English 404

The Viking World

Required Texts:
Beowulf trans. Seamus Heaney
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
The Saga of the Volsungs
The Prose Edda, Snorri Sturluson
The Elder Edda
The Children of Hurin, J.R.R. Tolkien
North, Seamus Heaney
The Vinland Sagas
King Harald’s Saga
Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Stories
Egil’s Saga

Optional Texts:
The Vikings, Else Roesdahl
A Historical Atlas of the Viking World

Class Requirements:

Two 100-point Tests

One 3-5 page paper (100 points)
One major class project for class web page: negotiable, but examples include:
15-20 page paper, web pages, Flash presentation, major annotated bibliography
or links page. (200 points)
Extra credit for finding cool Viking-related web sites.

Syllabus

Week One

Monday, August 24 . . . Introduction to Class

Wednesday, August 26 . . . A Brief History of the Vikings

Friday, August 28 . . . A Brief Introduction to Old Norse/Icelandic Literature

Week Two

Monday, August 31. . . The Elder Edda

Wednesday, September 2 . . . The Elder Edda

Friday, September 4 . . . The Prose Edda

Week Three

Monday, September 7 . . . Labor Day, No Class

Wednesday, September 9 . . . The Prose Edda

Friday, September 11 . . . The Saga of the Volsungs

Week Four

Monday, September 14 . . . The Saga of the Volsungs

Wednesday, September 16 . . . Beowulf

Friday, September 18 . . . Beowulf

Week Five

Monday, September 21 . . . Beowulf

Wednesday, September 23 . . . Hrafnkel’s Saga

Friday, September 25 . . . Hrafnkel’s Saga

Week Six

Monday, September 28 . . . TEST ONE

Wednesday, September 30 . . . Egil’s Saga

Friday, October 2 . . . Egil’s Saga

Week Seven

Monday, October 5 . . . Egil’s Saga

Wednesday, October 7 . . . King Harald’s Saga

Friday, October 9 . . . King Harald’s Saga.

Week Eight

Monday, October 12 . . . No Class

Wednesday, October 14 . . . The Vinland Sagas

Friday, October 16 . . . The Vinland Sagas; Paper One Due

Week Nine

Monday, October 19 . . . Thomas Gray, “Norse Odes” and Blake’s Illustrations

(online)

Wednesday, October 21 . . . No Class

Friday, October 23 . . . No Class

Week Ten

Monday, October 26 . . . William Morris, The Saga of the Volsungs (online)

Project Proposal Due

Wednesday, October 28 . . . Rider Haggard, Eric Bright-Eyes (online)

Friday, October 30 . . . Eric Bright-Eyes.

Week Eleven

Monday, November 2 . . . Tolkein, The Children of Hurin

Wednesday, November 4 . . . Tolkein, The Children of Hurin

Friday, November 6 . . . Heaney, North

Week Twelve

Monday, November 9 . . . TEST TWO

Wednesday, November 11 . . .Heaney, North

Friday, November 13 . . . Gaiman, American Gods

Week Thirteen

Monday, November 16 . . . Gaiman, American Gods

Wednesday, November 18 . . . The Vikings and Popular Culture

Friday, November 20 . . . The Vikings and Popular Culture

Week Fourteen

Thanksgiving Break

Week Fifteen

Monday, November 30 . . . Presentations

Wednesday, December 2 . . . Presentations

Friday, December 4 . . . Presentations (Final Projects Due)

Week Sixteen

Monday, December 7 . . . Presentations

Wednesday, December 9 . . . Presentations

Friday, December 11. . . Presentations

Week Seventeen

Finals Week—Finish Presentations, Complete web site