Scottish Gaelic Verse: The Making of the Tradition (CT0093)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-CT0093

This course examines the anonymous song-poetry which stands in contrast to the 'court' tradition of panegyric and learned poetry of the seventeenth century. Neglected by most of the early collectors, it has been regarded by some critics as containing some of the most powerful Gaelic poetry extant. The course will consider (1) questions of definition, range and subject matter, authorship and transmission; (2) the evidence of the orain luaidh, which raise all these questions in acute form; (3) the relationship between these 'sub-literary' compositions and the rest of the Gaelic tradition; and (4) the assessment of these songs from a literary point of view.

The lecture in the first hour will be delivered in English. The tutorial in the second hour is available in either Gaelic or English, dependent on individual degree programmes.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Celtic, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
14/09/2007	12:00	13:00			Leabharlann, 19 George Square

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students of this course have the opportunity to explore a branch of Gaelic literature which is sometimes overlooked, and to gain insights into the problems surrounding such issues as genre, orality, metrical and musical form, and popular literature.

Assessment Information

Students are required to undertake two assignments: (1) a literary or literary-historical essay (2,000-2,500 words), and (2) a presentation delivered in class and then written up (1,500-2,000 words) containing an analysis of the metrical structure or textual transmission or language or imagery of a specific text or cluster of texts.

Equal weight is given to assessed course-work and to the Degree Examination. The two class-work assignments are each worth 25% and the Degree Examination is worth 50% of the overall mark for the course. The Degree Examination consists of a single 2-hour paper.