Reading and composition in connection with the representation of Scandinavia by outsiders and insiders. Satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement.

“Cattle die, kinsmen die, the self must also die; but the glory of reputation never dies, for the man who can get himself a good one.” -- Hávamál, stanza 76. What makes a hero? Are they defined by their courage or honor? What determines the virtue or a man or woman? How can communities mitigate the destructive power of ambition, avarice, and arrogance? At what point can a hero’s use of violence turn him into a villain? We might find some of these answers within the heroic legends of the North, stories which were recorded against the backdrop of the harsh landscape of fire and ice of Iceland during the High Middle Ages. Though these tales of enigmatic gods, legendary warriors, ethereal shield-maidens, pernicious dragons, and tragic lovers grapple with these and other fundamental human questions, they also offer a glimpse into a period of radical historical transformation, from the pagan warrior societies of the Viking Age to the Christian, literate, centralized kingdoms of medieval Scandinavia. This course will allow us to explore these narratives in their historical, social, and medial context of Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia. Through these lenses, we will consider how premodern societies utilized storytelling to preserve their pasts and shape their futures. Students will acquire and develop analytical tools for interpreting narratives and works of visual art from distant times and places, and for exploring the resonances of heroic legends in modern media such as music, film, TV, graphic novels, and games. Required Texts • The Poetic Edda, translated by Carolyne Larrington, revised edition (Oxford: 2014). ISBN 978-0199675340. • The Saga of the Volsungs, with the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, translated by Jackson Crawford (Indianapolis: 2017). ISBN 978-1624666339. • The Saga of King Hrolf kraki, translated by Jesse Byock (Penguin Classis: 1999). ISBN 978-0140435931. • The Saga of Grettir the Strong, translated by Bernard Scudder (Penguin Classics: 2005). ISBN 978-0140447736. • Further texts will be provided on bCourses.

Requisites

• Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills