Description
Old Norse, the medieval precursor to the modern Scandinavian languages, was once heard throughout Europe and beyond. During the Middle Ages Scandinavian ships travelled west to North America and east to Istanbul. The scope and variety of the Old Norse literary corpus matches the remarkable span of these journeys: myths and legends, love- and battle-poetry, prose narratives about kings, adventurers, poets and saints are all found in Old Norse. This module will introduce students to a wide range of Old Norse language and literature, situated within the broader context of the history and culture of Viking and medieval Scandinavia. Students will develop a good understanding of the basics of Old Norse grammar and by the end of the module will be able to translate medieval Icelandic prose and some forms of poetry. They will become familiar with key saga texts and will begin to explore ways in which contemporary scholarship can shed light on the complex but rewarding world of medieval literature.Ìý
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
Ìý