CLAS 261 Heroes of the Middle Ages
Who is your hero? What does it mean to be a hero? Throughout centuries peoples have answered these questions in different, though often related ways, by defining the qualities of their role models. In the Middle Ages, in particular, there is a particularly rich tradition of heroes, and what defined a hero differed widely across time and place(s).
This course will introduce students to some of the most fascinating medieval heroic tales, which both impacted later literary traditions and shaped our very image of the Middle Ages itself. By reading the adventures of warriors such as Waltharius and Digenis Akritas, kings such as Charlemagne (in the Paderborn Epic) or King Arthur, and saints such as Saint Brendan, students will immerse themselves in the legends and heroic deeds of that remote past.
Even more importantly, however, by looking at a selection of heroes, students will be able to reflect not only on how the concept of heroism can inform the understanding of what it meant (and means) to be a human being, but also on how conceptions of both hero and human being have changed over time.
Particular attention will also be paid to the impact of often-neglected Latin Epic tales on more widely read vernacular poetry (such as the Chanson de Gestes or Dante's Divine Comedy).