Undergraduate Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Studies 2022-2023

This course gives you an exciting introduction to the Celtic and Germanic worlds. In lectures and small-group tutorials, we will explore the peoples who inhabited western and central Europe in Antiquity. We will discuss their cultures and their interactions with Greece and Rome. The course also covers the fates of these cultures in the post-Roman world. Change over time will provide a major driver of the course: for instance, empire and its effect; the history and impact of the "barbarian"; the successive impacts of Roman religion and of Christianity, and how they were represented in mediaeval "heroic" literature.

This course gives students an introduction to the modern Irish language. It covers basic conversation skills, and the structures of the language, through the use of songs, videos and speaking practice in class. It is open to those with little or no knowledge of the language.

This course introduces the oldest vernacular literature of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, beginning in the sixth century AD. We explore heroic narratives featuring, for example, the Scandinavian monster-fighter Beowulf (immortalized in England’s first epic poem), the Irish warrior Cú Chulainn (hero of the Táin) and the tragic Welsh princess Branwen, caught up in a fatal power-struggle between Wales and Ireland. We examine praise-poetry, meditative poetry, and look at mythological tales about the old gods and voyages to Otherworld isles in the western ocean.

This course provides an introduction to Gaelic Ireland from the eighteenth century to the present, a period of great historical trauma but also of unrivalled literary expression across many genres, from courtly poetry to the folk song, the autobiography and the novel. Reference will be made throughout to the political upheavals in which Gaelic Ireland was refashioned, alongside other key themes including the changing status of the Irish language, and Ireland's relationship with the rest of Europe. Though much Gaelic writing of this period closely reflect the bleakness of history, it has also been a vehicle for joyful affirmation, comedy, and tragic grandeur and resilience.

This course will provide an introduction to the language of the Anglo-Saxons. It will focus on grammatical study of the language, and translating basic Anglo-Saxon passages into modern English. It will be based on a new version of the Old English course designed by Dr Duncan Macrae-Gibson, an eminent Anglo-Saxonist and inspirational lecturer at Aberdeen. This 21st-century version of the course (published by Aberdeen University Press) will include traditional and online elements. The course will give students the opportunity to begin learning the language in which 'Beowulf' and many other fascinating poems and prose texts were composed.

The course provides a basic introduction to Old Gaelic, and is an exciting option for students who are interested in exploring the history of modern Scottish Gaelic, and/or curious about Celtic grammatical structures. We will read some basic texts in the original language. Any previous language study will be an advantage. Old Gaelic is the earliest form of a Celtic language which we can reconstruct with some certainty. It holds the key to the earliest vernacular literature north of the Alps, and is the earliest attested form of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic.

This course will provide the opportunity for self-motivated students to pursue in-depth exploration of a specific topic in Celtic and/or Anglo-Saxon Studies. It gives students an opportunity for intensive engagement in a specific area within the research field of an individual staff member, and can be arranged as preparatory work towards a dissertation. The content of this course varies depending on the topic chosen, but the course focuses on enhancing the student's knowledge and research skills in the specified topic. Students interested in taking the course MUST discuss their specific interest before the course begins with a possible supervisor and with the Programme Co-ordinator (Aideen O'Leary).

This course will explore developments in religious beliefs and practices in the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon worlds (especially Scotland and Ireland) from 400 to 1200. Topics included will include some or all of the following: conversion to Christianity, saints and monasteries, the production of saints’ Lives and other texts, heresies real and alleged, Culdee works and teachings, apocryphal texts and prophecies, the influence of canon law, effects brought about by Vikings, and the wide-ranging reforms of the twelfth century. 

This course will provide an introduction to the language of the Anglo-Saxons. It will focus on grammatical study of the language, and translating basic Anglo-Saxon passages into modern English. It will be based on a new version of the Old English course designed by Dr Duncan Macrae-Gibson, an eminent Anglo-Saxonist and inspirational lecturer at Aberdeen. This 21st-century version of the course (published by Aberdeen University Press)  will include traditional and online elements. The course will give students the opportunity to begin learning the language in which 'Beowulf' and many other fascinating poems and prose texts were composed.

The course provides a basic introduction to Old Gaelic, and is an exciting option for students who are interested in exploring the history of modern Scottish Gaelic, and/or curious about Celtic grammatical structures. We will read some basic texts in the original language. Any previous language study will be an advantage. Old Gaelic is the earliest form of a Celtic language which we can reconstruct with some certainty. It holds the key to the earliest vernacular literature north of the Alps, and is the earliest attested form of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic.

This course will provide the opportunity for students to pursue in-depth exploration of a specific topic in Celtic and/or Anglo-Saxon Studies. It gives students an opportunity for intensive engagement in a specific area within the research field of an individual staff member, and can be arranged as preparatory work towards a dissertation. The content of this course may vary, but the course focuses on enhancing the student's knowledge and research skills in the specified topic. Students interested in taking the course should discuss their specific interest in advance, where possible, with the Programme Co-ordinator and a possible supervisor.

This course will explore developments in religious beliefs and practices in the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon worlds (especially Scotland and Ireland) from 400 to 1200. Topics included will include some or all of the following: conversion to Christianity, saints and monasteries, the production of saints’ Lives and other texts, heresies real and alleged, Culdee works and teachings, apocryphal texts and prophecies, the influence of canon law, effects brought about by Vikings, and the wide-ranging reforms of the twelfth century. 

The Dissertation in Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies is for Senior Honours students registered in the Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies degree programme. It will consist of approximately 3 one-hour tutorials, to provide students with guidance on selecting a suitable academic topic and developing a methodology for tackling this topic.