German 426 may be taken independently of German 425. No Data Given. Medieval German Literature in English Translation. German Literature and Culture in English Section 001 Of Knights And Lovers. Great Books of the German Middle Ages.
Rackham credit requires additional work.
We will read long excerpts from the Song of the Nibelungs, Erec, Tristan and Isolde as well as Parsifal books that tell spellbinding stories of ladies and knights, monsters and warriors. Authors such as Hartmann of Aue, Gottfried of Strasbourg, and Wolfram of Eschenbach revolutionized the art of storytelling. Their plots revolve around warfare and knightly honor, friendship and love, romanticism and adultery, individual growth and courtly etiquette. No prior exposure to medieval literature and history is required. Background readings as well as short lectures in class will introduce students to major themes such as feudalism, crusades, manuscript culture, or medieval authorship.