- Docente: Francesco Benozzo
- Credits: 9
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Foreign Languages and Literature (cod. 0979)
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module, students will know the most important aspects of the oldest stages of Romance area related to linguistics, history and culture, and will be able to handle the basic instruments of textual criticism, in order to understand texts in their structure and developments.
Course contents
The Profession of Arms: Origins, Forms and Motifs of Medieval Epics
A close examination of motifs related to the war and chivalric ethics, in order to consider, starting from medieval texts and from the prehistoric origins of warlike epics, the deep and removed nature of western culture, always in unstable balance between civilization and barbarism, between "joy" of war and courtly domestication.
Readings/Bibliography
1) Texts
Unabridged reading of the following texts(Old French and Castillian epics):
Chanson de Roland, a cura di M. Bensi (Milano, BUR)
Canzone di Guglielmo, a cura di A. Fassò (Roma, Carocci)
Gormont e Isembart, a cura di B. Panvini (Roma, Carocci)
Cantare del Cid, a cura di C. Acutis (Torino, Einaudi)
Romancero. Canti epico-lirici del Medioevo spagnolo, a cura di C. Acutis (Torino, Einaudi)
Unabridged reading of two of the wollowing texts (Occitan and non-Romance epics):
La morte di Sigurd, a cura di M. Meli (Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2006)
Il Gododdin. Poema eroico antico-gallese, a cura di F. Benozzo (Milano, Luni, 2001 [rist. Roma, Carocci]).
Daurel e Beton, a cura di C. Lee (Roma, Carocci, 2006).
Manas. L'epopea del popolo della steppa, a cura di A. Alberti (Milano, Mondadori, 1997).
2) Essays
One essaysto be choosen among the following:
A.Limentani - M. Infurna, L'Epica romanza del Medioevo (Bologna, il Mulino, 2007)
A. Roncaglia, Epica francese medievale (Roma, Storia e Letteratura, 2012) [three articles in an optional way].
One essay to be choosen among thefollowing:
F. Benozzo, La tradizione smarrita (Roma, Viella, 2007)
A. Fassò, Gioie cavalleresche (Roma, Carocci, 2005).
One essay to be choosen among the following:
F. Benozzo, Breviario di etnofilologia (Lecce, Multimedia, 2012)
Ph. Contamine, La guerra nel Medioevo (Bologna, il Mulino, 2005).
A.A. Settia, Rapine, assedi, battaglie. La guerra nel Medioevo (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009).
In front lessons,texts in original Old French and Old Spanish language will be introduced, read, and philologically commented: they will be at students' disposal in photocopy since the beginning of the module.Non-attending students are required to know the folllwing texts: A. Roncaglia, La lingua d'oil (Roma, Ateneo, 1971 e successive ristampe) e A. D'Agostino, Lo spagnolo antico: sintesi storico-descrittiva (Milano, LED, 2001).
A cycle of seminars is scheduled, in collaboration with Prof. Patrizia Caraffi and Paolo Pirillo, intended as an integration of the teaching activities in Romance Philology and Medieval History.
Lessons will be given in 2nd Semester
Teaching methods
Oral lessons, translation and philological comment of texts in original language, projection of videos, seminars and conferences of external scholars.
Assessment methods
Oral examination
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Benozzo