Myth-making and Middle-Earth Dozent: Dr. Stephanie Glaser
In this seminar we will study mythopoesis and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Students are expected to have read or to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We will explore not only Tolkien’s writings, but the intermedial connections in his work, including his maps and drawings of Middle-Earth and the relationship between word and image. We will also study adaptation through Peter Jackson’s film version of LOTR and the additional insight it gives us into Tolkien’s creations.
Taking into account philological, literary, scholarly, personal, and historical influences in the first part of the course, we will discuss Tolkien’s scholarly essays, his translations of Old and Middle English Texts, his “minor” creative writings, as well as the influence of Old Norse poetry and myth, all of which underlie the creation of Middle-Earth. In the second part of the course, our main focus will be on The Silmarillion, while the third part will be dedicated to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which we will examine through various theoretical lenses (such as ecocriticism). We will also look at literary connections (C. S. Lewis, G. MacDonald, R. Wagner and the disputed influence of Der Ring des Nibelungen). At the end of the course we will briefly discuss Tolkien’s legacy in film and popular culture, closing with Peter Jackson’s cinematic adaptation.
Readings: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and excerpts from Tolkien’s other works, which will be provided by the instructor. All students are required to read one additional work by Tolkien as part of a group presentation and to give a short presentation on a biographical or historical topic. Students are expected to complete the required readings (in the original or in German translation) and be prepared to actively discuss them in class. Discussion will be in English, and term papers may be written in English or in German. Regular attendance is encouraged.
In this seminar we will study mythopoesis and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Students are expected to have read or to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. We will explore not only Tolkien’s writings, but the intermedial connections in his work, including his maps and drawings of Middle-Earth and the relationship between word and image. We will also study adaptation through Peter Jackson’s film version of LOTR and the additional insight it gives us into Tolkien’s creations.
Taking into account philological, literary, scholarly, personal, and historical influences in the first part of the course, we will discuss Tolkien’s scholarly essays, his translations of Old and Middle English Texts, his “minor” creative writings, as well as the influence of Old Norse poetry and myth, all of which underlie the creation of Middle-Earth. In the second part of the course, our main focus will be on The Silmarillion, while the third part will be dedicated to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which we will examine through various theoretical lenses (such as ecocriticism). We will also look at literary connections (C. S. Lewis, G. MacDonald, R. Wagner and the disputed influence of Der Ring des Nibelungen). At the end of the course we will briefly discuss Tolkien’s legacy in film and popular culture, closing with Peter Jackson’s cinematic adaptation.
Readings: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and excerpts from Tolkien’s other works, which will be provided by the instructor. All students are required to read one additional work by Tolkien as part of a group presentation and to give a short presentation on a biographical or historical topic. Students are expected to complete the required readings (in the original or in German translation) and be prepared to actively discuss them in class. Discussion will be in English, and term papers may be written in English or in German. Regular attendance is encouraged.
- Kursleiter/in: Stephanie Glaser
Semester: SoSe 2024