MEDIEVAL/HISTORY/RELIG ST 112 — THE WORLD OF LATE ANTIQUITY (200-900 C.E.)
4 credits.
History of the Mediterranean World from the late Roman Empire to the development of distinct European, Byzantine and Islamic civilizations (ca. 200-900 CE). Special attention will be paid to the rise and development of Christianity and Islam.
MEDIEVAL/LITTRANS 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.
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.
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.
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/HIST SCI 322 — ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL SCIENCE
3 credits.
Scientific ideas and institutions from the beginnings of Greek philosophy to the Renaissance.
MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/RELIG ST/SCAND ST 342 — NORDIC MYTHOLOGY
3 credits.
Mythology, literature, ritual, traditions, medieval folklore, and religion from Nordic areas and Scandinavia.
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.
MEDIEVAL/FOLKLORE/LITTRANS 346 — IN TRANSLATION: THE ICELANDIC SAGAS
3-4 credits.
Gain an understanding of saga literature as a genre and of the cultural history of Iceland in the Viking Era and the Middle Ages, based on the interplay between pagan codes of honor and Christian ethics.
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.
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.
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 — LITERATURA DE LA EDAD MEDIA CASTELLANA (SS. XII-XV)
3 credits.
The study of a particular author, work, topic, or literary genre of the Middle Ages and/or Early Renaissance (through15th century): Poema de mio Cid, mester de juglaria, Libro de buen amor, mester de clerecia, El conde Lucanor, La Celestina, etc.
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.
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.
MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 503 — SURVEY OF MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
3 credits.
Introduction to major 13th and 14th-century Castilian works.
MEDIEVAL/SPANISH 504 — SURVEY OF MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
3 credits.
Introduction to major 14th and 15th-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.
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 701 — INTRODUCTION TO OLD FRENCH
3 credits.
Introduction to Old French with an emphasis on reading. Taught in French.
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/FRENCH 705 — LA LITTERATURE FRANCAISE DES DEBUTS JUSQU A LA FIN DU XIII SIECLE
3 credits.
Study of important medieval literary works up to the 13th century. 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.