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SI, WI, GL,
WL, CWL Markers Andreas Lixl Department of German,
Russian, and Japanese Studies Course Syllabus Tuesdays
from 6:00-8:50 PM, Spring 2003 |
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Instructor: Dr. Andreas Lixl, Professor of
German, and Head of the Department of German, Russian, and Japanese Studies (http://www.uncg.edu/gar/) at The University
of North Carolina at Greensboro (http://www.uncg.edu/),
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
Contact Information: Office
E-mail: Andreas_Lixl@uncg.edu.
Phone: (336) 256-1155, Fax: (336) 334-5885. Address:
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Andreas Lixl |
Office Hours: At posted times, I will
be available in the office and online via e-mail to answer questions, provide
guidance, discuss concerns and issues related to this course. Students may
schedule a visit during office hours in 337 McIver Bldg. UNCG. W, F from 10-12. |
GER 221
Course Description
Web Page at http://www.uncg.edu/gar/courses/lixl/221/GER221.htm
GER 221 is a three-credit Germanic Mythology course taught in English.
The course carries Global Perspectives (GL) markers, WI writing-intensive
markers, and SI speaking-intensive markers under the General Education Core (GEC)
program. GER 221 starts with an excursion into Old Norse and Icelandic sagas
and myths, the content and style of which emerged during the Viking expansion
790-1170 AD. The center part of the course focuses on German tales, myths and
legends, including the Song of the Nibelungs and folk tales of the early modern
period. The third part of the course studies German tales from the Romantic era
and the Brothers Grimm, who first collected their “house” tales in the early
19th century, to the era of the Weimar Republic in the Twenties. Course
discussions will include modern social, feminist, and psychoanalytical
interpretations of the readings, as well as literary, cultural, and historical
commentaries on Germanic mythology, theories of folk literature, and the modern
reception and adaptation of these tales and legends. The curriculum includes
excursions into popular culture, literature, social history, art, music, modern
media and technology. The guiding pedagogical principles behind the course aim
at intertwining speaking and writing intensive activities with the study of
German cultural history, including Internet and online exhibits.
Curriculum: In order to advance German
speaking, interpretation and composition skills, the course curriculum
integrates cultural analyses with historical and critical inquiries. The course
starts with a look at Norse myths and legends, followed by readings from the
German Middle Ages, and ends with an exploration of popular folk tales of
Romanticism and modernist era, including Weimar Germany (1918-1933). The
timeline below outlines the various topics and reading assignments for each of
the 16 weekly sessions of the course.
Course Objectives: Various essays, presentations, readings and
reporting assignments dealing with German civilization topics will provide
class members with opportunities to expand their global perspectives and
cultural interpretation skills. Part of the assignments will involve the use of
the Internet, e-mail, and other electronic learning and research tools, which
utilize foreign language resources available on the global web. Upon completion
of the course, students will ...
Ø
Have a basic understanding of the literary and
cultural scope of Germanic Mythology, including major authors and works,
geographic distribution and historical reception.
Ø
Understand
the impact of Germanic mythologies on the culture and the intellectual life in
the German-speaking countries.
Ø
Have
the ability to research, organize, discuss, and present effective oral
presentations on topics in Germanic Mythology.
Ø
Have
the ability to research, organize, and develop (in English) coherent critical
writings on course topics.
Ø
Have
the ability to use the computer as a research and writing tool, and to utilize the
library as well as the Internet as a source of knowledge about foreign
literatures and cultures.
Graded
Activities: There are four different types of graded activities to be completed in
this course: (1) students complete the reading assignments and take
comprehension quizzes, (2) students prepare oral presentations on Germanic
Mythology subject matter, (3) students compose essays for the writing intensive
portion of the course. (4) Students write two exams and compose a final paper
in English on a Germanic Mythology topic. Grading/Evaluation: UNCG Official Graduate
Grading System
Andreas Lixl, UNCG, Spring 2003
GER 221 Germanic
Mythology Course Outline
Timeline and Weekly
Session Topics, TU 6:00-8:50 PM
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Week |
Topic |
Web Resources |
|
1 |
Ø
Course
Introduction Ø
Norse Myths.
Graphic on p. xxii; The Creation, p. 3-6; The War of the Aesir and Vanir, p.
7-8. Ø
Introduction to Internet Lab: Online
course pages and web resources SI Assignments (5 students) for week 2 1.
Summary of Yahoo index Society
and Culture:Mythology and Folklore. 2.
Summary of The Norse
Mythology Web Page 3.
Summary of web page Germanic Myths, Legends, and
Sagas. Background information and links to sites related to this course. 4.
Text
(summaries & commentaries) 9-43 5.
Text
(summaries & commentaries) 44-79 Reading Assignment (all students) for week 2 Norse Myths p. 9-79
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Germanic Myths, Legends, and
Sagas. Background information and links to sites related to this course. Norse Creation Myth from
Snorri's Edda. Yggdrasil. A short poem
by H. C. Andersen about the mythical ash tree beneath which the Norse gods
held court. The Norse
Mythology Web Page, a summary by Nicole Cherry of the California
Institute of Technology. Yahoo
index Society
and Culture:Mythology and Folklore. |
|
2 |
Ø
SI Presentations (5 topics, see
above) Ø
Discussion of Norse Myths p.
9-79 Ø
WI (in-class) list of “Favorite Childhood Tales, Legends,
and Stories” Ø
Internet excursion: Viking Heritage
exhibits and Museums SI Assignments (5 students) for week 3 1.
Texts 16 + 17 (Thor’s Journey, etc.) 2.
Texts 18-22 3.
Texts 23-26 4.
Texts 27-28 (Death of Baldur, etc.) 5.
Texts 30-32 (Loki) WI Assignment (all students) for week 3 2-page draft: “Favorite Childhood Tales,
Legends, and Stories” Reading Assignment (all students) for week 3 Norse Myths
p. 80-176 |
The World of the
Vikings, a well-organized collection of links. Academic
link collection Thor's Home Page and Thor's Hammer Möllnir
(with interesting photographs) and Thor and the Midgard
Serpent from Snorri's Edda. The Norse The last great waves of
European migrations began in the eighth century and picked up dramatically in
the ninth and tenth centuries. |
|
3 |
Ø
Due: (2-page draft) “Favorite Childhood Tales,
Legends, and Stories” Ø
SI Presentations (5 topics, see
above) Ø
Discussion of Norse Myths p.
80-176 Ø
Introduction: Norse Migrations and
Settlements Ø
Web Excursion: The Norse
and Old Norse Religion: Early
Volsung History Reading Assignment (all students) for week 4 The
Saga of the Volsungs, p. 35-75
SI Assignments (5 students) for week 4 1.
Text p. 35-42 2.
Text p. 42-50 3.
Text p. 50-57 4.
Text p. 57-66 5.
Text p. 66-75 |
Wild Huntsman Legends and tales
about Odin (also known as Wotan in Germanic myths). Ertha, the Germanic Earth
Goddess. Account by Tacitus in 98 AD, of a north German deity named
Ertha, Hertha, Nerthus, or Mother Earth. She may be related to the folkloric
figures of Bertha or Frau Holle. The
Bifrost Project . Links to other Viking, Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Norse
pages. The World
of the Norse (also called the Vikings) The Saga of Grettir the
Strong. A perennial choice for the "source" for Beowulf. |
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4 |
Ø
SI Presentations (5 topics, see
above) Ø
Discussion of The Saga of the
Volsungs, p. 35-75 Ø
Corrected return of 2-page draft “Favorite Childhood Tales,
Legends, and Stories” Reading Assignment (all students) for week 5 the Saga of the Volsungs, p.
76-109 WI Assignment
(all students) for week 5 Revise and expand essay on “Favorite Childhood Tales,
Legends, and Stories” (3 pages) SI Assignments (4 students) for week 5 1.
Text p. 76-84 2.
Text p. 84-92 3.
Text p. 92-100 4.
Text p. 100-109 |
Superstitions.
Supernatural beliefs prevalent in northern Europe as late as the mid
nineteenth century. Many of these superstitions have their roots in the
ancient religions of the Celts, Germans, and Slavs. Heathen Monuments.
Legends about ancient alters, graves, megaliths, mounds, pictographs,
runestones, picture stones, standing stones, and other such monuments from
the past. Read the legends contained at this site. |
|
5 |
Ø
Due: (3-page essay) “Favorite Childhood Tales,
Legends, and Stories” Ø
SI Presentations (4 topics, see
above) Ø
Discussion of the Saga of the Volsungs,
p. 76-109 Ø
Exam information Study Assignment for Exam I For the 6-weeks exam, research arguments for in-class
essay on “Passion, Power, and Humanity in Norse Mythology” Reading Assignment (all students) for week 6 Introduction to the Saga of the
Volsungs, p. 1-29 SI Assignments (2 students) for week 6 1.
Comments on “Introduction” to Volsungs,
p. 1-29 2.
Comments on “Introduction” to Volsungs,
p. 1-29 |
The
full version is available from the Online Medieval Library Clio web page about women
in religion and mythology |
|
6 |
Ø
SI Presentations (2 topics, see above) Ø
Discussion of “Introduction” to the Saga of the Volsungs Ø
6-Weeks Exam 1.
Identifications
of characters and events in Norse Myths and Saga of the Volsungs
(20 minutes) 2.
In-class
essay (30 minutes) “Passion, Power, and Humanity in Norse Mythology” Reading Assignment (all students) for week 7 Handout text: Nibelungenlied
(42 pages) |
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7 |
Ø
SI presentations: exam essay summaries
Ø
Introduction to German Legends of the Rhine
Ø
Discussion of handout text Nibelungenlied (42 pages)
Ø
Video:
Siegfried, Kriemhild’s Revenge Ø
Introduction
to Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen Nationaltheater Mannheim / Der Ring
des Nibelungen, and Wagner's
operas: Der Ring des Nibelungen
and San Francisco
Opera: Der Ring des Nibelungen Reading Assignment (all students) for week 8 The Great Fairy Tale Tradition Read section introductions and all
Grimm tales from p. 1-334 (9 tales) SI Assignments (9 students) for week 8 Comments tale 1, Comments tale 2,
Comments tale 3 Comments tale 4, Comments tale 5,
Comments tale 6 Comments tale 7, Comments tale 8,
Comments tale 9 |
The
Germanic Heritage Page,
by Arlea Anschütz, includes links and essays focusing on Germanic folklore
and mythology. Composed around 1200 for an
Austrian court wedding, the Nibelungenlied tells of the Burgundians Gunther
and Kriemhild, her lover, Siegfried, Gunter's wooing of Brunhild, the
treachery of Hagen, and the court of Etzel, also known as Attila the Hun.
The
story of Sigurd, Gudren, Grimhild and Brynhild is found in the 13th century
work Volsunga Saga, (see course
sections above) and also told in The Poetic Edda. |
|
8 |
Ø
Introduction
to German Folk Tales and the Brothers Grimm Ø
SI Presentations (9 tales, see above) Ø
Discussion of The Great Fairy Tale Tradition, section introductions and all
Grimm tales from p. 1-334 (9 tales) Ø
Web
excursion: Romanticism
took its name from the medieval stories and poems called romances,
which centered on heroic legends, and were written in the vernacular of the
people. As the Classical musical
period ended after the Napoleonic Wars with the late compositions of Beethoven,
the aesthetic goals of Romanticism began to dominate in music (1820-1910).
Democratic, patriotic, and individualistic political ideals informed
Romanticism in all European cultures, including Russians (Borodin,
Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky), French (Berlioz, Saint-Saens), Italians (Rossini,
Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini), and German and Austrian composers like Weber,
Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn
and Liszt. The Romantic era in music ended with Wagner, Strauss, Bruckner, Brahms,
Sibelius, and Mahler.
See Romantic Era
Music Links Reading Assignment (all students) for week 9 The Great Fairy Tale Tradition Read section introductions and all
Grimm tales from p. 335-505 (8 tales) SI Assignments (8 students) for week 9 Comments tale 1, Comments tale 2,
Comments tale 3 Comments tale 4, Comments tale 5,
Comments tale 6 Comments tale 7, Comments tale 8 |
German
Culture web page: Romanticism to
1848 Grimm's Fairy Tales and online fairy tales Witchcraft Legends, The Witch That Was Hurt The
Cinderella Project A text and image archive of a dozen English-language
versions of Cinderella published between 1729 and 1912. The texts come from
the collections of the de
Grummond Children's Literature Research Collection at the University of
Southern Mississippi. (For information on other versions of Cinderella, see Variations on the
Cinderella Story.) The Little Red
Riding Hood Project. A text-and-image archive of sixteen early versions
of the story, drawn from the de
Grummond Children's Literature Research Collection. Snow White. An excellent
site by Kay Vandergrift. Good comparative texts and illustrations, and
critical perspectives on the fairy tale and its variations. |
|
9 |
Ø
SI Presentations (8 tales, see above) Ø
Discussion of The Great Fairy Tale Tradition, section introductions and all
Grimm tales from p. 335-505 (8 tales) Ø
Introduction to Goethe’s Faust
legend. Faust
Legends. Stories about mortals who enter into
contracts with the demonic powers. Reading Assignment (all students) for week 10 The Great Fairy Tale Tradition Read section introductions and all
Grimm tales from p. 506-698 (12 tales) WI Assignments (all students) for week 10 Graded essay draft (2 pages, one
topic only.) 1.
Witches, Stepmothers, and Heroines:
Women in Grimm’s Fairy Tales 2.
Cruelty, Passion, and Morality in
Grimm’s Fairy Tales 3.
Children
and their Heroes in Grimm’s Fairy Tales |
Ninteenth-Century German Stories.
Struwwelpeter, Busch, Grimm Brothers in German- and English-language
versions, often with illustrations. From the Foreign Language Department -
Virginia Commonwealth University. German Changeling Legends.
Stories from German-speaking countries about how fairies, trolls, elves, and
devils kidnap human children, leaving their own demonic offspring in their
place. Werewolf Legends from Germany,
from collections published, for the most part, in 19th century Germany. German
Info: Roads Worth Traveling along the 372-mile-long Fairy Tale Road, travelers
can trace the milestones of the Grimm Brothers’ lives. |
|
10 |
Ø
Due: (2-page draft) “Witches,
Stepmothers, and Heroines: Women in Grimm’s Fairy Tales” or “Cruelty,
Passion, and Morality in Grimm’s Fairy Tales” or “Children and their Heroes
in Grimm’s Fairy Tales” Ø
Discussion of The Great Fairy
Tale Tradition p. 506-698 (12 tales) Ø
Introduction to Heinrich Heine and
his tales Ø
Information
for Exam II Reading Assignment (all students) for week 11 Siegfried Neumann’s essay in The
Great Fairy Tale Tradition p. 969-678. |
Library of Congress: American
Folklife Centre. Information about the Library of Congress' Folk Culture
collections, and about current folklife events. Lamhfada online magazine of myth and story, featuring articles, tales,
reviews, and more. Marvels
& Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies |
|
11 |
Ø
Return
of essay draft Ø
Mid-Term Exam 1.
SI
Presentations (time limit: 2 minutes) on a topic of choice related to
Germanic Mythology, including commentary on selected myths and legends,
characters, web sites, and museum exhibits (60 minutes) 2.
Identifications
of characters and events in the Nibelungenlied and The Great Fairy Tale Tradition (25 minutes) 3.
Discuss main points of Siegfried Neumann’s essay in The
Great Fairy Tale Tradition p. 969-678. (15 minutes) Reading Assignment (all students) for week 12 Read Goethe’s “Fairy Tale” (p.
3-32), and Brentano’s “The Tale of Honest Casper and Fair Annie” (p. 129-159)
in Romantic Fairy Tales. |
A Fairy
Tale by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; Wearied with the labors of the
day, an old Ferryman lay asleep in his hut, on the bank The
Great Fairy Tale Tradition: From Straparola and Basile to the Brothers Grimm.
Edited by Jack Zipes University of Minnesota. |
|
12 |
Ø
Introduction to Romantic Fairy Tales Ø
Discussion of Goethe’s “Fairy Tale”
(p. 3-32), and Brentano’s “The Tale of Honest Casper and Fair Annie” (p.
129-159) in Romantic Fairy Tales. Ø
Slide Show: Romanticism in Art Ø
Introduction of essay topics, due on
Final Exam Day Reading Assignment (all students) for week 13 Read Fouque’s “Undine” (p. 55-125)
in Romantic Fairy Tales. SI Assignments (5 students) for week 13 1.
Summary of Introduction p. vii-xiii
in Romantic Fairy Tales 2.
Summary of Introduction p.
xvii-xix, Romantic Fairy Tales 3.
Comments on “Undine” (p. 55-125), Romantic Fairy
Tales 4.
Comments on “Undine” (p. 55-125), Romantic Fairy
Tales 5.
Comments on “Undine” (p. 55-125), Romantic Fairy
Tales |
Romantic
Fairy Tales available from Penguin Putnam Inc. Reform,
Liberation and Romanticism in Prussia German
Folklore. Rapunzel, Schneewittchen. German Fairy Tales Commentary
on Goethe's Fairy Tale The Green
Snake Play. Goethe's fairy tale |
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13 |
Ø
SI Presentations (5 introductions,
see above) Ø
Discussion of Fouque’s “Undine” (p.
55-125) in Romantic Fairy Tales Ø
Sirens and Water Spirits. Germany’s
Lorelei Legend Reading Assignment (all students) for week 14 Read Weimar Tales. Hand-out (40 pages) WI Assignment (all students) for week 14 Final essay draft (2 pages), including text citations, and
bibliography |
Water Spirit Legends. Stories
about mermaids, nixies, and other supernatural creatures who live in the
water Melusina. Legends about mermaids,
water sprites, and forest nymphs and their relationships with mortal men. Friedrich
de la Motte Fouqué: Undine. German text of 1811. |
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14 |
Ø
Due: Final essay
outline (2 page draft), including title, text citations, and bibliography
Ø
Introduction
to Weimar Culture Ø
Discussion of Weimar
Tales. Hand-out (40
pages)
Ø
Video
excerpts: Weimar Film Mythology SI Assignment (all students) for week 15 Present final essay, including main ideas, text citations,
and bibliography |
Fairy
Tales as political
propaganda Weimar
Culture 1918-33 Fairy
Tales: Select Reading List of Secondary Material. Family,
Friction, and Socialization in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. |
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15 |
Ø SI Final Presentations (all
students): Discuss Final Essays
Ø Introduction
to Nazi Mythology
Ø
Slide
Show: Aryan and Nordic Cults in Nazi Germany Ø
Postmodern
Mythology: The Neverending Story Ø
Video:
The Neverending Story WI Assignment (all students) for week 16 Final Paper (3 pages), with at least
3 text citations, and bibliography |
Anti-Semitic Legends
Nazi Propaganda Slogans, Myths, and Images Lebensborn: The Nazi Effort to Breed a Pure
Race 1984
Fantasy film by Wolfgang Petersen The NeverEnding Story |
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16 |
Due: Final Paper
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- A. Lixl, Spring 2003, UNCG