ENGL 233 The Fury of the Northmen
An introductory survey of one of the great literary traditions of the world, that of medieval Scandinavia and Iceland. The barbarian pagan invaders from the Scandinavian peninsula astonished and terrified the medieval Christian societies of the late 8th and 9th centuries, raiding and settling throughout Western Europe and beyond, from Nova Scotia to Byzantium. After their conversion to Christianity in the 10th and 11th centuries, however, the erstwhile Vikings performed a second astonishing feat: they created a body of vernacular literature that is virtually unparalleled in its imagination, breadth, and beauty. This course examines a small piece of this rich heritage through readings (in translation, of course) of examples of the major genres of Old Norse-Icelandic literature: eddic poetry, skaldic poetry, and saga. Recurrent themes and emphases will include the importance of revenge, the law, the varying roles of women, and the evolving influence of Christian ideology.