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Dear Fresher, This year, Catz Freshers are receiving an additional Catz JCR Publication – a Subject Guide. We commissioned our year group to create a guide designed to assist in adjustment to life and work at Catz, specific to each subject. Our contemporaries reacted with typical Catz spirit and we are so proud of the results. In each guide should be a brief intro to what your first year will be like, with contact details, relevant links, helpful tips and useful information. By no means will all of it be relevant (or even make sense) before you arrive, but hopefully having a gist of how the year will turn out will prove helpful, and we suggest you read it in the summer. We also recommend that you keep it in mind throughout the year, some of the points may only become relevant later in the year. We ask that you don’t distribute these guides outside the Catz community – it’s by Catz, for Catz. We have tried to verify all the information, but some will inevitably change, such as who will supervise you. Please accept our apologies if that is the case. For this ASNaC guide we would like to credit and thank Emilia and Ella. Please remember there is a multitude of people for you to come to with questions – us, the Subject Reps, your college parents, and others in the main Freshers’ Guide. We all want to help. Looking forward to meeting you – enjoy the rest of the summer! Catz Love Beth and Mikey
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Introductions Before we begin, let us introduce ourselves (or rather, each other)! Emilia Henderson: Celtic Viking extraordinaire! Emilia is half Swedish and half Irish, though her spoken English puts most of us to shame, as does her exceptional understanding of linguistics. (For goodness sake, don’t ask about it, you will be subjected to a flood of enthusiasm impossible to resist, much like the zombie virus. Only sparklier.) In addition to linguistics Emilia is addicted to Palaeography, Old English (though I suspect she only does it for Dr Dance’s cuddly animal of the week), Old Norse, and how they relate to each other and Modern Swedish. She is also taking Gaelic History, Anglo Saxon History, and Modern Irish (just for kicks). She has a vast supply of tea, including such wonders as chocolate and vanilla flavour, and she will always be ready to bestow some tea and/or cuddles to anyone in need. Speaking of cuddles... Gabrielle (but don’t call her that!), Ella, Watts might be, not only the cuddliest of all the ASNCs, but maybe of all of Catz! There is no use in resisting, just give in to the hugs! She is also ridiculously good with words (even really scary and weird ones like those found in Medieval Welsh) and will astound you with her poetry knowledge and skills and with her ability to whip out a play in a flash like she’s really an English student. Ella confesses to an interest in all things ASNC as long as it or they have been subject to the Villainous Vikings in one way or the other. So she has the feeling she’s fraternising with the enemy being sisters with Emilia, but what can you do (Cf. Arthur/Morgana). Any historical figure that you want to be saved from inevitable demise can be housed in Ella’s favourite hide-out, the Merlin Cave. It is currently home to (apart from Merlin) Bede, Æthelred, Taliesin, Snorri Sturluson, Ælfric, Oisin, Cnut and The Last Prince of Wales. So, as you might have gathered, Ella enjoys Welsh (for some reason), Old English poetry (not grammar), Brittonic History, Simon Keynes/Anglo-Saxon History and Palaeography. As ASNC Freshers you will also be subject to her nepotism since she is this year’s Archebiscopus, i.e. ASNC Freshers’ Rep. As for our course. Well, having discovered it, you probably already know that it is fantabulous, splendiferous, and made of unicorns, sunshine, and now and again violent mutilation. As ASNCs you need to know, that in order of Rape, Burn and Pillage, you always burn last. This is the ASNC way, in sort of the same way as House Greyjoy does not sow. You should also be ready for everything to pop up everywhere (especially the Vikings. No lecture is safe from Vikings.) This might be slightly overwhelming at first but comes in handy once you find your bearings, because repetition is always good for memorizing, and after all, it is this interdisciplinary quality that makes ASNC so unique and amazing.
Modules;. The only truly arduous and positively frustrating part of this course is choosing your papers. Even if you were sure when applying that you would be interested in a !!
!! particular part of the Tripos, you might very well change your mind or have an epiphany, much like Emilia who did not care a thing for Old English before her interview with Dr Dance and is now beyond saving. So we won’t be giving you advice on which to pick because it is very much a question of personal taste and passion and you might very well end up changing your mind during the course of the year. When it comes to supervisions, you do not have to worry about the two papers you choose for PATs (which are taken at the very end of Lent term) during your first year as you will only have supervisions in your Prelims. In those four papers you will have four or five supervisions over the course of the year. The supervisors will differ for each paper, and sometimes overlap, and can be one of the PhD students, another associate of the department or sometimes the paper coordinator (usually also the main lecturer). As to introductory reading, below we have listed the books that we found most useful either as preparation before starting the course or further in. Don’t stress though! No preparation is obligatory, and you will be just fine without it. But without further ado, here are some brief notes on the papers available going in to Prelim: 1) ANGLO-SAXON HISTORY Lectures: 1/week Useful reading: It will definitely be worth reading, or at least buying, Bede: Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and you should at least consider looking at Frank Stenton’s Anglo-Saxon England, and/or Asser’s Life of King Alfred.
OH EM GEE GAIS, Simon Keynes! Perhaps the best part about this paper is that it is taught by a living legend in the field. Simon Keynes (if you didn’t know already) basically reinvented how we see and understand this period. Anglo Saxon History covers roughly the centuries between the Roman Occupation departing in 410 and the Norman Conquest, in 1066. As a period of history, it is fascinating because of the boiling pot of political change and upheaval which led to the foundations of modern England. Though it may sometimes look a little scary (seriously, how many kingdoms do you need) it is absorbing and taught in a very accessible way. The rule for this paper in terms of work, like all the history papers: is read, read, read, especially primary sources (Promise they’re not as scary as they seem). 2) SCANDINAVIAN HISTORY Lectures: 1/week Useful reading: Any of the suggested books will give you a good grounding, but Snorri’s Heimskringla is also an important source and might be worth reading or getting eventually if Vikings are your thing.
Scandinavian history pretty much does what it says on the label and covers the different Scandinavian countries one by one and their pre-Viking (at least briefly for some background) and Viking eras. If Viking artefacts such as ship burials, rune stones and shiny jewellery are your thing, you’re in luck! Dr Rowe also has an affinity for baby animals and beautiful scenery, and to be honest, who doesn’t? Her lectures and teaching is very well-organised and since she regularly uploads Powerpoints, lecture notes and pre-lecture reading on to the CamTools-site, revision and catching up on any missed lecture is made accessible and straight-forward. As a prominent member of The Viking Society for Northern Research (THE EXISTENCE OF WHICH IS TOTALLY AWESOME AND YOU KNOW IT) Dr Rowe will also keep you up-to-date with !!
!! the newest developments and scholarly debates in the field. But be prepared, Viking Age Scandinavians were not very creative when it came to naming their sons... 3) BRITTONIC HISTORY Lectures: 1/week Useful reading: If you don’t read anything else you should at least try to get through K. Maund’s The Welsh Kings, which is a very accessible text and gives a nice narrative overview. Brittonic History covers the Picts, the Welsh and the people on random islands scattered around the British Isles that the Vikings didn’t shotgun. We get mysterious Pictish images, the antithesis of brotherly love, and some of the earliest guerrilla warfare (yes, whatever else you may say about them, the Welsh did kick some Norman ass, more than the Anglo-Saxons can claim....) Though, like the other ASNC history papers, we have few sources and a lot of squabbling going on in this period, as well as some quite drastic historiographical discrepancies. However, do not despair! Lines of thought and continuity can be found, and when they are it’s a bit better than striking gold. Also easier, the lecturers are really pretty good. The most charming thing about Brittonic History, is that here perhaps more so than in any other paper, can you really find the link between mythology and history, which is awesome. 4) HISTORY OF THE GAELIC-SPEAKING PEOPLES Lectures: 1/week Useful reading: For the Irish side of things, D. Ó Cróinín’s Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200 will definitely prove a very useful purchase (it will keep cropping up on reading lists) and the equivalent in usefulness for the Scottish part of the paper would be A. Woolf’s From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070.
Since the kingdom of Alba, i.e. Scotland, was created by Irish settlers (…or was it?), the early history of Scotland and the Isle of Man, apart from Ireland of course, are the subjects of this course. This year we covered Scotland and Man and next year we will be moving on to Ireland (And St Patrick! :D). As much as it’s full of pictures of fantastic archaeological evidence of the period - Pictish stones and stone crosses displaying the Hiberno-Norse mixed culture – the majority of the other sources can be frustrating to deal with. They are either non-existent or tell us almost nothing at all and sometimes what they tell us is not reasonable or shows too many discrepancies to be believed and is a later fabrication. But as stated above, this is a problem held in common with most papers and don’t let it scare you! See it as a challenge. ;) As Fiona Edmunds has, at the time of writing, just had a baby, her papers (Gaelic and Brittonic History) will be taken over by a temporary lecturer until she is back from maternity leave.
5) OLD ENGLISH Lectures: 1/week + 1 language class/week. Useful reading: The only real must-have book for Old English is B. Mitchell and F. C. Robinson’s A Guide to Old English, 7th ed. (although the 6th ed. will also suffice), since it will be used for the set texts and general language teaching. Two other books which will definitely
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Old English is definitely not just about Beowulf. Don’t get me wrong, Beowulf is awesome (he is basically from Sweden after all ;) ), but there are so many other treasures of Old English literature to be discovered (if you haven’t already!). The poetry is varied and full of heroic ideals and dramatic speeches as well as a recurring theme of transience. Mixed in with it all are the delightfully ambiguous Riddles. If you, like Emilia, find the etymology of words or the relationship between Norse and Old English fascinating, you are also in for a treat! Further, Dr Dance is an absolute delight as a lecturer and teacher and the paper is one of the best organised of them all. Old English as a language is far from “Shakespeare-English” (and woe to the ignorant English students who think it is basically Middle English…) as the grammar is a lot more complex and reminiscent of its Germanic heritage. Don’t worry too much if you haven’t done much language and grammar before though, Dr Dance is more than able to see you through and the vocabulary isn’t totally alien either , although it can sometimes fool you when words look more or less the same as the MnE equivalent but has changed its meaning rather significantly. 6) OLD NORSE Lectures: 1/week + 1 language class/week. Useful reading: I would definitely recommend buying a copy of both the Prose and the Poetic Edda (Snorri Sturluson: Edda, trans. A. Faulkes and The Poetic Edda. trans. C. Larrington) since they’re not very expensive but will be much used. Apart from that you will have to get the three colourful Norse Language books by A. Faulkes (Grammar, Reader and Glossary) but even though the Reader is on the Introductory Reading List, don’t bother getting it until you get here. I did that mistake and didn’t understand a thing of it without guidance and since Dr Quinn is a member of the Viking Society, which publishes them, she orders them in bulk and we can buy them cheaper from the department secretary.
Old Norse, a.k.a. Old Icelandic, a.k.a. the Tongue of the Vikings themselves! Although most of the literature relevant to this paper is preserved in manuscripts of a much later date than the period we study, just the fact that the first years who took this course could basically understand this year’s Icelandic contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest without subtitles is but one indicator of how little this particular branch of the North-Germanic languages seems to have changed. I assume the charming, quirky and captivating characters and stories of the Old Norse mythological world will already be familiar to you, so I’ll instead try and describe the language itself briefly. Grammar-wise, Old Norse shares many similarities with Old English, and there is quite a lot of vocabulary held in common or at least recognisable between them as well. The instances when they don’t may however occasionally fool you if you’re taking both papers, but this is never a major problem. The main difficulty with ON is rather the syntax and idiomatic nature of the language which is often hard to translate comprehensibly. But the frustration this may occasion is more than made up for by the literature we translate, where sudden profanity and indecent treatment of goats are some of the more entertaining examples. The language-classes are taught by Dr Quinn, whose teaching style might need some getting used to and isn’t always the most pedagogical. You’ll get used to it soon enough, however, as long as you don’t !!
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7) MEDIEVAL WELSH Lectures: 1/Week + 1 language class/ Week Recommended Reading: Welsh is nuts, so if you’re seriously considering this paper, your best bet is to familiarise yourself with an accessible version of the main texts. Read the Mabinogion, otherwise known as the Four Branches and Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Brittonum. The Penguin classics versions, and Lady Charlotte Guest’s Mabinogion work as introductions, but for goodness sake, don’t tell Professor Russell! Though not very linguistically accurate, they are good, friendly introductions which will give you a good grasp of the initial material and be fun to read. It’s a good thing to have in your back pocket.
So, Medieval Welsh. If you’re considering this subject, you may also be wondering whether such an inclination counts as a symptom of insanity. I’d love to say not so much, but you’re an ASNC. That diagnosis came and went a long time ago. Having said this, Medieval Welsh is not as scary as it seems. Take it from someone who only took a second language to AS, and then got a B. Often people who don’t feel that comfortable with languages find an unexpected love and ease with Welsh – it’s strange, but it can work. Not for everyone, true, but not for nobody either. If you love Arthurian legends, magic, weird and wonderful names (Teyrnon Twryf Lliant, literally, Prince of the Roaring Tide) and wacky, brilliant humour, then Welsh is for you. What it lacks in general coherency, it more than makes up for in entertainment value. It is, also, for those linguistically minded, quite fascinating as being a weird and wonderful Celtic language, and a bit more accessible than Irish. Exams will consist, much like all other languages, of an unseen text translation, seen text translations, comments on grammar, and literary essays. If you’re unsure, it’s a good one to take as a PAT, but don’t be shy either! You will get very informative classes from Professor Russell (don’t call him that though!) and Natalia Petrovskaia, and people get through their first year exams just fine (which, remember, don’t actually count!). By next year, you’ll be able to make the choice for yourself. Good luck! 8) MEDIEVAL IRISH (This entry is written by your lovely grandma Rebecca Try since none of us took this paper, although Emilia is regretting not taking it last year and will be joining the freshers in this coming year instead) Lectures: 1/Week + 2 language classes/ Week Recommended Reading: J. Gantz’s Early Irish Myths and Sagas is a good and accessible and not too scary place to start (although be prepared to have to re-learn the pronunciation of the names) and D. Ó Cróinín’s Early Medieval Ireland, 400-1200 is incredibly useful for a general background on what we know of early Irish life and society and if you are taking Gaelic History as well it will come in handy in both of these courses, so basically well worth its money!
If you love the myths and legends of Ireland, the Irish language or even if you think you might; try learning Old Irish! It will be hard at times, but in between throwing !!
!! your Grammar at the wall in frustration and wading your way through the conjugated prepositions (don't worry; after two years I STILL don't really know what they are!) you'll laugh at the hilarity of Scéle Mucce Méic Datho, be awed at the bravery of Cu Chullain and be rendered speechless at the beauty of the literature. The Sherlock library in Catz has a surprisingly good collection of books, and if you need any more, there is a good chance that I might be parting with mine. If you have any further questions about Irish, or about Asnac in general, contact me (Rebecca, Asnac IT officer/ Netwalda) at rt383@cam.ac.uk. Looking forward to meeting you!
9) INSULAR LATIN This entry is provided by the wonderful Maura McKeon who will also make sure you are well-fed as she is ASNC Catering Officer. Lectures: 1/week, + 1 language class/week Useful reading: The collection of writings in The Age of Bede, trans. J.F. Webb & D.H. Farmer, as well as Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica are good places to start, and of course everyone’s favourite shouty Briton, Gildas (example on the Introductory Reading list).
Latin is perhaps the most useful language for an ASNC to have, as most of the sources of the period are recorded in it, and much of the literature has either been translated from Latin or influenced by it in some way. It was the main language of literacy in the early medieval world and spread alongside Christianity, making it incredibly important for understanding ASNC. No prior knowledge of Latin is required or expected, and teaching begins at the most basic point, like all other ASNC languages (although a more advanced class is available for those with more experience). We cover a wide array of texts in first year, from colloquies (Latin textbooks for baby monks) to Voyage of St Brendan and the holy otter, to Willibald's Hodoeporicon and tales from the Middle East. It's a great deal of fun, and the teaching is fantastic. Pros: Incredibly useful (point cannot be stressed enough), Fun, Good teaching, Monks!!! Cons: It's not an easy language to learn (although you get plenty of support), Colloquies are nowhere near as interesting as an abbot trying to smuggle perfume out of Jerusalem. If you have any further questions just send them to mcm73@cam.ac.uk. 10) PALAEOGRAPHY AND CODICOLOGY Lectures: 1/week Useful reading: Considering this paper is hard to form an opinion on without having actually tried it out as a whole, I’m not entirely sure it is worth trying to get a hold of any reading unless you’re already hooked and can’t get enough. Even if you’re looking for help to choose between Palaeography and another paper, reading about manuscripts in the general kind of way of the Introductory Reading material is nothing compared to actually seeing the manuscripts in one of the termly library-visits. However, if you are determined to read up on what this course is actually about since it’s probably not something you’ve come across very much before, any of the items on the list provided as well as Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham, Introduction to manuscript studies are good places to start.
Oh, Palaeography! Beloved and hated, blessed and cursed paper! (sadly the ‘Codicology’-part of the course is hardly ever included when talking about this course because it’s just a bit too long to say the entire name) Most definitely the hardest paper available in Part I of our Tripos (and considering both of us took it for Prelims !!
!! we are very much qualified to make that judgement) and also the hardest paper to describe in generally applicable and objective terms. It tends to be the case that it’s either not your thing at all or you fall completely and irreversibly in love with it (but considering I, Emilia, belong to the second category, I might be slightly overdramatic…). But in order to properly find out which faction you belong to you really need to at least try it out as a PAT first, which is why it is one of the most commonly chosen courses as a PAT. Unfortunately, this does not at all prepare you for the bittersweet experience which writing supervision essays for this paper can be. Since ASNC is one of very few (if not the only) places which offers Palaeography at undergraduate level (combined with the obscure and niche nature of the subject itself) the reading material will almost always be either too general, and aimed more at a layman-audience than an academic one, or too specific and advanced. Another complicating as well as positive factor is the composite nature of the paper. Since it deals with the diverse manuscript culture of not only the areas directly covered by the Tripos, but also the continental equivalents and influences, it offers a great deal of customisation according to your specific interests. But it also means that there is constantly a change of lecturers since no one knows enough about ALL of the different areas, both geographical and more subject-specific. Thus, trying to get an overall impression and coherency is a bit of a challenge. Despite all of these difficulties the fact remains that the opportunity of taking this paper in Cambridge - the home of the Parker-library (quite possibly my new favourite place on earth) as well as several wellstocked College libraries and, of course, the University Library’s manuscript collection - is too unique and amazing to miss out. Another fundamental virtue of this paper is that taking it, in whatever capacity, will enrich your experience of all the others since many of our most essential sources are preserved in manuscripts, many of which are kept in the above-mentioned locations (the most obvious example being the AngloSaxon Chronicle) and which you will be given the opportunity to go and see for real during the termly library visits organised as part of the paper. The first opportunities for this will be given to you during the ASNC Induction during Freshers’ Week, so whatever you do, don’t miss it as it will be a vital opportunity for making your own mind up!
Exams; Most important to remember (and a fact that will be repeated to you often in Easter term) - first year exams are only Prelims! They will not count towards your degree, so try to view them as practice exams for Part I. That being said, some stress will be inevitable, but there will be plenty of help and calming words to be had from everyone in the department when that time comes and, as always, there will always be someone on hand to answer any questions. Basically, don’t think about exams yet! Reading up on marking criteria and past papers already will most probably only cause unnecessary worry, but they are all available on the ASNC Department website for when Easter term comes around.
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Reading; To get hold of the above listed books, most of the common sites like amazon will stock them, considering only the most common (or is that least obscure?) books are on the Introductory Reading List. Or why not pay a visit to one of Cambridge’s excellent book stores, e.g. Heffer’s or Waterstone’s? There will be at least three libraries available to you – the English Faculty Library, where the ASNC books are housed in the innermost corner of the first floor; Catz’ libraries (although only a minority of the relevant books which Catz have are held in the New Library); and the infamous UL (University Library). You will get a thorough library tour of all of the libraries, especially helpful for the UL (and don’t worry, you do learn to find your way around eventually, mostly out of necessity). Since ASNC is such a small subject it is sometimes hard to get hold of your books, but just check if it’s in a college library where another ASNC is a member and everyone will be happy to help out and borrow it for you.
Links; Well, obviously the Departmental site: http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/ And if you haven’t found it already, you must check out the ASNC Society website: http://www.srcf.ucam.org/asnac/ Get yourself a memrise-account! Even if you’re only doing one language, there is as of this term an official ASNC-account where the vocabulary for the set texts for all our language courses are being added and it’s a great way of productive procrastination, I mean, vocabulary learning! : http://www.memrise.com/user/AsnacSociety/courses/teaching/ And the fresher’s facebook page! Here you’ll be able to get in touch with your Fresher’s Rep (Ella Watts), Access officer (Samuel Thompson) and various other ASNaCs with any questions you may have. Socialising with your fellow fresher’s and giving enthusiastic rants about Tolkien, mythology and linguistics is actively encouraged. https://www.facebook.com/groups/140313279506903/
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Maps; See above for suggested routes to the English faculty, which houses the ASNC Department. To walk through King’s is the most picturesque, but if you don’t have time to wade through the tourists to get there it will probably be quicker to leave Catz through the Fellow’s car park and then go down Silver street etc. We will happily show you these routes in person as well, of course! The ASNC Department, and our second home (i.e. the Common Room) is on the second floor, to the left directly after the stairs or (basically) straight ahead out of the elevator. If you were interviewed by Dr Dance you will already know where his office is in Catz (if not it’s the staircase just opposite the porter’s lodge, at the very top) and his office in the Department is just around the corner of the common room and shouldn’t be hard to find. But one of the advantages with Catz’ limited size is that it is very hard to get yourself lost and it’s so central that you will learn where anything is in no time.
General Tips; Don’t worry if you’re not a language-nerd/linguist/confident about grammar! I know we have already mentioned this, but since you cannot get away from taking at least one language-paper it is worth stressing. Apart from the high standard of language !!
!! teaching, there will be refresher classes in general grammar during the Induction course, so you won’t be thrown into the deep end, Also, you might want to work on an interesting and/or approachable answer to the question you will get asked a lot: “ASNC... So… what do you study exactly?” To get you started: Emilia usually goes with– “Vikings and Stuff”, while Ella tends to say, “It’s like Classics, but in a different period” (and more awesome, obviously). Even if you feel overwhelmed by all the new impressions and information and people, and you’re not really sure you want to meet anyone new yet again, thank you very much, rather than staying in your room – give it a go. That might not sound helpful, but you are now on your first step of living your own life which means that you are the one in charge of it. ASNC is a very, very specific subject, which means most of your fellows will share your interests. In fact, just the fact that you’ve all found the course means that you will have something in common. Additionally, it is also the friendliest course, not only according to us (just ask any of the numerous honorary ASNCs from other courses). If you need help with anything, if you feel overwhelmed and homesick or just would fancy a cup of tea and a chat (with complimentary cuddles!) you will always be welcome to pop by flat 41 in Chads (the second year accommodation complex just opposite the Sidgwick site) which Ella and Emilia and two very friendly and awesome Catz-girls named Rachael and Kiara will be sharing. So be brave, be yourself, don’t worry too much and go for it! We know you’ll have an incredible year. HAVE AN AMAZING SUMMER AND WE’RE VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU!!
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