Studies in Medieval Literature (324-0-20)

Topic

The Medieval Beast

Instructors

Barbara Newman
847/491-5679
University Hall 215

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Mon, Wed, Fri 10:00AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

Animals were everywhere in the medieval world—cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens for the table; mighty horses for war; oxen for the plow; dogs and falcons for the hunt (with deer, fox, and wild boar among their prey); lambs and calves for fine vellum; lions, monkeys, and other exotics for the aristocratic menagerie; bees to give sweetness and light; "harmless necessary cats" to control mice; dragons to challenge heroes; unicorns to be caught by virgins; and even criminal beasts to be tried in court. In this class we will learn how to think with animals (or beasts, as they were normally called) in a wide range of medieval genres and discourses, including lyric poetry, illuminated bestiaries, fables, beast epic, saints' lives, debate poems, and romance.

Teaching Method

Discussion with occasional lectures.

Evaluation Method

Lively and informed discussion (25%); three 5- to 7-page papers, of which at least one must be analytical and one must be creative (25% each).

Class Materials (Required)

Readings will include the Bestiary, a gorgeously illustrated book that describes the properties of animals and assigns them allegorical meanings; lyric poems about an Irish monk and his cat, a captive unicorn, and the lament of a roasted swan; the famous satire Renard the Fox; Wholly Animals: A Book of Beastly Tales; Chrétien de Troyes' romance Yvain, about a knight who wins battles with the help of his pet lion; Marie de France's Bisclavret, a werewolf tale; medieval fables such as "Belling the Cat" and "City Mouse and Country Mouse"; the tale of Mélusine, a royal lady who is part woman, part serpent; Chaucer's Nun's Priest's Tale about the adventures of a prideful rooster; Lydgate's "Debate of the Horse, the Sheep, and the Goat"; and the romance of Sir Gowther, a murderer who has to do penance by eating all his food under the table with dogs. We will also do some historical and theoretical readings.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Pre-registration -- Reserved for English students.