Dr. Rasma Lazda GN 250 Germanic Mythology Last update: 03/04/21

Spring 2021 TR 2:00 - 3:15 Office hours: After class, and by appointment, just email me. Phone: (205) 348-6954 E-mail: rlazda@ua.edu

Prerequisite: None Course webpage: http://www.lazda.net/gn_250.html Course wiki: http://germanicmythology21.pbworks.com

Required Texts:
Snorri Sturluson, The Prose Edda. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Jesse L. Byock. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0-140-44755-2
The Saga of the Volsungs. Translated with an Introduction, Notes and Glossary by Jesse L. Byock. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0-140-44738-5
John Lindow, Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-515382-8

Course Description
The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda along other Old Icelandic sagas are the most important sources if we wish to learn more about old Germanic cosmology.  The ancient world with the central world tree Yggdrasil has an immense influence on popular culture up to today. From Wagner's Ring Cycle (Der Ring des Nibelungen) from the 19th century to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings from the first of half of the 20th century to the Vikings TV series and the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe today: References to old Germanic mythology is abundant in art, films, TV shows, video games, music and more. In the early 20th century, the Heinrich Himmler and the Nazis glorified a "Germanic past" with archetypes they idealized. They envisioned themselves as heroic warriors, a modern version of ancient gods, and it is no surprise that Neo-Nazi groups in return pick up symbols of Germanic mythology. In this course we will explore the original sources of Germanic mythology.

Key questions we will answer are: What is Germanic? What is Germanic Mythology? What is a myth? What is the function of a myth? The course will address a variety of aspects of Germanic mythology: From theories of myth to stories about Northern gods to modern reception and interpretations in history and popular culture - together we will explore aspects in a collaborative way. As a point of departure we will read the The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson and the Völsunga Saga. Student interests will guide further readings and explorations. Everything we learn in this course will be presented in a course wiki on Germanic mythology. We will be learning for and from each other. We will come to realize and understand the ongoing influence of Germanic mythology in our contemporary culture.

Learning Outcomes
The course will first focus on the stories about the Norse / Germanic gods and
heroes, their attributes, their accomplishments, and how they were perceived and worshiped. By analyzing the fascination with Germanic mythology today we will examine the function of myth and how it relates to human thought.

Students will

• learn about the world of the Germanic gods. • gain an understanding of how myths may be transformed from generation to generation. • recognize the presence of motifs and imagery from Germanic mythology in contemporary culture. • realize the influence Germanic mythology had in more recent history and continues to have in popular culture. • realize this influence on politics, warfare, literature, art, music, video games, but also on belief systems such as neopaganism. • gain an understanding of how myths may be re-appropriated for political purposes. • recognize and identify the importance of myth and myth making in everyday life. • learn to discern critically between reliable and less reliable information for their collaborative projects. • develop skills in collaborating with other students for a meaningful project for the here and now • gain an understanding of how a wiki works. • strengthen effective written and oral communication skills.

Grading

Participation/Preparation	10%
Test, Quizzes	20%
PowerPoint Presentation	15%
Overall Course wiki Contributions	20%
Midterm	15%
Final	20%

 

Participation-Preparation
Participation and preparation count as 10 % of your grade. Be prepared when you come to class. I will check from time to time your reading comprehension with small mini-quizzes.
You will have an initial 28 points in your participation/preparation account. For every session you come prepared you receive participation/ preparation credit for that class session. For every session you miss, I will deduct one point. You cannot earn preparation/participation credit if you have not prepared your homework or if you are absent.

Attendance Policy
If you miss more than 20 % of class time, you will receive an automatic "F", regardless of the quality of your work. Regular attendance is essential.

Policy on Missed Exams and Coursework
THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS for missed quizzes and other assignments. On rare occasions when absence is unavoidable due to serious illness or family emergency, I may require proof of your reason of absence before we discuss the possibility of make-up work.

TESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
Test / Midterm / Final
There will be one test, a midterm exam (two parts) and a take home final. The tests and the final will consist of two parts: a first section will have questions requiring short answers; the second section will be an essay question. The two tests will be based on the two main readings for the course.

Power Point Presentation
You will prepare a Power Point presentation of about 15-20 minutes in length. For your presentation you will choose a topic of interest that you will discuss with me and that has to be approved. We will discuss possible topics in class. Be ready to talk for about 20 minutes. You will be evaluated on content, delivery, and the presentation overall.
Here are some hints:

-You must cover the major content points.
-Follow a clear and logical outline.
-The information has to be researched, reliable, and correct.
-You may not simply read from the slides or slide notes.
-Slides should be a backdrop for your presentation.
-Make use of photos, illustrations, maps etc. in your slides.
-Make sure that your presentation does not contain any spelling or grammar errors.
-Rehearse your presentation.
I will provide you with a rubric so that you can see my criteria for grading your PowerPoint presentation.

Course wiki
We will work on a collaborative course wiki on PBworks. The course wiki will provide us with a variety of background information relating to Germanic mythology, such as languages, Old Norse, literary forms, cosmology, characters, places etc.

Guidelines for wiki entries

	Follow the formatting of the sample article for the cow Audhumla.
	1. You have to provide your references; web references alone are NOT acceptable, unless from a reliable source (museum web page, university web page, etc.) or game related.
	2. Your references have to follow MLA style.
	3. When using sources and references, rephrase in your own words. Exact quotes have to be indicated by quotation marks.
	4. All information has to come from a reliable source (printed book, museum web page, university web page, etc.).
	5. You may not simply cut and paste from an existing webpage; if doing so, you commit plagiarism.
	6. Make use of the primary sources (Prose Edda, Saga of the Völsungs and/or others).
	7. Provide at least one representative and appropriate quote from a primary source.
	8. Add appropriate picture(s) unless not available.
	9. Provide the source of the picture(s).
	10. Make sure your entries are accurate - you have to verify your information.

Length of wiki entries - Categories

Very short entry. Example: Ratatosk.
Short entry. Example: Audhumla;
Medium size entry. Example: Baldr (?)
Long entry. Example: Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (?)

GRADING YOURSELF:

Criteria	Description	Possible Pts	Pts
A	Contribution (number and/or extent of edits)	0-10
B	Content (research, analysis and evaluation)	0-10
C	Writing and Resources (convention and MLA style)	0-10
D	Presentation (organization and appearance)	0-10
E	Collaboration (discussing and working together)	0-10
	TOTAL	0-50

You will be evaluated based on the above guidelines. You have to reference these sources. You may not simply copy and paste from other web pages. This constitutes plagiarism.

Evaluation of course wiki
Since this is a collaborative project, your grade will be based on your contribution to the completed project. In a first step you will assign yourself a grade (from a total of 50 points) by following a rubric. It is crucial that you are honest in grading yourself and others. I will then combine your grade with my grade according to the rubric. Your final grade will be most likely an average of the grades.

The Grading Scale is the standard +/- scale used by the university.

A+ 97-100	A 93-96	A- 90-92	B+ 87-89	B 83-86	B- 80-82
C+ 77-79	C 73-76	C- 70-72	D+ 67-69	D 63-66	D- 60-62
F 59 below

 

NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES
The instructor will make every effort to follow the guidelines of this syllabus as listed; however, the instructor reserves the right to amend this document as the need arises. In such instances, the instructor will notify students in class and/or via email and will endeavor to provide reasonable time for students to adjust to any changes.

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the official Code of Academic Conduct provided in the Online Catalog.

STATEMENT ON DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS
Contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) as detailed in the Online Catalog.

PREGNANT STUDENT ACCOMMODATIONS
Title IX protects against discrimination related to pregnancy or parental status. If you are pregnant and will need accommodations for this class, please review the University’s FAQs on the UAct website.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
Under the Guidelines for Religious Holiday Observances, students should notify the instructor in writing or via email during the first two weeks of the semester of their intention to be absent from class for religious observance. The instructor will work to provide reasonable opportunity to complete academic responsibilities as long as that does not interfere with the academic integrity of the course. See full guidelines at Religious Holiday Observances Guidelines.

UAct STATEMENT
The UAct website provides an overview of The University's expectations regarding respect and civility.

SEVERE WEATHER PROTOCOL
Please see the latest Severe Weather Guidelines in the Online Catalog.

STATEMENT ON COVID-19

All University faculty, staff, and students are expected to maintain a commitment to the health and safety of our campus community. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, specific health and safety standards are in place to minimize exposure and community spread on campus. In the interest of your health and safety and that of all UA students, faculty and staff, the University reserves the right to change the mode of instruction or schedule of instruction at any time, based upon prevailing public health and other guidance. While the method of delivery may change, educational instruction and opportunities will continue. As such, the University will not provide a refund of tuition, in whole or in-part, based on any such changes. Detailed information on changes in format or schedule can be found at studentaccounts.ua.edu and financialaid.ua.edu.

All students must be familiar with and abide by the requirements outlined in the UA Return Plan | UA System Comprehensive Health and Safety Plan. Students must (1) wear a mask or face covering at all times while participating in face-to-face class; (2) adhere to social distancing standards; and (3) comply with all other health and safety restrictions. If a student refuses to comply with the requirements, the student will be asked to leave the class and reported for a conduct violation. Unless a student has an exemption from the requirement to wear a face covering, (more information can be found at ods.ua.edu/covid-19-disability/), the student will be reported to Student Life for further disciplinary action. More information on these requirements and UA Healthcheck system and screening can be found at healthinfo.ua.edu/returnplan. You are expected to visit the site and comply with all noted requirements related to in-person class attendance.

Assignments listed on the syllabus are to be prepared for the day they are listed.

DATE	ASSIGNMENTS
Thursday January 14	1. Introduction What is myth? What is Germanic? What is Norse?
Tuesday January 19	2. What is myth? What is Germanic? What is Norse? Read: Tacitus, Germania
Thursday January 21	3. Read: John Lindow, Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs, 1-30 (also in course wiki)
Tuesday January 26	4. Read: John Lindow, Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs, 30-45 (also in course wiki). Old Norse Online: Series Introduction.
Thursday January 28	5. Read: Edda, Introduction, p. IX-XXX; Old Norse Online: The Farmstead, Author Introduction, beginning of Reading and Textual Analysis. Decide on topic for your Power Point Presentation.
Tuesday February 2	6. Read: Edda, Introduction, p. 3-45, ends with "36. Valkyries and Goddesses." Submit ONE entry to the course wiki. Check out the MLA Overview and Workshop how to paraphrase and avoid plagiarism and how to cite correctly.
Thursday February 4	7. Read: Edda, p. 45-69 (with notes in back), ends with "49. The Death of Baldr and Hermod's Ride to Hel"
Tuesday February 9	8. Read:Edda, p. 69-86 (with notes in back), ends with "Skaldskaparmal, Odin Seeks the Mead." Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki.
Thursday February 11	9. Read:Edda, p. 86-94 (with notes in back), ends with 5. The Dwarves Make Treasures for the Gods."
Tuesday February 16	10. Read:Edda, p. 95-118 (with notes in back), end with "Halfdan the Oldand Distinguished Lineages." Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki.
Thursday February 18	11. Read:Edda, p. 119-134, Appendix to end.
Tuesday February 23	12. Read: Poetic Edda, Völuspá ("The Wise Woman's Prophecy")
Thursday February 25	13. Review for Test Test Prose Edda READ: Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies: Culture; The Origins of the Icelanders; Old Norse Religion; Norse Discoveries.
Tuesday March 2	14. Submit Midterm: Either six very short, three short, two medium size or one long entry to the course wiki. Examples: Very short entry – Ratatosk Short entry – Audhumla, Asgard Medium size entry – Baldr Long entry – probably twice the size of the 'Baldr' entry PowerPoint
Thursday March 4	15. NO midterm essay, BUT read all wiki entries AND leave a short comment on all entries.
Tuesday March 9	16. Read: Saga of the Volsungs, Introduction, p. 1-32.
Thursday March 11	NO CLASS INSTEAD Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki. Do not forget to fill out your self evaluation and email that to me!
Monday, March 15	SPRING BREAK DAY
Tuesday March 16	17. Read: Saga of the Volsungs, p. 35-50 (with notes in back). PowerPoint: Tolkien and Germanic Mythology (Natasha)
Thursday March 18	18. Read: Saga of the Volsungs, p. 50-71 (with notes in back). PowerPoint: Odonic Cults (Sean) PowerPoint: Viking View of Death (Lincoln)
Tuesday March 23	19. Read: Saga of the Volsungs, p. 71-96 (with notes in back). PowerPoint: Norse and Roman Pantheons (Jacob)
Thursday March 25	20.  Read: Saga of the Volsungs, p. 96-109 (with notes in back). PowerPoint: World of Warcraft (Kristina) PowerPoint: God of War, 2018 (Luke)
Tuesday March 30	21. Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki. PowerPoint: Mosfell Archeological Site (Sarah )
Thursday April 1	22. Watch before class: Die Nibelungen - Dark Kingdom; read review from the NY Times PowerPoint: The Role of Fate (Reagan) PowerPoint: Runestones (Jack)
Tuesday April 6	23. Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki. PowerPoint: Futhark, Runes (Dalton) PowerPoint: Germanic Influence in Anime (Gracie)
Thursday April 8	24. Read: Campbell, Power of Myth PowerPoint: Old Norse (Cameron)
Tuesday April 13	25. Submit to the course wiki either three very short, two short, one medium size or work on one long entry to the course wiki. PowerPoint: Anglo-Saxons (Patrick)
Thursday April 15	26. Read: Csapo, Theories of Mythology PowerPoint: Historical Sources (Tyler)
Tuesday April 20	27.  No assignment PowerPoint: Germanic Mythology in Horror Films (Matthew)
Thursday April 22	28. SUBMIT questions for Final 10 questions  for FINAL (with answers) from your contributions (all entries should be represented); submit via email by beginning of class. I will post the questions at the latest by Friday 10 am.
Monday April 29	FINAL - SUBMIT BY 11:59 PM Monday, April 29

USEFUL LINKS:

Tacitus, Germania from the Medieval Sourcebook, Engl. translation.

Varusschlacht from the Museum und Park Kalkriese in Germany, information also in English. Excellent resource for the history of the Varus battle, Germanic tribes associated with the battle, and the myth Arminius - Hermann.

The Poetic Edda Engl. translation by Henry Adams Bellows (also Old Norse).

The Prose Edda online edition, based on 1916 edition

The Prose Edda edition from 1916

The Prose Edda translation from 1956, pdf file

Merseburg Incantations early Old High German incantations

Germanic Myths, Legends, and Sagas by Professor Ashliman, with several links.

Beowulf entire text (English).

Beowulf modern English translation.

North Mythology with an excellent overview, provides sources and references.

North Mythology with a genealogical chart of the principal gods and short articles, but lacking sources.

Museum of National Antiquities’ Vikings exhibition -Historiska Museet in Stockholm, with basic information and artifacts from the Viking period.

Runestones in Sweden Click on geographic location and find photos of Swedish runestones.

Runes and Pronunciation brief guide.

Old Norse Online from the Linguistics Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin, for the serious student of Old Norse.

Iceland and Icelanders from the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík; follow links and you will find excellent information on Iceland and its cultural history.

The Mosfell Archeological Project International research project to construct a comprehensive picture of human adaptation and environmental change in the Mosfell region of southwestern Iceland beginning in the Viking Age.

Jesse Byock's Viking Site from Professor Byock from the Department of Germanic Languages at UCLA.

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