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Semester 2

Old Norse Literature and Society (ELCS10039)

Subject

European Languages and Cultures - Scandinavian

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

4

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

In order to be eligible to take 4th Year Options, Visiting Students should have the equivalent of at least two years of study at University level of the appropriate language(s) and culture(s)

Course Summary

This course provides an overview of societal, cultural and literary developments in the North Atlantic island of Iceland, from its settlement in the late 9th Century through the end of its Commonwealth Period in the later part of the 13th Century. The main focus of the course is the rich literary heritage of medieval Iceland. Students will engage with a representative selection of texts, covering a range of genres and topics. By undertaking guided readings and analysis against a background of pertinent historical, and cultural developments, the course will review the value of these texts as literary artefacts and historical source materials.

Course Description

Old Norse Literature & Society begins with an overview of the discovery and settlement of Iceland in the 9th century AD, highlighting the cultural background and worldview of the colonists, and serving as an introduction to the society they established. The focus then turns to the state Conversion of Iceland to Christianity at the end of the first millennium, and the wider significance of the associated process of 'literisation'. We will consider how the art and tradition of writing was used by both the Christian Church and secular elite to promote and safeguard their interests, before moving on to discuss the origins and significance of more specifically literary genres, as defined in recent scholarship. Topics to be covered will typically include early historiography, poetry and paganism, bloodfeud and balance in the Family Sagas, the format and features of Icelandic 'Romance', Royal Biography, and the societal importance of the gift. The individual texts and extracts studied will include appropriate illustrative examples of history-writing, skaldic and eddic verse, sagas from several different genres, and þættir. All texts will be studied in translation into modern English. While the aesthetic qualities of these texts will be examined, the main focus of our reading will be the contextualised analysis of themes, tropes and content. By considering the historical, cultural, and political context within which the material was written, we will explore the extent to which it can be used to understand the beliefs and societal concerns of the authors, and in some cases, their ancestors. Students enrolled on the PG variant of this course will participate in five additional tutorials to help broaden and deepen their understanding of the topics under consideration. Breakdown of Learning & Teaching Activities: Students will begin each week by watching some short videos as an introduction to the specific themes to be studied [Asynchronous]. The videos are linked to further resources and core reading materials, available via the course Learn page [Asynchronous]. Engaging with these materials is essential for participation in the weekly seminars. Depending on class size, students will also be assigned to small autonomous learning groups for the purpose of preparing for the synchronous weekly seminars, focusing on several questions relating to the week's specified themes, and taking turns to act as the Discussion Group Leader. The weekly Discussion Group Leader(s) will then lead the whole-class discussion in the seminar that follows [Synchronous]. NB: PG students will also give a presentation on an assigned topic at one of the five additional PG-only Tutorials [Synchronous]. Summative Assessment: Following each weeks learning and teaching activities, students will complete a computer-marked Multiple-Choice Quiz via Learn [Asynchronous]. The Quiz will test whether they have absorbed and understood the factual underpinning of a named theme from the required readings. Each week's Quiz will have to be completed before 5pm on Friday of the relevant teaching week. Over the first 5 weeks of the course, all students will also formulate draft essay proposals, in which they identify and develop a viable topic for a discursive essay. This will be submitted in Week 5, with formative feedback provided within the following week. Students will submit their final essay proposal for grading and feedback by the end of the following week. The deadline for submitting course essays will be in the exam weeks which follow the end of the course. Potentially Re-Traumatising Content: In this course, we will be discussing content that may be re-traumatising to some students. Some of the themes covered may touch upon issues which are misogynistic, homophobic or foreground physical violence. We believe in the importance of engaging with this material, so please rest assured that we will work with you to ensure you can participate fully and demonstrate your achievement of the learning outcomes of the course, without compromising your wellbeing or your academic development. If you have concerns at any point, we invite you to approach the course organiser Alan.Macniven@ed.ac.uk to discuss how we can best support you in your work on this course. We affirm that you will be treated with dignity and respect in all discussions and at every stage of the course.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

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