Comparative Literature 691LL - S-Lang,Lit,&Culture/EarlyIreld

This course is a gateway to a fabulous literature: adventures in the Otherworld; humorous stories of the old gods; archaic hyperbolic hero tales comparable to the Greek epics and Sanskrit texts; a sardonic approach to the existential human condition; intricate formal poetry that evokes a full range of human emotion from tragedy and pathos to satire; and more. Early Irish culture opens up medieval history as well, from the early Middle Ages when the Irish were the writing masters of western Europe to the Viking Age to the Renaissance of the Twelfth Century. Old Irish is a declined language similar to Classical Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit. It is often the third leg used to establish evidence about Proto-Indo-European. The course uses a literature-based approach to learning the language. Grades are based on grammar exercises, vocabulary lessons, and translation skills