January 21, 2021

Norse Myth

Students will examine the nature and function of myth in the medieval Northern European world, focusing upon the narrative and symbolic structure of myths, the cultural contexts of myths (particularly in terms of religious and philosophical belief), and the influence of myth upon later literature. Texts will include the Poetic and Prose Eddas, as well as later works that draw directly and indirectly from Norse myth, such as Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Beowulf, and Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Core: H