The Course “Germanic Philology 1 LM” falls within the domain of the Complementary learning activities of the Degree Course in Modern Languages for International Communication, specifically the activities aiming at providing adequate tools for the analysis of texts in the light of their transmission and cultural context.
The course envisages either an introduction (Group B) or, building on the results achieved during the philology courses of the First Cycle (Group A), further study of the content, methodological and analytical domains of the subject, reinforcing the competence previously acquired, and obtaining a solid preparation in the field of the history of medieval languages and literatures also with regard to their transition towards the early modern period.
Expected Learning Outcomes: The student will acquire advanced understanding of the principles and methods of the subject and will acquire solid competence in the history of medieval languages and literatures.
The course envisages either an introduction (Group B) or, building on the results achieved during the philology courses of the First Cycle (Group A), further study of the content, methodological and analytical domains of the subject, reinforcing the competence previously acquired, and obtaining a solid preparation in the field of the history of medieval languages and literatures also with regard to their transition towards the early modern period.
Expected Learning Outcomes: The student will acquire advanced understanding of the principles and methods of the subject and will acquire solid competence in the history of medieval languages and literatures.
teacher profile teaching materials
The course aims to present the different ways and purposes in which various authors of the English and German Middle Ages translated, reworked and rewrote literary, philosophical or theological texts from Latin into vernacular. The works in verse and prose (e.g. Old English biblical and hagiographic poems, Old English translations of Alfred's works, Old Saxon Heliand, Old High German Otfrid von Weißenburg’s Liber Evangelorium, Tatian and Notker III's translations) and the related paratexts (prefaces, epilogues, dedicatory letters) will be analyzed from a literary, philological and linguistic perspective, with particular attention to codicological transmission and text typology, as well as to the historical and cultural context in which they were producted. The analysis of the texts will enable students to gain insight into some features of the linguistic evolution of English and German.
The students, who will be guided by the teacher in the choice of themes and in the use of the main bibliographic tools, will have to present an individual or group report, which will be discussed in class in the final part of the course and which will focus on historical-literary topics, linguistic and textual related to works of the Germanic Middle Ages.
B. Murdoch - M. Read (edd.), Early Germanic Literature and Culture, Camden House, Rochester-New York 2004 (pp. 205-233; 235-261; 263-284).
R.D. Fulk – C. Cain, A History of Old English Literature, Wynley Blackwell, Oxford 2013.
Rolf Bergmann (Hg.), Althochdeutsche und altsächsische Literatur, De Gruyter, Berlin–Boston, 2013.
A. M. Luiselli Fadda, Tradizioni manoscritte e critica del testo nel medioevo germanico, Roma-Bari: Laterza 2004 (Parte II e III)
Programme
Re-worked versions, re-writings and translation strategies in medieval English and German textsThe course aims to present the different ways and purposes in which various authors of the English and German Middle Ages translated, reworked and rewrote literary, philosophical or theological texts from Latin into vernacular. The works in verse and prose (e.g. Old English biblical and hagiographic poems, Old English translations of Alfred's works, Old Saxon Heliand, Old High German Otfrid von Weißenburg’s Liber Evangelorium, Tatian and Notker III's translations) and the related paratexts (prefaces, epilogues, dedicatory letters) will be analyzed from a literary, philological and linguistic perspective, with particular attention to codicological transmission and text typology, as well as to the historical and cultural context in which they were producted. The analysis of the texts will enable students to gain insight into some features of the linguistic evolution of English and German.
The students, who will be guided by the teacher in the choice of themes and in the use of the main bibliographic tools, will have to present an individual or group report, which will be discussed in class in the final part of the course and which will focus on historical-literary topics, linguistic and textual related to works of the Germanic Middle Ages.
Core Documentation
M. Battaglia (ed.), Le civiltà letterarie del Medioevo germanico, Carocci, Roma 2017 (pp. 55-136; 137-276; 277-309).B. Murdoch - M. Read (edd.), Early Germanic Literature and Culture, Camden House, Rochester-New York 2004 (pp. 205-233; 235-261; 263-284).
R.D. Fulk – C. Cain, A History of Old English Literature, Wynley Blackwell, Oxford 2013.
Rolf Bergmann (Hg.), Althochdeutsche und altsächsische Literatur, De Gruyter, Berlin–Boston, 2013.
A. M. Luiselli Fadda, Tradizioni manoscritte e critica del testo nel medioevo germanico, Roma-Bari: Laterza 2004 (Parte II e III)
Reference Bibliography
A selection of chapters from the following texts: D. Crystal, The Stories of English, Woodstock: Overlook Press, 2004; P. von Polenz, Geschichte der deutschen Sprache, Berlin: De Gruyter 2009; R. Voaden – R. Tixier – T. Sanchez Roura – J.R. Rytting (eds.), The Theory and Practice of Translation in the Middle Ages, Brepols, Turnhout, 2004.; R. Ellis et al. (eds.). The Medieval Translator, Brepols, Turnhout, 1998. R. Ellis (ed.). The Medieval Translator. The Theory and Practice of Translation in the Middle Ages, D. S. Brewer, Woodbridge 1989. M. V. Molinari & M. G. Cammarota (a cura di). Testo medievale e traduzione. Bergamo 27-28 ottobre 2000. Bergamo, University Press Bergamo. R. Stanton, The Culture of Translation in Anglo-Saxon England, D.S. Brewer, Cambridge 2002. P. E. Szarmach (ed.). Old English Prose: Basic Readings, Routledge, New York, 2000. N. G. Discenza – P. E. Szarmach (eds.). A Companion to Alfred the Great, Brill Leiden – Boston, 2015. R.B. Bjork, The Cynewulf Reader, Routledge, New York 2001 R.M. Liuzza, The Poem of Junius 11: Basic Readings, Routledge, New York, 2002. V. Dolcetti Corazza – R. Gendre (a cura di), Lettura di ‘Heliand’, Edizioni dell’Orso, Alessandria, 2011. C. Falluomini (a cura di), Lettura di Notker III. XVI seminario avanzato di Filologia Germanica, Edizioni dell’Orso, Alessandria, 2016.Attendance
Students are invited to attend classes. Those who cannot attend them are requested to contact the teacher at the beginning of the courseType of evaluation
The oral examination aims to test: (a) the knowledge of the content of the texts given in the syllabus and of the problems discussed during the semester; (b) the ability to critically rework the acquired knowledge and place the texts in their historical, cultural and linguistic context; (c) the expressive skills; (d) the acquisition of the discipline's own methods of inquiry; (e) the ability to conduct lexical and bibliographical researches independently. Marks – from 18 to 30 cum laude –are classified as follows: 18-20: elementary knowledge of the topics included in the program and elementary argumentative and communicative skills; 21-23: satisfactory knowledge of the topics included in the program and satisfactory argumentative and communicative skills; 24-26: good knowledge of the topics included in the program and good argumentative and communicative skills; 27-29: very good knowledge of the topics included in the program and very good argumentative and communicative skills; 30 and 30 cum laude: excellent knowledge of the topics included in the program and excellent argumentative and communicative skills.