- Department: English and Related Literature
- Credit value: 30 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
The poetry, sagas, and myths of Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia represent one of the unexpected treasures of world literature, and have also been a major influence on many modern writers - from W.H. Auden to Seamus Heaney, J.R.R. Tolkien to Neil Gaiman.
Mostly collected or composed in Iceland, there are three main genres of writing in Old Norse, all of which will be sampled in this module: Eddic verse, which comprises mythological poetry about the Norse gods (e.g. Odin, Thor, etc) and heroic poetry about Germanic heroes (e.g. Sigurd the dragon-slayer); skaldic verse, which represents courtly praise-poetry for Viking Age kings; and the Icelandic sagas themselves, gripping and stylish tales set in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Texts to be studied will include the mythological and legendary poems of the Edda, and also Njal’s Saga, Grettir’s Saga, and Egil’s Saga (York itself was the capital of the Viking kingdom in England, and Egil’s Saga records the adventures of one warrior-poet at the court of King Eric Bloodaxe). Recurrent themes and concerns will include pagan myth and heroic legend, conversion and Christianization, migration and settlement, gender and society, feud and violence, and the relationship between orality and literary tradition. Most texts will be read in translation, but the module will also include instruction, from scratch, in the fundamentals of the Old Norse language, and this will be an important element in the course.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Spring Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
The aim of this module is to introduce students to some of the richness and variety of Old Norse literature, both poetry and prose, and to develop a basic reading knowledge of the language.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
Demonstrate an informed understanding of and engagement with the a number of core Old Norse texts and the major genres of Old Norse literature.
Demonstrate an informed understanding of and engagement with the historical and cultural contexts of Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia (especially Iceland).
Examine key debates and critical contexts in studying a remote and different culture.
Develop arguments and ideas which demonstrate a proficiency in critical thinking, research, and writing skills.
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of Old Norse, and an understanding of some of the key issues at stake in the act of translation.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 70 |
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 30 |
None
You will be given the opportunity to hand in a 1000 word formative essay in week 1 of the summer term, to help with your preparation for the week 7 summative essay. Material from this essay may be re-visited in your summative essay and it is therefore an early chance to work through material that might be used in assessed work. This essay will be submitted in hard copy and your tutor will annotate it and return it two weeks later.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 70 |
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 30 |
Full details of the texts studied on this module will be given, and may include: The Poetic Edda, Njal’s Saga, Grettir’s Saga, and Egil’s Saga.