Aufbauseminar Early English Identity Tracing Englishness from the 7th to 12th Century Mi 12:30-14:00

By the 8th century, Britain had politically undergone many changes: from the withdrawal of Roman troops and institutions, to the invasion of the Germanic tribes from the continent, and the division of Anglo-Saxon England into the seven kingdoms of the Heptarchy, united English identity seemed hardly attainable. While the 9th century undergoes a unification of England under Wessex and King Alfred’s promotion of the term angelcynn to -reflect the common identity of his people” (Foot, 25), 8th century England was beginning a process of unification through its church first. With the Synod of Whitby officially adopting the Roman Catholic tradition as its principal authority, the ecclesiastical landscape enabled the process of a -slow growth of a unified sense of Englishness […].” (Ward-Perkins, 513) This semester, we want to trace this developing sense of English. We will first formulate our understanding of the term -identity” with a contemporary theoretical approach and build up the historical context and timeline of this complex period. Beginning with Bede's Historia and Life of St. Cuthbert, and in comparison to the anonymous Life, we will look at pre-Alfredian Englishness and ecclesiastical identity. After that, we will move into the time of the unification of England under king Alfred and Aelfric’s writing inspired by the Benedictine Reform, in order to investigate how the understanding of being English has shifted from the early 8th century Bedan depictions to the angelcynn we find in the 9th century. Also, we will look at identity as constructed through otherness; a dialectical approach that inadvertently also signifies what it means to be part of the self; as found in the Anglo-Saxon battle poems. We will also cover literature from the pre- and post-conquest period, such as the ASC and Peterborouch Chronicle, and the 11th century homily sermo lupi ad anglos, written by the last AS bishop and only English born bishop after the Conquest, St. Wulfstan. We will also look at the founding myth of Britain depicted in a selection of chronicles and romances, such as Monmouth’s Historia, SGGK, Sir Orfeo and Brut. The aim of the class is for students to develop in-depth knowledge of selected Old and Middle English texts, to be able to understand and work with OE and ME language editions and to critically reflect on the subject matter using contemporary literary theory. All texts will be uploaded to the BSCW Server. Preliminary selection of primary texts: Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica The Life of St. Cuthbert (Anonymous & Bede) Aelfric's The Life of St. Aetheltryth King Alfred's Preface to Pope Gregory's Cura Pastoralis The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Alfred's revision of Orosius' Historia Adversum Paganos The Battle of Brunnanburh / Maldon Wulfstan's Sermo Lupi ad Anglos The Peteborough Chronicle Excerpts Sir Gawain and the Green Knight / Sir Orfeo / Brut / Monmouth's Historia Regum Brittaniae The Life of St Wulfstan Voraussetzungen Kernfach Anglistik: alle vier Basismodule, Vertiefungsmodul Ergänzungsfach Anglistik: mindestens Basismodul Mediävistik Leistungsnachweis BN Requirements: participation in an expert group - - - - - details will follow in the first class. AP/Final Exams: - - - - - Oral Exams at the end of the semester or written exam in form of a Hausarbeit/term paper. Zielgruppe All students, but above all, students who are not intimidated by a lively class discussion! Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik Kernfach Anglistik: alle vier Basismodule, Vertiefungsmodul Ergänzungsfach Anglistik: mindestens Basismodul Mediävistik BN Requirements: participation in an expert group - - - - - details will follow in the first class. AP/Final Exams: - - - - - Oral Exams at the end of the semester or written exam in form of a Hausarbeit/term paper. Universität Düsseldorf WiSe 2015/16 Berovic Irena