English 217 - ST MEDVL LIT: OLD HIGH GERMAN

Topics course.: An introduction to the vernacular literatures of early medieval Europe with readings from the Old High German Lay of Hildebrand and Merseburg Charms , as well as the Old Saxon Hêliand 'Savior', a powerful retelling of the gospel in the style of ancient Germanic alliterative verse like the Old English Beowulf . The Hêliand offers a unique glimpse into how the new Christian religion with its Jewish spirituality and Mediterranean civic ethos was processed by the tribal peoples of Northern Europe. We also compare selections from the Old English Dream of the Rood and Middle High German Lay of the Nibelungs . Enrollment limited to 20.