SCANDINAVIAN R5B, Section 2: Myth in Media: Mediums and Retellings of Norse Mythology

TuTh 8-9:30 , Dwinelle 251. Instructor: Liam Waters

Units: 4

A world of dragons, of wizards and dwarves, of bloodied warriors and strange shape shifters compelled to great feats of courage: this is the world of Norse mythology. From Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen to Marvel’s Thor, the myths and legends of medieval Scandinavia have excited and inspired imaginations for centuries. What were these myths? Where did they come from and who told them? These are but a few of the questions we will address in this class. From analyzing the context and form of original medieval texts to exploring mythic re-tellings in our own age, this course explores the mediums through which myths and legends are told. In so doing, we will develop critical and analytic thinking skills, hone thesis-writing techniques, and analyze the forms and strategies of compelling writing. In this class, we move away from questions of how retellings are different and towards why they are different.

All Reading & Composition courses must be taken for a letter grade in order to fulfill this requirement for the Bachelor’s Degree. This course satisfies the first half or “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Required texts:

 The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien. ISBN: 0618002219

Edda. trans. Anthony Faulkes. ISBN: 9780460876162

The Poetic Edda (2014). trans. Carolyne Larrington. ISBN: 9780199675340

and others TBD

This course satisfies the second half or the “B” portion of the Reading and Composition requirement.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading & Composition requirement or its equivalent. Students may not enroll in nor attend R1B/R5B courses without completing this prerequisite.

Due to the high demand for R&C courses we monitor attendance very carefully. Attendance is mandatory the first two weeks of classes, this includes all enrolled and wait listed students. If you do not attend all classes the first two weeks you may be dropped. If you are attempting to add into this class during weeks 1 and 2 and did not attend the first day, you will be expected to attend all class meetings thereafter and, if space permits, you may be enrolled from the wait list.