First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-1)

Topic

Medieval Sports and Art

Instructors

Bihter Esener

Meeting Info

Shepard Hall B08/B09: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Chariot-racing, archery, tennis, and jousting were just some sports enjoyed over the 1000 years (4th-15th centuries CE) known as the "Middle Ages." Kings and queens, monks and nuns, and nobles and peasants engaged in these to gain athletic prowess, fame, status, wealth, love, sex, and fun. This course examines the powerful visual expressions of various sports and games developed, cultivated, and encouraged or discouraged over the medieval era in the Mediterranean world. The evidence includes athletic monuments, illustrated manuscripts, tapestries, and relatively unexpected objects such as mirrors and combs. Modern material, such as films and TV excerpts, shall also be used. Key issues explored are the spectacle and spectatorship of medieval sports; gender, class, and religion in the practice of sports; the body, fashion, and the spaces of sports (stadiums, arenas, etc.), and comparisons between their medieval and modern versions.

Registration Requirements

Only first-years may register for this course.

Class Materials (Required)

No textbook required.

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar