| Unit name | French Literature and the Crusades |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODLM2012 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Marianne Ailes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, coinciding with the period of the first four major Crusades, there was a great development of vernacular literature in France and the Anglo-Norman realm, literature which was disseminated widely across Europe. We will study eye-witness chronicles of the Third and Fourth crusades along with imaginative literature from the early 12th century on. We will explore the depiction of the $�Saracen&� in factual and fictional texts, considering the relationship between the factual and fictional genres. How useful are the chronicles as evidence? What is the status of the $�chansons de geste&� of the Crusade Cycle? There will be an opportunity to explore the crusading theme in lyric poetry and as an exotic element in romance. The impact of genre theory and post-colonial theory on our understanding of these texts will be considered.
