The Vikings in Britain
|
The Vikings in Britain |
|
| Course Description | |
 |
In 793 AD the first Viking raid of England took place at the monastery at Lindisfarne, and this event marks the beginning of a presence in Britain which culminated with the crowning of a Danish king of England, Cnut, in 1016 AD. The Vikings were Scandinavian (primarily Norsemen from Norway and Danes) adventurer-raiders who were first cousins to the Anglo-Saxons, who were following the same migratory patterns to Britain, and who made their way, like the Celts, to Spain and Asia Minor but even further, to North America. The etymology of the term "Viking" is uncertain; the Old English wiking has to do with a war band, and hence may denote a warlike pirate, while the Old Norse vikingr comes from a root meaning "bay" or "inlet," and thus may refer merely to those associated with those places and the crafts which plied them. These Scandinavian invaders still adhered to the old pagan religion, and thus their appearance in Britain reinvigorated the pre-Christian Germanic elements in the cultural melting-pot.
Participation in this course will revolve around an independent research project developed by each participant (in consultation with the instructor) and shared with the class through informal discussion, a formal presentation, and eventual amalgamation into a larger group project. This course is interactive and will incorporate multimedia technology. This means that each student, utilizing a software template designed and developed for this purpose, will combine her or his traditional research essay text with digital video, QTVR panoramas, static images, sounds, maps, diagrams, etc., and will build in links between pertinent references in that research project and those of the rest of the class members.
In this course we will explore the genesis, development, and dissemination of medieval Scandinavian culture, focusing on the age of the greatest impact of the Vikings upon the British Isles (roughly AD 793 through AD 1066) but surveying an overview of the entire breadth and depth of early Scandinavian Europe. The bulk of the material we read will be in Modern English, but we will learn the rudiments of the Viking tongue. To do so we will study elements of the language of medieval Iceland, specifically the West Norse of the "classical" literary period (ca. 1150-1350 AD), but many of the texts from this period deal with much earlier events, the gods of the north, and legendary figures of heroic proportions. We will also learn to read the runes the Vikings left behind; this medieval graffiti can still be found carved on bits of stone, bone, wood and metal, in a wide swath from Constantinople to Maritime Canada. This course is truly interdisciplinary: we will be interested in the history, literature, religion, and social structures of these traders, scholars, raiders, farmers, explorers, and mercenaries who first paralyzed, then conquered, then assimilated into much of Britain and Europe. This course will take a seminar format, with extra language tutorials as necessary.
Imagine visiting the imposing site of the priory at Lindisfarne, where
the Viking Age began, and consider how actually being there now would help
to bring the events of the past alive for you; think of the excitement
of visiting archaeological digs of pagan Viking ship burials, replete with
buried treasure alongside human and animal sacrifices; consider the
ability to wander at will through the spectacular Viking ruins of the settlement
at Jarlshof in the Shetland Islands on a glorious, windswept day in the
far north. Now consider the possibility of making such a journey
at the speed of light through virtual reality technology, complete with
a personal electronic guide which provides maps, static images, explanatory
video clips and sound bites which bring to life these ancient peoples and
places. We will do all of this in this course, utilizing digital
video, panoramas, and other images I have gathered on site over the last
few summers. More than that, however, students in this course will
be my colleagues in constructing an interactive, multimedia virtual tour
of Viking Britain using these digital materials. Students will have
the opportunity to research a topic of their choice in conjunction with
this project, and the final collaborative result will comprise a permanent,
public virtual reality resource.
Copyright 2001-2002 Gettysburg College and Christopher R. Fee