Literature 1 - The Celtic Heroic Age

This module introduces the students to different types of so-called heroic literature from sources relating to the Ancient Celtic Continent, to Medieval Ireland and Wales, and to High Medieval European courts. On the one hand, heroic literature comprises texts that relate to warrior-dominated societies (e.g. classical accounts about ancient Gauls, the Welsh Gododdin, or the Ulster cycle), but at the same time it also can mean tales that contain narrative motifs that form part of the ?International Heroic Biography?, and which are thus inherently fictional. Exemplary heroic figures in the early Irish (e.g., Cormac mac Airt, Cú Chulainn) and the British literary tradition (e.g., Pryderi, King Arthur) will be studied in the light of international heroic biographical models. It will be critically evaluated if there is something unifyingly ?Celtic? in these accounts and narratives, or if they are better studied as manifestations of universal ideological patterns typical of chieftain societies.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate familiarity with a wide range of medieval Irish heroic tales and some models and parallels in the literatures of other cultures.
- Understand a range of theoretical and critical approaches for the study of heroic literature.
- Appreciate questions relating to the ideological, social and literary functions of heroic narrative.
- Development of analytical, critical and essay-writing skills.

Teaching & Learning Methods:
- Lectures: 24 hours

Assessment:
- Continous Assessment: 50%
- University scheduled written examination: 50%