31219 - Germanic Philology 1 (M-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will possess the theoretical and material fundamentals in order to understand the Germanix languages, literatures and cultures (which must be intended like corpora indipendently from their literary value) from their proto-historical past to the end of the Middle Ages, in other words the cultures that Germanic peoples starting from the prehistorical period. The Middle Ages will be at the centre of investigation because in that period the common Germanic cultural milieu is more evident through the large number of sources and documentation in Old Germanic languages and literatures. The student will be able to read, translate and give a philological and linguistic comment to a short passage in an Old Germanic language.

Course contents

Students of the 9 CFU (60hrs) course:

Module A (30hrs): Fondamentals of Germanic Philology

The cultural peculiarities of the Germanic peoples will be taken into account: the oral transmission of knowledge, law, religion, social structure and the role of women. Part of the module will analyze the literary genres of the Germanic literature of the Middle Ages (heroic poetry, sagas, skaldic poetry, religious poetry). The themes of the module will be analyzed by reading and commenting some primary sources in Italian translation. A particular care will be devoted to the literary and documental production of the medieval period. The main philological methodologies of texs reconstruction will be presented during the course.

Module B (30hrs): Becoming a knight of King Arthur

The module focuses on what is probably the oldest medieval Arthurian novel from the Netherlands: the Ferguut. Written around the middle of the 13th century, it is a remake of the Old French Fergus, composed by Guillaume Le Clerc fifty years earlier. The story is centred on the journey of the eponymous protagonist, a young man who initially spends his days behind a plough in the fields, but then manages to become a knight of the Round Table and, after various adventures, to marry the maiden he had at first refused to pursue a chivalric adventure against an enemy of King Arthur. Particularly relevant is the relationship with the French hypotext, faithfully copied up to halfway through and then reworked more freely, giving different nuances to the text. During the module, the novel, read and commented in Italian, will be placed within the historical-cultural context to which it belongs.

Readings/Bibliography

Module A:

Teaching materials on disposal on the Virtuale platform; 

Alessandro Zironi, Filologia Germanica. Lingua, storia, cultura, testi, Firenze, Le Monnier Università, 2022 (selection indicated in class).

Module B:

Ferguut, a cura di Davide Bertagnolli, Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 2023.

Mario Mancini (ed.), La letteratura francese medievale, Roma, Carocci, (any edition), study the chapter "Chrétien de Troyes e il romanzo" (Mario Mancini).

Non-attending students:

Students who do not attend the course can study also following texts:

Module A:

Alessandro Zironi, Filologia Germanica. Lingua, storia, cultura, testi, Firenze, Le Monnier Università, 2022 (entire book).

Module B:

Chrétien de Troyes, I romanzi cortesi, a cura di Gabriella Agrati e Maria Letizia Magini, Milano, Mondadori, any edition.

Teaching methods

The lectures will be held in presence, without recordings.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral interview on both modules, which can not be shared into separated moments. During the interview the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated . The student will be invited to discuss the texts covered during the course and to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information that will enable to illustrate the similarities and cultural areas of the discipline. The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence. Mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and / or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments; training gaps and / or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

Video and audio materials in internet, lectures notes provided by the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Davide Bertagnolli