Course Syllabus

The Vikings

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Vikingskipshuset, Bygdøy, Oslo, Norge - 05/2009

Semester & Location:

Fall 2019 - DIS Stockholm

Type & Credits:

Elective Course - 3 credits

Major Disciplines:

Literature, History, Religious Studies

Faculty Members:

Kim Bergqvist

Program Director:

Andreas Brøgger - abr@dis.dk 

Academic Coordinator:

Mark Peters - mpe@disstockholm.se 

Time & Place:

Tuesdays & Fridays 13:15-14:35 
Classroom 1D-410

Description of Course

This is a lecture and discussion course on the Vikings – their history, culture and society. First, we will study the history of the Vikings as reflected in Viking Age (approx. AD 800-1100) and medieval sources. We will also examine Viking society, politics, gender roles, and religion. In the second part of the course, we will look at Viking expansion, their colonies and conquests, relying on historical documents and literary sources to give us insight into the Viking world. An essential part of the course is dedicated to the literary monument of medieval Iceland, the Icelandic family sagas. Finally, we will consider how the Vikings are portrayed in modern public history and contemporary popular culture.

Learning Objectives

  • Develop an understanding of the Viking Age and its legacy in the history, literature and landscape of Scandinavia
  • Provide insight into the social, political, and cultural structures of the Norse peoples, including their gender aspects
  • Provide knowledge of Viking Age mythology, religion, and conversion
  • Develop an understanding of the sources to the Viking Age and how scholars in different disciplines go about creating knowledge of this remote period
  • Familiarize students with Icelandic sagas and other Viking literary texts from a literary and historical perspective
  • Provide insight into how the Vikings and their legacy live on and a critical attitude to how they are used in contemporary culture

Faculty: Kim Bergqvist

PhD Candidate in History, Department of History/Centre for Medieval Studies, Stockholm University. MA (2010) and BA (2008) Stockholm University, both with a major in History, minors in Comparative Literature and Spanish. Visiting Scholar to Columbia University (2016), Cornell University (2014) and the University of Navarra, Spain (2012–13). Teaches medieval history at Stockholm University since 2012. ​Areas of specialization: medieval Scandinavia; medieval Iberia; comparative history; medieval literature, genre and fiction; political culture; gender history; the history of emotions. With DIS since 2018.

Readings

Books distributed:

Abram, Christopher, Myths of the Pagan North: The Gods of the Northmen (Continuum, 2011). [Selection of chapters]

Byock, Jesse L., The Saga of the Volsungs (University of California Press, 1990).

Egil’s Saga, translated by Hermann Pálsson & Paul Edwards (Penguin Books, 1960).

Haywood, John, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings (Penguin Books, 1998).

Roesdahl, Else, The Vikings, 3rd edition (Penguin Books, 2016).

Snorri Sturlusson, The Prose Edda, translated by Jean I Young (University of California Press, 1954).

The Poetic Edda, translated by Carolyne Larrington (Oxford University Press, 1996). [Selection of eddic poetry]

 

Articles and excerpts:

Ármann Jakobsson, “Masculinity and Politics in Njáls saga,” Viator 38 (2007): 191–215.

Barreiro, Santiago "Feud", in The Routledge Research Companion to the Medieval Icelandic Sagas, edited by Ármann Jakobsson and Sverrir Jakobsson (Routledge, 2017).

Blanck, Dag, "The Transnational Viking: The Role of the Viking in Sweden, the United States, and Swedish America," Journal of Transnational American Studies 7:1 (2016): 1–19.

Byock, Jesse L., Viking Age Iceland (Penguin, 2001). [Excerpt]

Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte & Anna Kjellström, "The urban woman: on the role and identity of women in Birka," in Kvinner i vikingtid, edited by N. L. Coleman & N. Løkka, pp. 187–208 (Scandinavian Academic Press, 2014).

Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte. "A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics," American Journal of Physical Anthropology 164:4 (2017): 853–860.

Jesch, Judith, Women in the Viking age (Boydell, 1991). [Excerpts]

Jesch, Judith, The Viking Diaspora (Routledge, 2015). [Excerpt]

Montgomery, James E., "Ibn Fadlan and the Rūsiyyah," Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies 3 (2000): 1–25.

Sanmark, Alexandra, "Women at the Thing," in Kvinner i vikingtid, edited by N. L. Coleman & N. Løkka, pp. 89–105 (Scandinavian Academic Press, 2014).

Shutters, Lynn, “Vikings Through the Eyes of an Arab Ethnographer: Constructions of the Other in The 13th Warrior, in Race, Class and Gender in "Medieval" Cinema, edited by L.T. Ramey and T. Pugh, pp. 75–87 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).

Field Studies

  • Wed August 28th, morning (10.00-12.30): Visit to the Swedish History Museum (Historiska museet).
  • Wed October 23rd, afternoon (13.00-17.30): Visit to Sigtuna town and Sigtuna museum.

Approach to Teaching

I want to transmit and stimulate an enthusiastic approach to the history, literature and culture of the Viking Age from a wide and multidisciplinary perspective, and above all curiosity and a thirst for learning. I will not expect students to have prior knowledge of the subject at hand. However, after some introductory lectures I will anticipate students’ active engagement with the material in classroom discussions, group discussions, debates, and presentations. We will tackle the readings and the sources together in a collective and interactive learning experience, advancing our knowledge of the Viking Age.

Expectations

Students are expected to read the materials for each class and actively participate in discussions. Students should come prepared to class with questions and points for discussion. When posing questions or participating in discussions, students should strive to refer to the readings to support the points they are making.

Evaluation

In order to receive a passing grade, you must complete all the assignments.

“Engagement” is your responsibility, so it is up to you what grade you receive in this area. Consider how often you discuss, comment or ask questions in class; how many absences you have during the course, how often you complete all the readings for class; how often you check your phone or Facebook or other non-class related media during a single class meeting. The use of laptops in class will be allowed, provided they are only used for taking notes during lectures or presentations.

Grading

Assignment

Percent

Engagement

25%

Short Analysis and Peer Review

20%

Midterm Exam

25%

Final Paper

30%

 

Description of Assignments

Written assignments should have a title, be double-spaced, 12 font with approximately 350 words per page. Students may refer to the MLA Handbook or a writing manual from their home universities. Just be consistent when using citations, footnoting, etc.

 

Short Analysis and Peer Review

Due Friday, September 27th

Students will write a short analysis on a given topic or theme that we have discussed in class. The analysis should be 4 to 5 pages in length, 12 font and approximately 350 words per page with one-inch margins (i.e. around 1500 words in total).

Your analysis should include the following:

  1. Introduction: presentation of the topic to be investigated and a brief overview of what you will be doing in your paper (i.e. exploring a specific theme or using of specific theory)
  2. Analysis: comments, discussions, comparisons
  3. Summary and conclusion

Each student will be assigned a fellow student's paper to conduct a peer review per instructions to follow.

 

Midterm exam

Friday, October 18th (in class)

The midterm exam will be taken in class on Friday, October 18th. The midterm will test what we have learned during the first half of the semester through readings, class lectures, and discussions, and on field studies. The midterm will consist of multiple-choice questions (of important dates, keywords, concepts, relevant terminology, and identifications); several brief answer questions; and an essay question.

 

Final Paper

Abstract due Tuesday, November 19th

Final paper due Friday, December 6th

For the final paper, you will write an academic essay or research paper (6-7 pages) on an Icelandic saga, using a theoretical approach or perspective of your choice. Approx. 350 words per page, one-inch margins, 12 font (i.e. around 2000-2500 words in total). Use at least two outside sources (scholarly books or articles not among the required reading for the course). A 300-word abstract is due on Tuesday, November 19th.

You are welcome to discuss possible topics for your paper with your instructor at any time during the semester!

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due