CELTIC

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Overview

This course provides an introduction to the cultures of the Celtic and Germanic peoples who inhabited western and central Europe in the period of Classical Antiquity, their interactions with Graeco-Roman civilisation, 500BC-AD500, and their fates in the post-Roman world of the European early Middle Ages. Change over time will provide a major driver of the course: empire and its effect; the history and impact of the "barbarian"; the successive impacts of Roman religion and of Christianity, and the ways in which they were represented in the "heroic" literature of the Middle Ages.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), an essay of approx. 2,000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and tutorial participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Prof. R O'Connor

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Overview

This course will provide an introduction to the changing cultures of the early, mediaeval North, especially as seen through the prism of interaction between the Germanic and Insular Celtic peoples. The course will be intercultural and interdisciplinary, designed to engage students with interests in language, law and/or literature.

Structure

2 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), an essay of approx. 2,000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and tutorial participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Overview

The course provides a survey of literature on Arthur in the Middle Ages, focusing on early Welsh and Gaelic sources, related Scandinavian literature and French, Welsh and English romances. It includes discussion of broader themes and questions posed by the literature, e.g. whether Arthur could have been a real person, how the Arthurian legend evolved over time and in different areas of Europe, and why the character has been elevated to iconic status.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), an essay of approx. 2,000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and tutorial participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Notes

This course is not available in 2013/14.

Overview

The Viking Age (A.D. 800-1100) was an era of vigorous economic and political change in western Europe. Scandinavian assaults and conquests changed many of the social norms of early mediaeval Europe, as did the development of urban culture and international trade associated with vikings' activities. Vernacular literatures developed with outstanding results in the Insular zone, attested by fascinating texts in English, Gaelic, Scandinavian, and Welsh. Scotland provides in microcosm an intense realisation of all these trends; the subject-matter of this course is, therefore, particularly useful and locally appropriate.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), an essay of approx. 2000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and tutorial participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None, although some knowledge of Irish might be an advantage.

Notes

This course will be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

Detailed discussion of topics including the history of Gaelic Ireland from the eighteenth century onwards; and the aims and achievements of all genres of literature in modern Irish, e.g. vision-poems and prose diaries. The course will also cover the major twentieth-century poets and their motivations, eg. self-discovery, urban/rural tension and commentary on political and social aspects of their own day.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%); essay of 2,000-2,500 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%); tutorial participation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation skills will be provided in individual meetings.

Feedback

Written feedback will be provided via comments on assessments. Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation skills will be provided in individual meetings.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Notes

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

Greek and Roman interactions with, and perceptions of, Celtic and Germanic peoples will form the central theme of this course. It includes in-depth discussion of migrations, material cultures and pre-Christian belief-systems. We will also analyse individual Classical authors' motives and judgments in relation to Celts and Germani, and how these perceptions evolved against the background of the emerging Roman Empire. In addition the course involves discussion of broader themes and questions posed by the sources, e.g. the portrayals of Celtic and Germanic peoples in Greek and Roman art, and the possible uses by Celtic and Anglo-Saxon literatures of Classical texts.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 one-hour tutorial per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), an essay of approx. 2000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and tutorial participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 and 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Cannot be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other half of the Honours curriculum.

Co-requisites

A basic knowledge of Gaelic, Welsh, Latin, Historical Linguistics, or at least one other language.

Notes

This course will not be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course provides a basic introduction to Old Irish - the earliest form of a Celtic language which we can reconstruct with some certainty. Old Irish holds the key to the earliest vernacular literature north of the Alps. It is also of prime importance to comparative Celtic Philology, as it is the earliest attested form of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic. The course consists of an exposition of Old Irish grammar accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages in Old Irish.

Level 4: The course provides a basic introduction to Old Irish - the earliest form of a Celtic language which we can reconstruct with some certainty. Old Irish holds the key to the earliest vernacular literature north of the Alps. It is also of prime importance to comparative Celtic Philology, as it is the earliest attested form of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic. The course consists of an exposition of Old Irish grammar accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages in Old Irish. The course will also take some account of the similarities and differences between Old Irish and the other Insular Celtic languages.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment; Language Exercises (40%); 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Feedback

Feedback is given in writing on students' work. Informal feedback is provided verbally each week in response to students' translations etc.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Knowledge of a Celtic language or another language or historical linguistics or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course will be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of the grammar of a Brittonic language accompanied by appropriate translation-exercise and grammatical interpretation of selected passages.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment: Translation Exercises (40%) which have to be done every week; 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Feedback

Feedback is provided verbally based on students' regular translations. Written feedback is provided on students' submitted work.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R O'Connor

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course will be available in 2013/14.

This course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum alongside Level 4.

Overview

Mediaeval Irish and Icelandic sagas represent the largest and most varied, and certainly the most entertaining, body of vernacular prose narrative in existence in early mediaeval Europe. Although not widely known beyond their countries of origin, they contain some of the North's most distinctive and impressive contributions to world literature. Drawing on common oral and literary traditions from the North Atlantic cultural zone, these tales dramatize the legendary past by populating it with larger-than-life heroes whose deeds and misdeeds were felt to define the meaning of that past for mediaeval audiences. These two bodies of northern literature are usually studied in isolation, but this course will place them side by side. It will explore narratives ranging from heroic tales of cattle-raids and bloodfeuds to stories about the living dead and quests to the otherworlds of the Western and Arctic oceans. The tales will be analysed (in translation) from literary and historical perspectives. The course falls into two halves. It will first explore the kinds of stories these sagas tell and similarities and differences between their 'narrative worlds'. It will then turn to the questions of how, when and why this literature was produced, and how we can best appreciate it, especially in regard to what kinds of 'heroes' its protagonists are.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture followed by 1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of 2,000 words (30%) and seminar participation (10%).
Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Students are formatively assessed on their seminar performance according to criteria clearly explained at the beginning of the course.

Feedback

Students are given feedback weekly in the form of written corrections to submitted work and advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A. O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This course will not be available in 2013/14.

Overview

This course examines how and why stories and images of a mythical Celtic past came to haunt the modern Western imagination, focusing in particular on Anglophone Britain and Ireland since c. 1760. The Celtic cultures in which these stories were originally produced suffered disastrous political setbacks in the early modern period; but these stories soon attracted much learned and popular interest outside the Celtic-speaking world. Here, sometimes transformed beyond recognition, they have served new purposes: literary, social, religious, political, and musical. We will trace these metamorphoses by examining the forms and functions of Celtic legendary narrative in (for example) Romantic literature, art and music; Scottish and Irish national revival movements; twentieth-century Anglophone literature; and the New Age movement. Alongside these transformations of myth and legend, the course will critically examine the evolving concept of 'the Celt' in cultural and racial discourse from the Enlightenment to the present day, and how it colours our perceptions of Celtic-speaking cultures past and present.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week. In the lectures, the tutor will provide essential background information; in the seminar, students will engage in informal presentations and group discussion of primary and secondary sources. Some lecture sessions may be replaced by seminars where a topic last for more than one week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of 2000 words (30%) and seminar participation (10%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Students are assessed formatively on their seminar performance according to criteria clearly explained at the start of the course.

Feedback

Students are given feedback weekly in the form of written corrections to submitted work and advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R O'Connor

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 and 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is not available in 2013/14.

Overview

The literature of the Celtic and Germanic Middle Ages is famous for its tragic tales of ill-starred romance and forbidden love, as well as for the frankness and freshness with which its poetry explores the subject of sexual attraction. This course will explore how the interwoven themes of love, sex and romance were dramatized in Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon stories and poetry. Topics covered will include some or all of the following: the love-triangle in Celtic and Norse narrative, maiden-kings and cross-dressing in Norse romance, amorous trolls, sexual insults, the stepmother as temptress, the bride as peace-weaver in heroic society, elopements and abductions, otherworldly lovers, lyrics of requited and unrequited love, and sexual humour.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 2000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%) plus submission of all coursework

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 and 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

A distinctive sub-Roman polymorphous script-form and mode of book-production was created in Celtic Britain and Ireland in the fifth or sixth century; this has long since been named 'Insular'. These forms gained remarkable European diffusion over succeeding centuries, being used at varying times as far afield as Italy and Scandinavia (and perhaps Ukraine!), particularly through the activities of English and Gaelic clergy. After about 1200, Insular script and book-production became purely Gaelic modes, albeit used for both vernacular and Latin writing. Printing in Irish extended over some four centuries from the later sixteenth century, in forms adapted from Insular script; this Gaelic type was used in Irish governmental publications from independence in 1921/2 until 1948, and 'Irish' (that is, Insular) script was taught in schools during the same period. In sum, this script-form had a life of about 1500 years and, at the height of its popularity, was a much more general European phenomenon.
This course provides an in-depth introduction to Insular script and Insular book-production. The student will, from the start, work with examples of the script and learn to read, describe, date, and localise its various forms. The history of the Insular book is an essential component of any understanding of mediaeval Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultures.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour seminar, and 2 one-hour practical classes per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (100%)

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Students will complete numerous formative practical class-exercises.

Discussion of students' progress will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 and 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

A rich legal literature, at once ecclesiastical and secular, descriptive and prescriptive, has survived from both England and the Celtic-speaking countries from the late sixth/early seventh century to the twelfth. Almost by definition, this literature deals with almost every aspect of earlier mediaeval society. It is complemented by narrative and poetic literature which dwells, both by precept and by providing exemplars, on the ideal and the undesirable aspects of human nature and society. This course is devoted both to legal thought and to law operative in society, in both Celtic-speaking and English-speaking countries.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour sources class, and 1 one-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 2000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of Introduction to Old Gaelic IA or IB.

Notes

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course will not be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of Old Irish grammar accompanied by the translation and grammatical interpretation of selected passages in Old Irish.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment: Language Exercises (40%) and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

See Gaelic Handbook for detailed explanation.

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Feedback

Feedback is provided to students in response to their regular translation tasks in class. Written feedback is given for their continuous assessment and examination.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of Brittonic Language IA or IB.

Notes

The course cannot be included as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course will be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of the grammar of a Brittonic language accompanied by reading, translation exercise and grammatical interpretation of selected passages of text.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st attempt: Continuous assessment: translation Exercises (40%) which have to be done every week and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Feedback

Feedback is provided verbally based on students' regular translations. Written feedback is provided on students' submitted work.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R Millar

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in programme year 3 or above, or by permission of the Head of School

Notes

This course will not be available in 2013/14.

Overview

For 'barbarian' varieties, the Germanic languages are recorded relatively early, with Gothic first being written down in the fourth century, around the same time as the first Runic inscriptions. This course allows you to appreciate the linguistic diversity of the early Germanic languages -- Gothic, 'North-West Germanic', Old High German (the ancestor of Modern German), Old Saxon (the ancestor of modern Low German) and Old East Norse (the forerunner of both Swedish and Danish) -- in a scholarly framework which includes both an understanding of how languages change and the social and cultural framework from which it developed.

Structure

1 two-hour language seminar and 1 one-hour informal lecture per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Two 2000-2500 word essays (35% each);
one linguistic analysis (1500-2000 words for both)of texts from two languages from a choice of four (20%);
seminar performance (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will be given throughout the course, in particular as a large part of the course will concentrate on pre-prepared analysis presented to the group as a whole. Students will also be welcome to dicuss their performance at any time.

Feedback

Written feedback will be given on all written work. The seminar assessment mark will be given alongside a written report explaining the mark. There will also be regular opportunities for students to receive oral feedback on class performance and class work.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 and 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is available in session 2013/14.

Overview

At the end of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages, Celtic and Germanic kingship had a perhaps superficial structural similarity. Germanic kingship had shallow roots, however. Celtic kingship, on the other hand, enjoyed a very long history and solidly established foundations. The post-colonial situation in Britain (and more generally in western Europe at large) brought great change. Christianity offered new (Jewish and Roman) methods of rulership. For the Gaelic world, on the other hand, in conjunction with a largely peaceful receipt of Christianity, continuity is the watchword. Both practice and theory of kingship in a changing world are abundantly attested in a rich variety of sources, documentary, linguistic, literary, and material: full advantage will be taken of these resources, with close attention given to the intercultural and interdisciplinary study of primary sources.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour sources class, and 1 one-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 2000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%)

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School. Cannot be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with CE 3063: Introduction to Old Gaelic I A.

Co-requisites

A basic knowledge of Gaelic, Welsh, Latin or Historical Linguistics.

Notes

This course will not be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course provides a basic introduction to Old Irish - the earliest form of a Celtic language which we can reconstruct with some certainty. Old Irish holds the key to the earliest vernacular literature north of the Alps. It is also of prime importance to comparative Celtic Philology, as it is the earliest attested form of both Irish and Scottish Gaelic. The course consists of an exposition of Old Irish grammar accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages in Old Irish. The course will also take some account of the similarities and differences between Old Irish and the other Insular Celtic languages.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: Languages Exercises (40%), and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School. Cannot be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with CE 3074 Brittonic Language IA.

Notes

This course will be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of the grammar of a Brittonic language accompanied by appropriate translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages of text.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: Translation Exercises (40%) which have to be done every week, and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R O'Connor

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course will be available in 2013/14.

This course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum alongside Level 3.

Overview

Mediaeval Irish and Icelandic sagas represent the largest and most varied, and certainly the most entertaining, body of vernacular prose narrative in existence in early mediaeval Europe. Although not widely known beyond their countries of origin, they contain some of the North's most distinctive and impressive contributions to world literature. Drawing on common oral and literary traditions from the North Atlantic cultural zone, these tales dramatize the legendary past by populating it with larger-than-life heroes whose deeds and misdeeds were felt to define the meaning of that past for mediaeval audiences. These two bodies of northern literature are usually studied in isolation, but this course will place them side by side. It will explore narratives ranging from heroic tales of cattle-raids and bloodfeuds to stories about the living dead and quests to the otherworlds of the Western and Arctic oceans. The tales will be analysed (in translation) from literary and historical perspectives. The course falls into two halves. It will first explore the kinds of stories these sagas tell and similarities and differences between their 'narrative worlds'. It will then turn to the questions of how, when and why this literature was produced, and how we can best appreciate it, especially in regard to what kinds of 'heroes' its protagonists are.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture followed by 1 two-hour seminar per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of 2,000 words (30%) and seminar participation (10%).

Formative Assessment

Students are formatively assessed on their seminar performance according to criteria clearly explained at the beginning of the course.

Feedback

Students are given feedback weekly in the form of written corrections to submitted work and advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A. O'Leary

Pre-requisites

None.

Notes

This course will not be available in 2013/14.

Overview

This course examines how and why stories and images of a mythical Celtic past came to haunt the modern Western imagination, focusing in particular on Anglophone Britain and Ireland since c. 1760. The Celtic cultures in which these stories were originally produced suffered disastrous political setbacks in the early modern period; but these stories soon attracted much learned and popular interest outside the Celtic-speaking world. Here, sometimes transformed beyond recognition, they have served new purposes: literary, social, religious, political, and musical. We will trace these metamorphoses by examining the forms and functions of Celtic legendary narrative in (for example) Romantic literature, art and music; Scottish and Irish national revival movements; twentieth-century Anglophone literature; and the New Age movement. Alongside these transformations of myth and legend, the course will critically examine the evolving concept of 'the Celt' in cultural and racial discourse from the Enlightenment to the present day, and how it colours our perceptions of Celtic-speaking cultures past and present.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week. In the lectures, the tutor will provide essential background information; in the seminar, students will engage in informal presentations and group discussion of primary and secondary sources. Some lecture sessions may be replaced by seminars where a topic last for more than one week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of 2000 words (30%) and seminar participation (10%).

Formative Assessment

Students are assessed formatively on their seminar performance according to criteria clearly explained at the start of the course.

Feedback

Students are given feedback weekly in the form of written corrections to submitted work and advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Prof. R. O'Connor

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The literature of the Celtic and Germanic Middle Ages is famous for its tragic tales of ill-starred romance and forbidden love, as well as for the frankness and freshness with which its poetry explores the subject of sexual attraction. This course will explore how the interwoven themes of love, sex and romance were dramatized in Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon stories and poetry. Topics covered will include some or all of the following: the love-triangle in Celtic and Norse narrative, maiden-kings and cross-dressing in Norse romance, amorous trolls, sexual insults, the stepmother as temptress, the bride as peace-weaver in heroic society, elopements and abductions, otherworldly lovers, lyrics of requited and unrequited love, and sexual humour.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 3500 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

In addition, the Level 4 course will offer more complex examination and essay questions than the Level 3 course.

Resit: Not available

For level 4 students only: candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit a new essay.

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

A distinctive sub-Roman polymorphous script-form and mode of book-production was created in Celtic Britain and Ireland in the fifth or sixth century; this has long since been named 'Insular'. These forms gained remarkable European diffusion over succeeding centuries, being used at varying times as far afield as Italy and Scandinavia (and perhaps Ukraine!), particularly through the activities of English and Gaelic clergy. After about 1200, Insular script and book-production became purely Gaelic modes, albeit used for both vernacular and Latin writing. Printing in Irish extended over some four centuries from the later sixteenth century, in forms adapted from Insular script; this Gaelic type was used in Irish governmental publications from independence in 1921/2 until 1948, and 'Irish' (that is, Insular) script was taught in schools during the same period. In sum, this script-form had a life of about 1500 years and, at the height of its popularity, was a much more general European phenomenon.
This course provides an in-depth introduction to Insular script and Insular book-production. The student will, from the start, work with examples of the script and learn to read, describe, date, and localise its various forms. The history of the Insular book is an essential component of any understanding of mediaeval Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultures.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour seminar, and 2 one-hour practical classes per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (100%). The Level 4 examination will offer more complex questions than the Level 3 examination: in addition to specific questions on Insular script and manuscripts, Level 4 students will be asked to analyse, and to judge between, competing scholarly interpretations of Insular script and Insular book-production.

In addition, the Level 4 course will offer more complex formative exercises than the Level 3 course.

Resit: not available

For level 4 students only: candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit an essay.

Formative Assessment

Students will complete numerous formative practical class-exercises.

Discussion of students' progress will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course will not be available in session 2013/14.

Overview

A rich legal literature, at once ecclesiastical and secular, descriptive and prescriptive, has survived from both England and the Celtic-speaking countries from the late sixth/early seventh century to the twelfth. Almost by definition, this literature deals with almost every aspect of earlier mediaeval society. It is complemented by narrative and poetic literature which dwells, both by precept and by providing exemplars, on the ideal and the undesirable aspects of human nature and society. This course is devoted both to legal thought and to law operative in society, in both Celtic-speaking and English-speaking countries.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour sources class, and 1 one-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 3500 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

In addition, the Level 4 course will offer more complex examination and essay questions than the Level 3 course.

Resit: not available

For level 4 students only: candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit an essay.

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A. O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to Senior Honours Celtic Studies or Celtic Civilisation Students.

Overview

Approximately 3 one-hour tutorials which will provide students with guidance on selecting a suitable academic topic and developing a methodology for tackling this topic.

Structure

Approximately 3 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Dissertation 10000-11000 words (100%)

Resit: None

Formative Assessment

Formative assesment takes place in the discussions with the supervior of the dissertation

Feedback

Written feedback is provided after the dissertation is submitted.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A. O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to Senior Honours Celtic Civilisation Students.

Overview

3 one-hour tutorials which will provide students with guidance on selecting a suitable academic topic and developing a methodology for tackling this topic.

Structure

3 one-hour tutorials.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 10,000 word dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School. Cannot be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with CE 3563: Introduction to Old Gaelic IIA.

Successful completion of CE 4063 Old Gaelic IIA.

Notes

This course is not available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of Old Irish grammar accompanied by the translation and grammatical interpretation of selected passages in Old Irish. The course will also take some account of the similarities and differences between Old Irish and the other Insular Celtic languages.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: Language exercises (40%), and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School. Cannot be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with CE 3574: Brittonic Language IIA.

Co-requisites

Successful completion of Brittonic Language IB.

Notes

This course is available in session 2013/14.

Overview

The course consists of an exposition of the grammar of a Brittonic language accompanied by reading, translation exercises and grammatical interpretation of selected passages of text.

Structure

Three hours of classes per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: In-course assessment: Translation Exercises (40%) which have to be done every week, and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr R Millar

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in programme year 4 or by permission of the Head of School. Students who have taken Comparative Germanic Philology A may not take this course.

Notes

This course is not available in 2013/14.

Overview

For 'barbarian' varieties, the Germanic languages are recorded relatively early, with Gothic first being written down in the fourth century, around the same time as the first Runic inscriptions. This course allows you to appreciate the linguistic diversity of the early Germanic languages -- Gothic, 'North-West Germanic', Old High German (the ancestor of Modern German), Old Saxon (the ancestor of modern Low German) and Old East Norse (the forerunner of both Swedish and Danish) -- in a scholarly framework which includes both an understanding of how languages change and the social and cultural framework from which it developed.

Structure

1 two-hour language seminar and 1 one-hour informal lecture per week.

Assessment

1st Attempt: Two 2500-3000 word essays (35% each);
one linguistic analysis (750 words for each) of texts from three languages from a choice of four (20%);
seminar performance (10%)

Resit: Not applicable.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will be given throughout the course, in particular as a large part of the course will concentrate on pre-prepared analysis presented to the group as a whole. Students will also be welcome to dicuss their performance at any time.

Feedback

Written feedback will be given on all written work. The seminar assessment mark will be given alongside a written report explaining the mark. There will also be regular opportunities for students to receive oral feedback on class performance and class work.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor D Dumville

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 or by permission of the Head of School.

Notes

This course is available to students on all degree programmes (other than Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies) as a Discipline Breadth course for the enhanced study requirement.

The course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with its counterpart in the other Honours year.

This course will be available in 2013/14.

Overview

At the end of Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages, Celtic and Germanic kingship had a perhaps superficial structural similarity. Germanic kingship had shallow roots, however. Celtic kingship, on the other hand, enjoyed a very long history and solidly established foundations. The post-colonial situation in Britain (and more generally in western Europe at large) brought great change. Christianity offered new (Jewish and Roman) methods of rulership. For the Gaelic world, on the other hand, in conjunction with a largely peaceful receipt of Christianity, continuity is the watchword. Both practice and theory of kingship in a changing world are abundantly attested in a rich variety of sources, documentary, linguistic, literary, and material: full advantage will be taken of these resources, with close attention given to the intercultural and interdisciplinary study of primary sources.

Structure

1 one-hour lecture, 1 one-hour sources class, and 1 one-hour seminar per week

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (60%), in-course assessment essay of approx. 3500 words, including references but excluding bibliography (30%), and seminar participation (10%)

In addition, the Level 4 course will offer more complex examination and essay questions than the Level 3 course.

Resit: not available

For level 4 students only: candidates achieving a CAS mark of 6-8 may be awarded compensatory level 1 credit. Candidates achieving a CAS mark of less than 6 will be required to submit a new essay.

Formative Assessment

Discussion of students' progress in writing and participation will be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Feedback

Written assessments are given CAS marks, and written feedback is communicated to students using the School of Language and Literature essay cover sheets. Feedback will also be provided in scheduled individual meetings and/or in the instructor's office hours.

Students are given weekly feedback in the form of advice delivered verbally in class, both to individuals and to the whole class.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A O'Leary

Pre-requisites

Available only to Senior Honours Celtic & Anglo-Saxon Studies students

Overview

With the guidance of a supervisor, in approximately 3 one-hour tutorials, students will select an academic research topic in Celtic and/or Anglo-Saxon Studies and plan their research.

Structure

Approximately 3 one-hour tutorials

Assessment

1st Attempt: Dissertation of approximately 10000-11000 words, including references but excluding bibliography (100%)

Resit: not applicable

Formative Assessment

Discussion of the student's progress in researching and writing the dissertation is provided in scheduled individual tutorials with the supervisor.

Feedback

Feedback on the student's progress in researching and writing the dissertation is provided in scheduled individual tutorials with the supervisor.

Written feedback is provided after the dissertation is submitted, and the dissertation is given a CAS mark.