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 Germanic 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

Module A (30hrs): Fundamentals of Germanic Philology

The course offers a wide overview on the cultural peculiarities of the Germanic peoples and on the phonetic and morpho-syntactical characteristics of the main old Germanic languages.

Module B (30hrs): The Nibelungen saga

In the Middle Ages the story of a hero who had obtained invulnerability and a great hoard by killing a dragon was well-known both in the German and in the Old Norse linguistic area. As a result of the conflict between two noble women, the hero was then treacherously killed. After the tragedy, the widow married again and the invitation of her brothers to the royal palace ended up with everyone’s death. It this module we will concentrate especially on the first broad written example of the story, the Middle-High German Nibelungelied, composed around 1200. In a second moment, we will focus on the main Scandinavian texts which transmit the legend: the Edda by Snorry Sturluson (Prose Edda) and the Poetic Edda. We will read, in Italian, representative passages of the three texts and study the main critical issues of the so-called Nibelungen saga.

Readings/Bibliography

Module A:

Teaching materials on disposal on the web page of the course.

Marco Battaglia, I Germani. Genesi di una cultura europea, Roma, Carocci, 2013, pp. 117-124; 131-173; 317-326.

Anna Maria Luiselli Fadda, Tradizioni manoscritte e critica del testo nel Medioevo germanico, Roma, Laterza, 1994, pp. 113-135.

Vittoria Dolcetti Corazza, Introduzione alla filologia germanica, Alessandria, Edizioni dell'Orso, 3° ediz., 2009, capitolo V (pp. 83-110).

Module B:

Teaching materials on disposal on the web page of the course.

I Nibelunghi, a cura di Laura Mancinelli, Torino, Einaudi tascabili (any edition).

Fulvio Ferrari, Rielaborazioni medievali della leggenda nibelungica, in “Lettura di testi tedeschi medievali”, Torino, Edizioni dell’Orso, 2008, pp. 3-44.

Gentry, Francis, Key Concepts in the Nibelungenlied, in "A Companion to the Nibelungenlied", ed. by Winder McConnell, Columbia S.C., Camden House, 1998, pp. 66-78.

NO attending students:

Students who do not attend the course have to learn also following texts:

Module A

Nicoletta Francovich Onesti, Filologia Germanica. Lingue e culture dei Germani antichi, Roma, Carocci, 1998.

Herwig Wolfram, I germani, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005.

Module B

Marco Battaglia, Medioevo volgare germanico, Pisa, Pisa University Press, pp. 171-213.

Aa.Vv., La tradizione nibelungico-volsungica. Atti del XXXVI Convegno dell'Associazione Italiana di Filologia Germanica (Pisa 4-6 giugno 2009), Pisa, Edizioni ETS, 2010. STUDY 3 ESSAYS OF YOUR CHOICE.

Teaching methods

Lecture

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 him/her 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

Lectures notes provided by the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Davide Bertagnolli