Undergraduate Course: Classical Gaelic Verse (CELT10013)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Celtic |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/celtic/ |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course gives a detailed overview of the work of the learned Gaelic poets in Scotland and Ireland of the period c. 1200-c. 1650. After an introduction to the Classical Gaelic language in which these poets composed and the linguistic practice and culture of the bardic schools in which they underwent their training, the course considers the metrical rules and principles of dán díreach, the complex syllabic metres used in this poetry. In the second part of the course, a range of literary themes are considered, including the ways in which professional training and teaching are depicted in the poetry; the relationship between poet and patron and the literary conventions and expressions to which it gave rise; and the conceptualisation and literary depiction of sovereignty and lordship. The final part of the course looks in detail at the work of two important poets from the beginning and end of the classical period: Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh (fl. c. 1180-c. 1228) and his descendant Cathal MacMhuirich (fl. 1618-c. 1661). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Please note pre-requisite requirements as stated above. Visiting students will be expected to demonstrate an equivalent level of competence in Irish or Scottish Gaelic. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| The aims of the course are to develop (1) a facility in handling Gaelic syllabic verse of the Early Modern ('Classical') period, (2) an understanding of the metrical and linguistic basis of the poetry of this period, (3) a sense of the professional activity and court milieu which lies behind the Classical poetry, and (4) some direct familiarity with the primary and secondary resources for the study of the period and its literature. |
Assessment Information
| Equal weight is given to assessed course work and to the Degree Examination. Students are required to undertake two course work assignments. One assignment consists of an essay (c. 2,000-2,500 words in length), on an appropriate topic to be chosen in consultation with the Lecturers, and the other is a presentation (delivered to the class and then presented in written form, c. 1,000-1,500 words in length) concerning a specific topic relating to the taught content of the course. The essay is worth 25%, the presentation is 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 to be sat in the May diet. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Anja Gunderloch
Tel: (0131 6)51 1374
Email: A.Gunderloch@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Christina Bould
Tel: (0131 6)50 3622
Email: Chrisma.Bould@ed.ac.uk |
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