4
This course focuses on the rich storytelling traditions of medieval Iceland. The endlessly diverse sagas and eddas introduce readers not only to feats of dragon-slaying heroes, disputes among Old Norse gods, fantastical tales of giants and Valkyries, and legendary explorations as far as North America but also to the more everyday aspects of medieval life—foodways, material culture, healing practices, gender roles, laws and customs, and settlement patterns across Iceland’s dangerous and beautiful landscape. Alongside our study of these Icelandic texts, we will examine global perceptions of Vikings in other parts of the medieval world as well as post-medieval lives of these enduring stories.
Degree Requirements
F2i
F4