FILOLOGIA GERMANICA 2 MOD. 2

The Module is aimed at preparing students to acquire advanced knowledge in Germanic Philology and advanced learning skills that should allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous. Those skills are listed below in detail. The module is entirely taught in English.

Student Learning Objectives (SLO):
- to acquire knowledge and understanding in advanced topics of Germanic Philology by being exposed to both the current theoretical debate and its applications to a specific literary genre. This knowledge and understanding will be founded upon and will extend that typically associated with the first cycle; it will also provide a basis for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research context (see below, under "Contents");
- to apply their knowledge and understanding, as well as problem solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader contexts related to Germanic Philology with particular reference to textual criticism and advanced reading skills;
- to have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate judgments with incomplete or limited information about their object of study (this is a typical situation in the philological field). The ability to formulate judgements will include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge (e.g. the educational and social impact of editions);
- to be able to communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously, using the appropriate language register;
- to acquire advanced learning skills that should allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous (e.g. through individual independent reading on philological issues, as well as advanced practice exercises on theories, models and forms).

No specific prerequisites are required, albeit a previous MA module (6 cfu) of Germanic Philology is recommended. However, the basic notions necessary to tackle the main topics listed in the content section below will be provided by the teacher at the beginning of the course. In any case, students are reminded that this is an advanced MA module, so the teaching will be organized in regular lectures combined with team as well as independent work.

The topic ‘reception of Antiquity in the Middle Ages’ will be explored through excerpts derived from Germanic literary traditions (with some incursions into Romance traditions). The following texts will be analyzed and discussed from the methodological approaches offered by manuscript studies, textual criticism, historical linguistics, literary and cultural studies:

- 'Alexanderlied';
- the fragments of a Middle High German translation of Ovid’s 'Metamorphoses'.

Primary sources:
- Adele Cipolla. (ed.). 2013. Pfaffe Lambrecht, Alexanderlied, Infanzia, Tiro, morte di Dario (Alessandro di Vorau). Roma: Carocci.
- Brigitte Rücker. 1997. Die Bearbeitung von Ovids Metamorphosen durch Albrecht von Halberstadt und Jörg Wickram und ihre Kommentierung durch Gerhard Lorichius, Göppingen, Kümmerle, 1997 [it offers a synoptic edition of the fragments, along with the Latin source model and the early modern German version of Jörg Wickram].

Secondary sources:
- Danielle Buschinger. 2011. “German Alexander Romances”, David Zuwiyya. (ed.). A Companion to Alexander Literature in the Middle Ages. Leiden: Brill, 291-314.
- Ralph Hexter. 2004. “Ovid in translation in Medieval Europe (Ovid-Übersetzungen im europäischen Mittelalter)”, in Harald Kittel et al. (eds). Übersetzung – Translation – Traduction. Ein internationales Handbuch zur Übersetzungsforschung. Berlin: De Gruyter, 1311-1328.

Further sources will be given during the course.

Oral examination

More specifically:
- Knowledge and understanding: checked through content questions;
- Applying knowledge and understanding: checked through a practical exercise, such as discussion of excerpts analyzed during the course;
- Making judgements: checked through methodological questions;
- Communication skills: checked through open questions (whether students communicate their conclusions clearly and unambiguously, as well as the knowledge and rationale underpinning these);
- Learning skills: evaluation of the students' autonomy of judgement.

Lectures, teacher-led discussions, practical exercises in class ("hands-on training").

Inglese

Further bibliographical references as well as excerpts from primary sources will be given during the course.
Students who cannot attend all lectures need to contact the course instructor for further readings.

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