysis of a literary and religious model such as Francis via selected interdisciplinary methods from religious studies, literary and historical scholarship.
Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad

5. Produce a research paper on a critical aspect of the presentation of Francis in selected works, employing one or more disciplinary approaches covered in the course.
Audience: Graduate

MEDIEVAL/SCAND ST 444 — KALEVALA AND FINNISH FOLK-LORE

4 credits.

Kalevala - the national epic of Finaland - and the oral literature of Finland.

MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/SCAND ST 446 — CELTIC-SCANDINAVIAN CULTURAL INTERRELATIONS

3 credits.

Examination of shared traditions and historical connections between the North and Northwest of Europe. Readings of medieval and pre-modern Scandinavian, Scottish, Welsh and Irish sagas, histories, talkes. Discussion of the role of folklore in modern Celtic and Scandinavian societies.

MEDIEVAL/AFRICAN/JEWISH/RELIG ST 462 — MUSLIMS AND JEWS

3 credits.

Explores the historical relationship between Muslims and Jews in a variety of contexts from the seventh century to the present. Surveys literary and cultural exchanges against the background of shifting political and social conditions across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. Considers also the parallel legacies of anti-Semitism, Orientalism, and Islamophobia. Major themes include comparative religion, secularization, migration, and colonialism, as well as the politics of history and cultural memory. Introduces readings in English translation of medieval and modern texts originally written across languages, and especially in Hebrew and Arabic.

Requisites: Sophomore standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Humanities
Level - Intermediate
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S

Repeatable for Credit: No

Last Taught: Spring 2025

Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate contextual knowledge of major historical events, figures, social conditions, religious communities, and geographies of Muslim Iberia (al-Andalus) from the eighth to sixteenth centuries
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Situate al-Andalus in relation to wider developments in politics, culture, and religion of the Middle East and North Africa, from the eighth century to the present
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Understand the terms and conditions that have shaped Muslim-Jewish relations from the seventh century until the present, including frameworks of theology, lived religious experience, and Orientalist representation
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Integrate relevant theoretical frameworks, debates, and conversations regarding the distinction between historical writing and cultural memory
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Discern divergent and contradictory representations of the history of al-Andalus in contemporary memory culture
Audience: Undergraduate

6. Cultivate skills in textual analysis and evaluate a range of formal and structural elements in written and visual materials across genres (philosophy, literature, religion, film) as well as in primary and secondary historical sources
Audience: Undergraduate

7. Generate original ideas and texts, through coherent writing and compelling argumentation, by experimenting and taking risks, solving problems, and answering questions in a range of media
Audience: Undergraduate

MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 503 — SURVEY OF MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

3 credits.

Introduction to major 13th and 14th-century Castilian works.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 520 — OLD ENGLISH

3 credits.

The elements of Old English grammar with selected readings.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 521 — ADVANCED OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE

3 credits.

An intensive study of a major work or works of Old English, usually focusing on either Beowulf or the poems of a single manuscript. Line-by-line translation of the text will be supplemented by discussion of related issues (whether linguistic, thematic, or contextual) as well as by readings from relevant critical literature. Primary texts will be read in Old English.

MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 541 — OLD SPANISH

3 credits.

Historical Spanish phonology, morphology, and syntax, with application to theories of language variation and change.

MEDIEVAL/LATIN 563 — MEDIAEVAL LATIN

3 credits.

Introduction to chronological, geographical, and generic range of post-classical Latin, including not only the "medieval" period but the late antique, Renaissance, and beyond.

Requisites: LATIN 306 or graduate/professional standing

Course Designation: Breadth - Literature. Counts toward the Humanities req
Level - Advanced
L&S Credit - Counts as Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S
Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement

Repeatable for Credit: Yes, unlimited number of completions

Last Taught: Fall 2023

Learning Outcomes: 1. Analyze ancient classical Latin texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

2. Interpret ancient classical Latin texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

3. Evaluate ancient classical Latin texts.
Audience: Undergraduate

4. Explain and assess the position of the course topic in relation to the classical and near eastern tradition.
Audience: Undergraduate

5. Demonstrate competence in current scholarly approaches to course readings.
Audience: Graduate

MEDIEVAL/GERMAN 651 — INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN

3 credits.

Middle High German grammar and vocabulary with the goals of fluency and accuracy in reading medieval texts. Covers topics in phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon.

MEDIEVAL/ITALIAN 659 — DANTE'S DIVINA COMMEDIA

3 credits.

Lectures on Dante's life and times, reading Divine Comedy.

MEDIEVAL/ITALIAN 671 — THE 13TH CENTURY

3 credits.

Systematic study of the earliest literary texts in Italy; the rise of the love lyric among the Sicilian poets; representative narrative works. The development of the lyric from Guittoe d'Arezzo to the poets of the Dolce Stil Nuovo.

MEDIEVAL 699 — DIRECTED STUDY

1-3 credits.

Advanced directed study projects as arranged with a faculty member.

MEDIEVAL/FRENCH 704 — LA LITTERATURE FRANCAISE DU XIV ET DU XV SIECLE

3 credits.

Study of important literary works of the 14th and 15th centuries. Taught in French.

MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 718 — TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL SPANISH LITERATURE

3 credits.

An advanced topics course focusing on themes, particular authors, individual works, or literary genres in medieval Spanish literature.

MEDIEVAL/GERMAN 755 — OLD GERMANIC LANGUAGES

3 credits.

Old High German, Old Saxon, and Gothic on a rotating basis.

MEDIEVAL/ENGL 803 — TOPICS IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

3 credits.

Study of a topic in Medieval literature.

MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 842 — SEMINAR-MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

3 credits.

Seminar focusing on literary, textual criticism or theoretical topics relevant to Medieval Spanish literature.