WiSe 23/24: S-Literatures of Medieval Britain: (Re-)constructing the Middle Ages: Medievalism from the Middle Ages to the Present
Peter Löffelbein
Comments
The Middle Ages are a paradox: They are the proverbial Dark Age – synonymous with the rule of superstition and violence – and yet the object of romantic longings for more ‘wholesome’, ‘original’ and ‘authentic’ ways of life. They appear as categorically different from the modern world, and yet they are the root of much that has been shaping it.
This course examines the idea of the Middle Ages and the role it has been playing in the cultural imagination of Western societies up until today. Together, we shall explore various forms of medievalism (understood in a wider sense as the imagination or (re )construction of assumedly medieval realities) by discussing its occurence in literary texts, historical discourse and other forms of cultural expression like TV productions and computer games.
The course aims at familiarising students with current debates on medievalism, e.g. in postcolonial discourse and queer studies, enabling them to critically analyse recurring tropes and functions of medieval (re-)imaginations.
close16 Class schedule
Regular appointments