ENG 349-01 - Medieval Literature (Fall)

4 credits (Fall)

Cross-listed as: GLS 349-01. Grappling with Beowulf. This seminar will undertake an extensive study of Beowulf by considering how its historical and literary context can be coupled with modern theory to help us appreciate its complexity. The course will survey Old English and Norse literature, including poems, riddles, and sagas, as well historical and religious writings that both reflect and shape the social world of Anglo-Saxon England. All of the readings will be in modern English translations, but we will spend some time discussing features of the Old English language. In addition to studying Beowulf’s sources, we will also consider its legacy and influence, and the course will conclude with a unit on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Prerequisite: ENG 223.
Instructor: Arner