Im WiSe 23/24 können wir unseren Studierenden je ein BA- und ein MA/MEd-Seminar im Bereich Englische Literatur bis 1700 zusätzlich anbieten.

Die Anmeldung für beide Kurse erfolgt direkt über das Geschäftszimmer: es-geschaeftszimmer@rub.de. 

B.A.-Seminar, Aufbaumodul Englische Literatur bis 1700 (050 628)

An Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, 4 CP
2 st. di 10-12 | IC 03/449 | Majewski
There are many reasons why people go on pilgrimages. Some people have religious motives, others wish to find inner peace or go on new adventures. In one of the most famous pilgrimages in medieval English literature, Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (ca. 1387-1400), a group of pilgrims from different social ranks travels from London to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket. On the way to Canterbury, each of the pilgrims tells a tale as part of a story-telling contest. The 24 narrators and their highly entertaining and poetic tales offer unique glimpses into the medieval world. In this seminar, we will read and interpret some of the Canterbury Tales, for example, those by illustrious figures such as the Knight, the Wife of Bath, and the Miller. Students will get to know different literary genres (e.g. romance, fabliaux) and learn about the cultural and socio-historical background of the time. They will furthermore be familiarized with important features of the Middle English language (e.g. historical phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexis).
No prior knowledge of Middle English is required. Students are, however, expected to engage with Middle English in order to read, translate, and analyse selected passages in the original.
Assessment/requirements: Übung: active participation, preparation of assignments throughout the semester; 5-6-page essay; Seminar: active participation, preparation of assignments throughout the semester; 10-12-page term paper.

M.A.-Seminar, Englische Literatur bis 1700 (050 710)

Runes and Runic Writing in Anglo-Saxon England and Beyond, 5 CP
2 st. di 12-14 | IC 03/449 | Majewski
Runes and runic writing have made an increasing appearance in popular culture and entertainment media; two recent examples are the video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020) and the film The Northman (2022). To critically reflect these modern uses of the runic script, it is essential to understand what historical (English) runes are.
In the first half of this seminar, students will be introduced to runic writing in medieval England and to the methodologies involved in academic runology. They will learn to transliterate and interpret a selection of Old English runic inscriptions. The importance of interdisciplinary research will become apparent when they analyse runic inscriptions preserved on different materials, for instance on bone, metal, stone, pottery, or wood, and on different objects such as bracteates, coins, crosses, jewelry, gravestones, memorial stones, tools, and weapons. In addition to epigraphic runes, runes in manuscripts will also be included. In the second half of the seminar, we will adopt a critical approach to today’s use of runes, based on the knowledge we have gathered about historical runes. For instance, we will discuss the functions of runes in video games and in TV series, and look at invented runic scripts such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Cirth.
Assessment/requirements: Übung: active participation, thorough preparation of the primary and secondary material, presentation; Seminar: active participation, thorough preparation of the primary and secondary material, term paper (10-15 pages).