Easter recess

Hello everyone,

Over the past week or so we've read The Voluspa and sections of Islendabok and Egil's Saga

In Egil, we read of Athelstan's rewarding of the viking mercenary Egil for both his victory and for his brother's death.  Today I came across this article on a recently discovered viking hoard, full of looted Anglo-Saxon gold, including two arm rings, complete with runes.


The next week or so is somewhat disrupted by Easter and then a conference that I am away for.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the term.


Friday 25th March: NO CLASS, Easter.

Monday 28th March: NO CLASS, Easter.

Wednesday 30th March: NO CLASS: Prof away at a conference.

Friday 1st April: NO CLASS: Prof away at a conference.

 ---- please use these two classes to work on your essays, due April 4th.

Monday 4th April: The Wanderer (in Anthology), and essays are due.

Wednesday 6th April: The Seafarer (in Anthology).

Friday 8th April: Final class and review.

Research essay

Research Essay: due Monday 4th April, in class. 

This research essay should be c. 2500 words. It should make use of secondary criticism, and will a theme or area of interest the extends across one or more texts.  Penalties for late submission of the research essay will be 5% per day (unless an extension has been agreed beforehand, or in case of medical emergency).

Essays should you one of the standard citation formats (MLA, Chicago, etc).

Essay question:

Write an essay on any aspect of Anglo-Saxon or Norse culture and/or Literature that we have covered in this course (texts, contexts, themes, etc). The idea of the research essay is that you follow up an interest or idea that has captivated you (or at least mildly interested you) and see where it takes you.

Please feel free to discuss ideas and possibilities with me, in person or via email.


Best wishes,

Dr Rouse

Week 10: The North

This week we'll be moving on to some Icelandic material.

-----

Monday 14th - Friday 18th we'll read

The Old Norse Myth of Creation (524)

The Sybil's Prophecy (pp. 591-608)

Book of the Icelanders (638 f.)

The Saga of Erik the Red (643 f.)

The Saga of Egill Skalla Grimsson (651 f.)

The Saga of Grettir the Strong (702 f.)

Week 9: Burials and Ruins

On Monday we finished discussing Beowulf

We talked about supersession, burials, the end of the heroic age, the burial of gold, and many other things.  If you missed it, I am sad.


On Wednesday we will be reading and discussing The Ruin, one of the finest Old English poems.


Friday 11th we will be reading Wulf and Eadwacer (p. 232 f) and The Wife's Lament (p. 248).

Week 8: Beowulf Week the second

Last week we discussed (amongst other things):

Mon:

- the question of the Christian interpolator (poet) of the manuscript narrative.

- the notion of supersession. From Grendelkin to Danes, from Danes to Geats, from Geats to Swedes, from the pagan heroic world to that of the Christian Anglo-Saxons.

- the question of the noble heathen.

Wed:

- Shield Shefing, the fatherless ancestor of the Danes, and the model of a good king.

- Grendel vs. Beowulf.

- monsters and identity construction.

- the hall vs the darkness

Friday:

- more on intimate others, on entwining, on difference and similarity.

- Grendel's mere, the other watery hall, the uncanny.

- on eating children, and how there's nothing absolutely wrong with that.

- on female monsters, and the identity work they do.



If you are interested, here is the Beowulf manuscript page.


This coming week, we'll move on to think about some more aspects of the poem, including:

- the rest of the Grendel's mother fight.

- the Dragon

- the role of women in Beowulf

- on revenge and feud as a theme

- on objects and history

Week 7: Beowulf week the first

We'll be reading and discussing Beowulf for the next two or so weeks.

We won't be going through the text in a linear fashion, but rather we'll be taking a thematic approach to the text.

On Monday, let's start with the monsters, and think about how the monstrous operates within the poem.

Things to consider:

- Grendel and his kin.
- Monstrousness and Heroism
- How we understand the Dragon

You might like to read J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Monsters and the Critics' essay.

On Wednesday, I thought we might look at "Kingship", from Scyld Scefing to Hrothgar to Beowulf, and the other examples of kingship along the way, i.e. Heremod.


We'll decide on other themes to discuss as we go along.

See you all on Monday.

RR

No Class this Friday

Remember, no class this Friday (the 12th Feb).

Have a great Reading Week.

Your 343 reading is Beowulf.  All of it.

Enjoy!

Dr Rouse