I. Description
The goal of this course will be to develop a familiarity with some of the salient characteristics of monastic and courtly-chivalric communities in the European Middle Ages, by means of a study of the ways in which they organized their lives temporally and spatially, and of the ways in which they gave expression to their views about life, love, work, God, etc. in their art, literature, and music. This course functions as a core course for the minor in Medieval and early Modern Studies (MEMS). It may also serve to get interested students started with an IDS major in MEMS. For information on the MEMS minor and IDS major, please visit the MEMS website.

III. Course assignments and grading criteria

1. Homework                           20%
2. 3 tests                                  30%
3. comprehensive final              20%
4. essay                                   20%
5. project                                10%

1. Homework assignments for the most part will be WWW-based. Students refer to this page for assignments.  The assignments will consist of questions about the reading assignment and/or about other WWW-based medieval and early modern studies resources. Assignments are due by the class hour for which they are listed.

 2 and 3. The tests and comprehensive final will consist of different kinds of written tasks that assess familiarity with the reading assignments.  These tasks will include identifications of concepts and terms and brief discussions of textual passages.

4. Essay: a research paper (1500-2000 words), using primary and secondary sources, that examines in depth some aspect of monastic and/or courtly-chivalric culture. Essay themes.

5. For the project students may choose to write a second essay (of 1500-3000 words), or to make a class presentation on a topic of interest (either individually, or as a member of a small group), or to construct a website dealing with some aspect of monastic or courtly-chivalric cultures.

IV. Texts:
1. C.H. Lawrence, Medieval Monasticism: Forms of Religious Life in Western Europe in the Middle Ages.  3rd edition (London: Longman, 2001).
2. St. Augustine, Christian Doctrine (de doctrina christiana)
3. Boethius, The consolation of Philosophy (selections)
4. The Rule of St. Benedict (excerpts)
5. Life of St. Antony
6. Joseph and Frances Gies,  Life in a medieval Castle (New York: Harper and Row, 1974).
7.  Hartmann von Aue, Arthurian Romances, Tales, and Lyric Poetry (University Park: Pennsyvania State University Press, 2001)
8. In Praise of the New Knighthood (Liber ad milites Templi: De laude novae militae), by St. Bernard of Clairvaux
8. The Primitive Constitutions of the Order of Friars Preachers
9. The Rule of the Franciscan Order

V. Course Resources: links, pictures, images
Monastery page
Castle page
The Peace Movement
Hildebrandslied- Old High German
Hildebrandslied - English
codex manesse -- miniatures
Hartmann von Aue's Erec in Middle High German
typology
Book of Job
The medieval manor
mummers/mumming
Matilda of Tuscany (or: Matilda of Canossa)
Eleanor of Aquitaine
medieval garments #1
medieval garments #2
wattle and daub peasant house
iron bombards
Versailles
History of gunpowder
Romanticism
 

VI. Schedule and homework assignments. This represents a plan, which will be expanded and changed as necessary during the semester.
Note: Assignments are due by the class period in which they are listed!
January
 
 

8: Introduction

10: Lawrence, chapter 1, "The Call of the Desert"; click here for homework assignment
 

15: Guest lecture by David Stanley (Art History) on the St. Gall abbey design; Lawrence, chapter 2,  "The Rule of St. Benedict";  The Rule of St. Benedict (excerpts); click here for the homework assignment

17:  The Life of St. Antony; click here for the homework assignment (this is a brief one!)
 

22: St. Augustine, Christian Doctrine de doctrina christiana (Read Books I and IV, but please look over the chapter headings in Books II and III so that you have an idea of their content); click here for the homework assignment

24: St. Augustine, Christian Doctrine de doctrina christiana (Read Books I and IV, but please look over the chapter headings in Books II and III so that you have an idea of their content); click here for the homework assignment
 

29: Boethius, The consolation of Philosophy (selections);  click here for the homework assignment; Lawrence, chapters 4 and 5 ("England and the Continent" and "The Emperor and the Rule")

31: Manuscript illuminations in the Gospel Books (Book of Kells, Lindisfarne Gospels): Guest lecture by David Stanley
 

February

5: Lawrence, chapter 6, "The Age of Cluny";  click here for the homework assignment
7:  TEST #1
 

12: Lawrence, chapter 8, "The Quest for the Primitive, and chapter 9, "The Cistercian Model"; An abbot:  Bernard of Clairvaux.

14: Lawrence, chapter 12: "Sisters and Handmaidens"; An abbess: Hildegard of Bingen; click here for the homework assignment.
 

19: Guest lecture on chant and the music of Hildegard by Jennifer Thomas; Lawrence, chapters 11 and 13, "A new kind of Knighthood" and "The Friars"; click here for the homework assignment.

21: Lawrence, chapter 14, "Epilogue: The individual and the community"; click here for the homework assignment.
 

26:  Concluding discussion of monasticism; some churches in Paris, a synagogue and a mosque in Granada; click here for the homework assignment.

28: Test #2
 

March

5: Spring Break

7: Spring Break
 

12: Gies, "prologue-- Chepstow Castle";  Gies, chapters 1 and 2, "The Castle comes to England." and "The Lord of the Castle"; click here for the homework assignment.

14: Gies, chapter 3, "The Castle as a House"; click here for the homework assignment.
 

19: MEMS lecture by Ulrich Gaier at 1:00 pm in the McQuown Room (Dauer Hall, Room 219). Reading assignment: in Arthurian Romances, Tales, and Lyric Poetry: The Complete Works of Hartmann von Aue, please read the introduction and all of the lyric poetry.  In class we will concentrate mainly on the poems in the homework assignment. Click here for the homework assignment.

21: Hartmann von Aue, Erec, pp.51-87 (to the end of the section beginning with the verse number #2904); click here for the homework assignment.
 

26: Hartmann von Aue, Erec; to the end; click here for the homework assignment.

28:  We will finish our discussion of Hartmann von Aue' s Erec; click here for the homework assignment; start reading Gregorius pp.165-179.

April

2: Hartmann von Aue, Gregorius, pp.179-end; click here for the homework assignment.

4: Finish discussion of Hartmann von Aue, Gregorius; begin discussion of Hartmann von Aue, Poor Heinrich (prologue); no written homework assignment for today.
 

9: Hartmann von Aue, Poor Heinrich (finish); click here for the homework assignment; review for test #3

11:  TEST #3
 

16: Gies, chapter 4, "The Lady," chapter 6, "A Day in the Castle,"  and chapter 8, "The Villagers"; click here for the homework assignment.

18: Gies, chapter 11, "The castle year" and chapter 12, "The decline of the castle."
 

23: Review for final.
 
 

Final:  May 1, 3:00-5:00 PM