Special Course

Topics in Medieval Literature: The Song of the Nibelungs and the German National Myth

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GER 321G – Summer 2016

Topics in Medieval Literature: The Song of the Nibelungs and the German National Myth

Prof. Sara S. Poor

When: May 31st, 2016 - June 24, 2016

Where: Munich, Germany

Seminar on quintessential German epic, the Nibelungenlied (1200). We will read the modern German translation while visiting sites in and around Munich related to historical background and geography of story. Students examine myth of German hero as epitomized in Siegfried and Hagen (later adopted in nationalist discourses) as well as vilification of heroines Brunhild and Kriemhild. Field trips address medieval notions of learning (manuscripts), space (castle, monastery), and art (objects, paintings, and sculptures in local museums). At conclusion of the course, students consider the transformation of tale in modern re-workings (Wagner, Lang).

For more information, please email spoor@princeton.edu