FYS 1212 - Medieval Supernatural Worlds

Credits: 4
What supernatural “other worlds” did medieval people imagine as parallel to their natural world of ordinary experience? This class will examine a rang of medieval literary tests that depict and complicate the boundary between humans and the supernatural. As we analyze the worlds that these texts construct (magical kingdoms, dream worlds, spiritual realms), our writing and discussion will address what they reveal about human identity, the desire to connect with something beyond what is seen, and ongoing human fascination with supernatural phenomena. Readings may include Arthurian tales, Celtic legends, Viking epic, dram visions, and mystical texts of the great medieval spiritual writers.
Offered: Fall only, on demand
McDaniel Plan: First-Year Seminar; Social Cultural, and Historical Understanding, Textual Analysis