Nature, Landscape, and Travel in the Middle Ages

3 units

Through an examination of the concept of nature in the Middle Ages, the course analyzes the importance of the presence or absence of landscapes in medieval literature, including CHANSONS DE GESTE, courtly romances, ROMAN DE LA ROSE, accounts of travel and pilgrimages, poetry, and theater. We examine the movements of medieval men and women from one place to another; their concepts of the relation between the nature and culture; their emotions when confronting nature; the various means they use to describe space and travel; the function of nature and landscapes within individual works. Each text is situated within the general framework of the history of the language and the ltierature of the period. The thematic focus of the course is informed through theological, philosophical, and anthropological perspectives essential to an appreciation of all medieval texts. Prereq: Fr 325 and Fr 326 or one of these courses and the equivalent WU transfer literature course from Toulouse or Paris. One-hour preceptorial for undergraduates.