Scandinavian Literature 1
A.Y. 2021/2022
Learning objectives
The course aims to introduce first-year students to the study of Scandinavian literature through a synoptic overview of the literatures of the Nordic countries in their historical, political and cultural context, from their origins to the beginning of the twentieth century. The historical overview will be accompanied by a more detailed study of significant authors as well as by the analysis of single literary works in their formal and thematic aspects.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding of the literary history of the Nordic Countries from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century, with special focus on the most significant authors, genres, texts and literary movements. Ability to read and understand and Nordic literary texts in Italian translation as well as to analyse their formal and thematic aspects in their historical and cultural background.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Lesson period
First semester
More specific information on the delivery modes of training activities for academic year 2021/2022 will provided over the coming months, based on the evolution of the public health situation.
Course syllabus
The course is an introduction to Nordic literary history until the beginning of the 20th century. It consists of three sections:
A: From Middle Ages to the Enlightenment;
B: From Romanticism to Symbolism;
C: The historiographical literature.
Parts A and B are taught one after the other, in form of 2 lessons per week; part C has 1 lesson per week along the term, and it will be kept seamlessly with the part A and part B. The whole course corresponds to 9 ECTS. Students from programmes other than Foreign Languages and Literatures may acquire 6 ECTS if it is allowed by their syllabus; they will attend only sections A+B.
The first section (A) follows the development of Nordic literatures from the Middle Ages to the 18th century with special focus on Old Norse literature and its genres, but also on the main Renaissance and Baroque authors, down to the birth of modern Scandinavian drama with Holberg.
Section B is devoted to the literary history of the 19th century, to the development of the novel and Ibsen's and Strindberg's drama. The historical overview will be accompanied by the analysis of literary texts representative of the different currents and authors.
Section C will be devoted to the cultural historical presuppositions of historiographic literature and ist technical characteristics, through the study and analysis of authors from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.
This course programme is valid until September 2022.
A: From Middle Ages to the Enlightenment;
B: From Romanticism to Symbolism;
C: The historiographical literature.
Parts A and B are taught one after the other, in form of 2 lessons per week; part C has 1 lesson per week along the term, and it will be kept seamlessly with the part A and part B. The whole course corresponds to 9 ECTS. Students from programmes other than Foreign Languages and Literatures may acquire 6 ECTS if it is allowed by their syllabus; they will attend only sections A+B.
The first section (A) follows the development of Nordic literatures from the Middle Ages to the 18th century with special focus on Old Norse literature and its genres, but also on the main Renaissance and Baroque authors, down to the birth of modern Scandinavian drama with Holberg.
Section B is devoted to the literary history of the 19th century, to the development of the novel and Ibsen's and Strindberg's drama. The historical overview will be accompanied by the analysis of literary texts representative of the different currents and authors.
Section C will be devoted to the cultural historical presuppositions of historiographic literature and ist technical characteristics, through the study and analysis of authors from the Middle Ages until the 19th century.
This course programme is valid until September 2022.
Prerequisites for admission
None.
Teaching methods
Teaching methodologies: frontal lessons, in class or possibly online; reading and analysis of literary works both during classes and individually; individual study of secondary literature.
Teaching Resources
Reading list and materials for SECTIONS A and B:
- M. Ciaravolo (ed.), "Storia delle letterature scandinave", Iperborea 2019, chapters 1-5.
- Text anthologies available on the Ariel platform: I. "From Middle Ages to the Enlightenment"; II. "From Romanticism to Symbolism";
The course programme includes the contents of the lessons, all the texts collected in the anthologies, as well as the texts discussed during classes. The materials used in classes will be available on the Ariel page; if the course is online, registrations will be available on the Ariel page.
In addition, students are required to individually read and analyse the following works in Italian translation (including prefaces and afterwords, when present):
- "Saga di Egill", in "Antiche saghe nordiche", edited by M. Meli, vol. 2, ss. 459-714 (a long out of print text, which will be made available for scanning on the Ariel website);
- H. C. Andersen, 8 fairytales at free choice among "L'acciarino magico", or "La principessa sul pisello", "Mignolina"/"Pollicina", "La sirenetta", "Il soldatino di stagno", "Il brutto anatroccolo", "La regina delle nevi", "Le scarpette rosse", "La piccola fiammiferaia", "L'uomo di neve", "L'ombra", "I vestiti nuovi dell'imperatore", in Andersen, "Fiabe e storie", Donzelli, or in H. C. Andersen, "Fiabe", Einaudi, or other unabridged editions, i.e., not versions edited for children;
- J. P. Jacobsen, "Niels Lyhne", Iperborea, 2017;
- H. Ibsen, "Peer Gynt" (any unabridged edition), or "Casa di bambola" (any unabridged edition) or "Spettri" (any unabridged edition) or "L'anatra selvatica" (any unabridged edition);
- K. Hamsun, "Sotto la stella d'autunno", Iperborea 1995 or "Fame", Adelphi 2002;
- A. Strindberg, "Il padre" (any unabridged edition) or "La Signorina Julie" (any unabridged edition) or "Verso Damasco I" (Adelphi) or "Teatro da camera (Casa bruciata)", Adelphi;
- S. Lagerlöf, "La Saga di Gösta Berling" (Iperborea) or "Il meraviglioso viaggio di Nils Holgersson" (Iperborea, or another unabridged edition) or "L'imperatore di Portugallia" (Iperborea), or "Jerusalem" (Iperborea).
Reading list and materials for SECTION C:
A anthological choice by the teacher will be available on the Ariel website; the teacher will report any contents from time to time, making them available on Ariel in scanned form. Any supplementary materials will be available on the Ariel website. Furthermore:
- S. Würth, "Historiography and Pseudo-History", in Rory Mc Turk, "A companion to Old Norse Icelandic Literature and Culture", Blackwell Publishing 2005, s. 155-171.
Non-attending students
Non-attending students, in addition to the Bibliography indicated for Attending Students (Part A, Part B, Part C), will read the following works:
Bibliography for PART A:
- "Laxdæla Saga", Iperborea 2015.
Bibliography for PART B:
- H. Ibsen, "Rosmersholm", Einaudi 1990, or another unabridged edition;
- A. Strindberg, "Il pellicano", in "Teatro da camera", Adelphi 1968, or another unabridged edition;
-L. Koch, "Architetture sognate e mobili medianici nei 'Drammi da camera' di Strindberg", in Ludovica Koch, "Al di qua o al di là dell'umano. Studi e esperienze di letteratura". A cura di Gian Carlo Roscioni, Donzelli Editore 1997, ss. 111-122, available on the Ariel website.
Bibliography for PART C:
- Sassone Grammatico, "Gesta dei re e degli eroi danesi": "First Book", Edizioni Res Gestae 2001, ss. 19-66;
- K. Neville, "Gothicism and Early Modern Historical Ethnography", in «Journal of the History of Ideas», 70, 2009, ss. 213-34;
- M. Bampi, "L'attualizzazione del passato. L'epoca dei Folkunghi in Strindberg e Heidenstam", in Massimo Ciaravolo, Andrea Meregalli (a cura di), "L'uso della storia nelle letterature nordiche. Le lingue nordiche fra storia e attualità". VIII Convegno Italiano di Studi Scandinavi, Milano 11-12 novembre 2009, «Quaderni di Acme» 123, Cisalpino Istituto Editoriale Universitario, Milano 2011, ss. 211-228.
- M. Ciaravolo (ed.), "Storia delle letterature scandinave", Iperborea 2019, chapters 1-5.
- Text anthologies available on the Ariel platform: I. "From Middle Ages to the Enlightenment"; II. "From Romanticism to Symbolism";
The course programme includes the contents of the lessons, all the texts collected in the anthologies, as well as the texts discussed during classes. The materials used in classes will be available on the Ariel page; if the course is online, registrations will be available on the Ariel page.
In addition, students are required to individually read and analyse the following works in Italian translation (including prefaces and afterwords, when present):
- "Saga di Egill", in "Antiche saghe nordiche", edited by M. Meli, vol. 2, ss. 459-714 (a long out of print text, which will be made available for scanning on the Ariel website);
- H. C. Andersen, 8 fairytales at free choice among "L'acciarino magico", or "La principessa sul pisello", "Mignolina"/"Pollicina", "La sirenetta", "Il soldatino di stagno", "Il brutto anatroccolo", "La regina delle nevi", "Le scarpette rosse", "La piccola fiammiferaia", "L'uomo di neve", "L'ombra", "I vestiti nuovi dell'imperatore", in Andersen, "Fiabe e storie", Donzelli, or in H. C. Andersen, "Fiabe", Einaudi, or other unabridged editions, i.e., not versions edited for children;
- J. P. Jacobsen, "Niels Lyhne", Iperborea, 2017;
- H. Ibsen, "Peer Gynt" (any unabridged edition), or "Casa di bambola" (any unabridged edition) or "Spettri" (any unabridged edition) or "L'anatra selvatica" (any unabridged edition);
- K. Hamsun, "Sotto la stella d'autunno", Iperborea 1995 or "Fame", Adelphi 2002;
- A. Strindberg, "Il padre" (any unabridged edition) or "La Signorina Julie" (any unabridged edition) or "Verso Damasco I" (Adelphi) or "Teatro da camera (Casa bruciata)", Adelphi;
- S. Lagerlöf, "La Saga di Gösta Berling" (Iperborea) or "Il meraviglioso viaggio di Nils Holgersson" (Iperborea, or another unabridged edition) or "L'imperatore di Portugallia" (Iperborea), or "Jerusalem" (Iperborea).
Reading list and materials for SECTION C:
A anthological choice by the teacher will be available on the Ariel website; the teacher will report any contents from time to time, making them available on Ariel in scanned form. Any supplementary materials will be available on the Ariel website. Furthermore:
- S. Würth, "Historiography and Pseudo-History", in Rory Mc Turk, "A companion to Old Norse Icelandic Literature and Culture", Blackwell Publishing 2005, s. 155-171.
Non-attending students
Non-attending students, in addition to the Bibliography indicated for Attending Students (Part A, Part B, Part C), will read the following works:
Bibliography for PART A:
- "Laxdæla Saga", Iperborea 2015.
Bibliography for PART B:
- H. Ibsen, "Rosmersholm", Einaudi 1990, or another unabridged edition;
- A. Strindberg, "Il pellicano", in "Teatro da camera", Adelphi 1968, or another unabridged edition;
-L. Koch, "Architetture sognate e mobili medianici nei 'Drammi da camera' di Strindberg", in Ludovica Koch, "Al di qua o al di là dell'umano. Studi e esperienze di letteratura". A cura di Gian Carlo Roscioni, Donzelli Editore 1997, ss. 111-122, available on the Ariel website.
Bibliography for PART C:
- Sassone Grammatico, "Gesta dei re e degli eroi danesi": "First Book", Edizioni Res Gestae 2001, ss. 19-66;
- K. Neville, "Gothicism and Early Modern Historical Ethnography", in «Journal of the History of Ideas», 70, 2009, ss. 213-34;
- M. Bampi, "L'attualizzazione del passato. L'epoca dei Folkunghi in Strindberg e Heidenstam", in Massimo Ciaravolo, Andrea Meregalli (a cura di), "L'uso della storia nelle letterature nordiche. Le lingue nordiche fra storia e attualità". VIII Convegno Italiano di Studi Scandinavi, Milano 11-12 novembre 2009, «Quaderni di Acme» 123, Cisalpino Istituto Editoriale Universitario, Milano 2011, ss. 211-228.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an individual interview with the teacher, with questions by the teacher, student/teacher interaction, and comment and analysis of one or more texts included in the reading list and materials. The interview is in Italian and its duration varies according to the number of ECTS. The aim is to ascertain the student's knowledge of the course contents and texts, the ability to discuss authors and works in their contexts, the presentation and discussion skills, the use of technical terminology, the ability to discuss themes critically and in a personal way.
The final grade is expressed in the 30-point system, and evaluates the results obtained in answering each single question posed by the teacher during the interview. The student can reject the grade, which will be registered as "ritirato" in this case.
International or Erasmus incoming students are required to contact the teachers as soon as possible. Students with SLD are required to contact the teachers to plan specific exam activities according to the instructions of the office in charge.
The final grade is expressed in the 30-point system, and evaluates the results obtained in answering each single question posed by the teacher during the interview. The student can reject the grade, which will be registered as "ritirato" in this case.
International or Erasmus incoming students are required to contact the teachers as soon as possible. Students with SLD are required to contact the teachers to plan specific exam activities according to the instructions of the office in charge.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/15 - NORDIC LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours