Comparative Literature 397W - ST-Medieval British Literature

This discussion course is a comparative introduction to the development of English literature based on an examination of British Isles texts from the five major vernacular literatures that flourished in England before the end of the Hundred Years War: Welsh, Irish, English, Norse, and French. The texts are classics involving the old Celtic gods, heroes, love tales, adventure, and more. They include comedy and tragedy, origin tales, romances, and moral investigations. We will explore the proposition that this diverse set of literary and linguistic roots is a major reason that English literate is one of the most diverse of the major world literatures at present, tolerant of immense variation in dialects and forms.