Medieval Epic (CL0189)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : HCA-P-CL0189

In this course two Latin epics from the medieval period, both of German provenance, are studied:

the Waltharius, with its pervasive exploitation of Virgilian and other classical poetry to recast Germanic heroic legend;
the Ruodlieb, with its unique generic blend, its early chivalric features, and its idiosyncratic style.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : PGs Only

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of History and Classics), (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course you should
- have explored some of the distinctive ways in which the epic form was used in the Latin Middle Ages;
- have read in Latin the whole of the Waltharius and a substantial portion of the (fragmentary) Ruodlieb, with due attention to linguistic and stylistic detail and to literary technique;
- be aware of the context within which each of the epics was composed;
- be able to discuss critically interpretative issues which arise from the texts and from a range of scholarship.