English 102j. Introduction to Old English: Conceptions of the East in Old English Literature

Instructor: Joseph Shack
Mondays & Wednesdays, 9:00-10:15 am | Location: Barker 018
Website

One of the most curious aspects of Old English literature, is its profusion of texts that engage with the idea of the Eastern world. This can, perhaps, be attributed to Theodore of Tarsus, a monk from Cilicia in the Byzantine Empire who assumed the archbishopric of Canterbury in 668. Theodore brought with him a profound knowledge of Greek- and Latin-based intellectual traditions to England with his arrival, and established a school in Canterbury from which he bestowed this breadth of learning on English pupils. 

The result is that, alongside texts we normally associate with Anglo-Saxon England, such as Beowulf, there exist texts such as Apollonius of Tyre, a translation of a Greek story referred to by scholars as the earliest English novel, and The Wonders of the East, a work describing the magical creatures inhabiting regions such as Persia, Babylonia, and Egypt. We’ll read excerpts from these texts and more, covering literary forms such as prose and poetry, all of which will be representative of early English engagement with the Eastern world.

First and foremost however, this course serves as an introduction to Old English, that produced in the vernacular language used by the Anglo-Saxons from the fifth century until around 1100. Although many of its linguistic features are recognizable in Modern English, Old English must be learned as a foreign language. The first half of the course will focus primarily on instruction in Old English grammar. We will begin translating short texts during the third week of the course. Before long, however, we will progress to translating prose texts and poems that demonstrate Anglo-Saxon engagement with the idea of “the East.” Alongside translation, some time will be devoted to discussion organized around our translations and a few select readings that will allow us to interrogate early English conceptions of the Eastern world. Daily instruction by Joseph Shack.