Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:05
Primordial giants, godlike ‘immortals’, elves, leprechauns, trolls, water-monsters and the walking dead: uncanny Otherworldly beings feature widely in the literature of the Celtic and Germanic Middle Ages, as its Christian authors reimagined their cultures’ pagan pasts. Drawing primarily on Gaelic and Norse-Icelandic literature, this course will explore how these beings were conceptualized, how (if at all) they related to pre-Christian myth and religion, and why they continued to be significant to these cultures many centuries after Christianization.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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The literature composed by Christian authors in the Celtic and Germanic Middle Ages is bursting with references to, and descriptions of, a wide range of uncanny or supernatural beings, many of which are thought to originate in pagan myth and religion: giants, gods, goddesses, elves, fairies, dwarves, leprechauns, valkyries, dragons, water-monsters, trolls, and spirits of the battlefield or wilderness. This course explores how these beings were conceptualized, how (if at all) they related to pre-Christian myth and religion, and why they continued to be significant to these cultures many centuries after Christianization. Its main source-material is drawn from Gaelic and Norse-Icelandic sagas, poetry and mythography, which provide by far the most detail on these matters; but it will include comparisons with Welsh, Anglo-Saxon, Middle English and Scots parallels where appropriate.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 31 | Feedback Weeks | 34 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback and one-to-one discussion on feedback with the marker will be provided on essay 1 in time to inform work on essay 2. |
Word Count | 1500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Ability to analyse how mediaeval texts make use of mythological figures and narratives. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability to compare mythological representations in diverse Celtic and Germanic literary traditions. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understanding manifestations of mythology in mediaeval literature, within the context of changes in religious belief. |
| Procedural | Apply | Ability to plan and execute critical essays displaying the above skills. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Students will be assessed partly in terms of their ability to participate in tutorial discussion in a way which shows that they have read the set texts and thought about the questions set for tutorial preparation. Part of their participation (as has worked well in CE1037) will comprise presenting several short informal presentations during the semester, working in small groups within the tutorial to produce some illustrative Powerpoint slides or a handout, along with a 5-minute talk. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Ability to analyse how mediaeval texts make use of mythological figures and narratives. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability to compare mythological representations in diverse Celtic and Germanic literary traditions. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understanding manifestations of mythology in mediaeval literature, within the context of changes in religious belief. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 35 | Feedback Weeks | 38 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback provided on Turnitin. One-to-one discussion with marker provided after that. |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Ability to analyse how mediaeval texts make use of mythological figures and narratives. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability to compare mythological representations in diverse Celtic and Germanic literary traditions. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understanding manifestations of mythology in mediaeval literature, within the context of changes in religious belief. |
| Procedural | Apply | Ability to plan and execute critical essays displaying the above skills. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | Word Count | 2000 | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | Understanding manifestations of mythology in mediaeval literature, within the context of changes in religious belief. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Ability to compare mythological representations in diverse Celtic and Germanic literary traditions. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Ability to analyse how mediaeval texts make use of mythological figures and narratives. |
| Procedural | Apply | Ability to plan and execute critical essays displaying the above skills. |
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