OVERVIEW

The course is aimed at analyzing the various interrelations between history and literature in the Germanic Middle Ages, paying particular attention to the linguistic and cultural aspects of the Germanic literary production from a historic and comparative perspective.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing the instruments for the understanding of the linguistic and cultural evolution of the Western and Northern Germanic languages during the Middle Ages.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and skills: students will learn about Germanic culture and its position in critical and historiographical debate, paying particular attention to the Medieval languages and literatures. They will be able to analyse Medieval Germanic texts from a philological-linguistic and philological-literary point of view. On the basis of the study of the problems and methods of textual criticism, they will be able to use critical editions and other instruments, such as historical grammars and dictionaries.

PREREQUISITES

Solid knowlege of Modern English and/or modern German; basic knowledge of General linguistics and/or Literary Citicism.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lectures with the support of the online education platform Aulaweb

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• The concept of “history” among the Germanic peoples in the High Middle Ages
• The sources for the history of the Western and Northern Germanic peoples
• Legendary and literary elements in Germanic historiography
• Historical nuclei in Germanic heroic tradition
• Historical character in Germanic heroic tradition
• Interrelations between history and literature in the English Middle Ages
• Interrelations between history and literature in the German Middle Ages
• Interrelations between history and literature in the Scandinavian Middle Ages

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Materiali inerenti al Corso LM dell’a.a. 2020-2021” ed.  C. Händl (see aulaweb);

- La Battaglia di Maldon. Introduzione, traduzione, note e glossario a cura di Roberto Rosselli del Turco, Alessandria, Edizioni dell’Orso, 2009;

- Ludwigslied. Canto di Ludovico. Introduzione e commento, a cura di Claudia Händl, Alessandria, Edizione dell’Orso, 1990

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLAUDIA THERESIA HANDL (President)

CHIARA BENATI

DAVIDE AGOSTINO FINCO (Substitute)

PAOLO MARELLI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First week of the second semester

Class schedule

GERMANIC PHILOLOGY LM

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam (for further details see below "Assessment methods")

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral exam will deal with all the course topics, paying particular attention to the student’s ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the philological analysis of Medieval Germanic texts. Further questions will deal with the texts (in English or German) chosen by the candidate to complete his/her preparation. The evaluation will not only take into account the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course topics (class notes, syllabus, bibliography and other materials on the platform Aulaweb), but also his/her ability to use appropriate language and specific terminology and to discuss critically the notions acquired during the course.

Exam schedule