Short Courses 2011-2011
Fee: €230 for 10 weeks Time/Dates: Thursday 7-9pm, 29th September to 1st December Venue: Western Gateway Building, Room G17, UCC Lecturer: Dr Gavin Dillon, Roinn na Sean agus Meán Ghaeilge/Dept. of Early and Medieval Irish, UCC
1.
Stories in stone: Ireland’s first literacy – Ogham
2.
Poetry and the development of the manuscript tradition
3.
The Ulster Cycle – overview, themes and key texts
4.
Táin Bó Cuailnge – “A window on the Iron Age?”
5.
The Mythological Cycle – overview, themes and key texts
6.
Cath Maige Tuired – development of Irish ‘pseudo-history’
7.
Women in Medieval Irish literature and society
8.
Religious Literature – Hagiography (the lives of the Saints)
9.
Legal Literature – introduction to Early Irish Law
Introduction to Medieval Irish Literature The Irish were the first in Western Europe to begin writing in their own language at a time when Latin was the standard language of the written word. A rich oral culture had been preserved in Ireland and was eventually written down in the medieval period, leading to a wealth of literature concerning gods, goddesses, kings, druids, poets and heroes, poetry and religious material. Despite their Christian faith, the Irish never lost a keen and consuming interest in the traditions of their ancestors. This course seeks to investigate some of this literature with a view to discussing its genesis and how it compares to European literature of the same period. A wide range of texts will be studied to provide an introduction to the rich field of Early Irish literature and culture. All material will be studied in translation. The course is primarily designed to be enjoyable and an interesting learning experience. A wide range of images will illustrate the lectures including Ogham stones, Celtic inscriptions and the illuminated manuscripts which survive to us today. These images will help to develop an appreciation for Medieval Irish literature as something that is more than mere words printed in modern books, but a vibrant art form in its own right. It is hoped that a field trip can be organised to view some stunning reproductions of the manuscripts mentioned throughout the course held in the Special Collections section of UCC’s Boole Library. It is also hoped that a short excursion will be made to view the largest collection of Ogham stones in the world, held in UCC’s ‘Stone Corridor’ in the main quadrangle.
10. End of an Era – cultural change and the arrival of the Normans http://study.ucc.ie/ace
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