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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures : Celtic

Undergraduate Course: Early Irish Literature (CELT10012)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Literatures, Languages and Cultures CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryEarly Irish Literature complements the philologically based courses Early Irish Texts 1 & 2. Early Irish Literature will introduce senior undergraduate and incoming postgraduate students to the rich literary tradition of medieval Ireland. The course will focus on reading texts within their contemporary medieval context, and on developing a full picture of the diversity of the early Irish literary tradition. It will also explore contemporary medieval approaches to the interpretation and description of the literature.

After a brief survey of the sources and an outline of critical approaches, we shall focus on a particular genre or class of texts each week. Individual topics include Vision and Voyage literature, the pseudo-historical tradition, the Ulster Cycle, hagiographical, allegorical, and satirical literature, and narrative and lyric poetry. For each session, the basis for discussion will be the primary texts (in translation), supplemented by seminal critical reading.
Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the characteristics of key genres of Medieval Gaelic literature (in English translation)
  2. assess the qualities of this material as literature, drawing on scholarly evaluation as well as detailed close-reading of the primary texts
  3. demonstrate an understanding of primary texts in the contexts of their origin and preservation
  4. demonstrate an understanding of the role of the purveyors of this literature (poets, scholars, scribes, translators) in the context of their society, era, and historical environments
  5. demonstrate competence in transferable skills, e.g., close engagement with texts, critical evaluation of sources, independent reading, oral presentation, coherent and clearly structured writing, time management
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Course URL http://www.arts.ed.ac.uk/celtic/
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Kate Mathis
Tel:
Email: Kate.Mathis@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Sheila Strathdee
Tel: (0131 6)50 3619
Email: S.Strathdee@ed.ac.uk
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