Anthropology 472/672
3 credits, prerequisite for 472: Anth 100x
Mon, Wed 4:30-6:00,
Gruening 406
|
David Koester |
Teaching Assistant: |
Stacey
Fritz |
|
Eielson 312b,
474-7133 |
Office hours: |
tba |
ffdck@uaf.edu; http://www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffdck
Office Hours: Th. 2-4 and by appointment
Course Description:
The primary aim of
this course to provide an introduction to the ancient literature of Iceland in
order to gain a view of social life in the early history of the North
Atlantic. The course also utilizes
secondary sources, archaeological works and writings about contemporary social
life and other regions of the North Atlantic.
Class will include both
lecture and discussion. To
facilitate discussion the readings are to be completed by the assignment date
listed.
Jan. 26: Introduction
Part
A. Ancient Norse Mythology and
Poetry
Required
reading:
Jan 28: Terry,
Poems of the Elder Edda, pp. 1-10, 72-84, 241-243
Feb 2-4: Snorri
Sturluson, "The Deluding of Gylfi" (Gylfaginning) in the Prose Edda,
pp. 29-93
Elder
Edda, pp. 35-45
Feb. 9-11: Elder
Edda, pp., 58-65, 115-188
Feb.
16-18: Byock,
The Saga of the Volsungs
Recommended
reading:
Elder
Edda, pp. 207-240
Jochens,
J. Old Norse Images of Women
Hastrup,
"Cosmology and Society in Medieval Iceland"
Meletinskij,
E. 1973 "Scandinavian Mythology as a System," Journal of Symbolic Anthropology.
1(1):43-57, 1(2):57-78.
Part
B. Culture and Society in Medieval
Iceland
Required
reading:
Feb. 23-25: Egil's
Saga, The Sagas of the Icelanders, pp. 1-50
VŽsteinsson, "The Archaeology
of Landnam" in Vikings, pp. 164-174
McGovern,
Vesteinsson, Friðiksson, et al.
"Landscapes of Settlement in Northern Iceland: Historical Ecology of Human
Impact and Climate Fluctuation on the Millennial Scale"
Recommended: Dugmore,
Church,É McGovern, et al., ÒThe Norse landn‡m on the North Atlantic islands: an
environmental impact assessment"
March
2: Elder Edda, pp. 11-34
Egil's Saga, The Sagas of
the Icelanders, pp. 51-94
Receive Mid-Term, take home
exam
March 4: Mid-Term
exam due –
no reading assignment; film: Hrafninn flýgur
March
16-18: Egil's Saga, The
Sagas of the Icelanders, pp. 95-184
Hastrup, K. - "Defining
a society: The Icelandic free state between two worlds"; "Classification and demography in medieval
Iceland"
Abstract and bibliography for final paper due
March
23-25: Hrafnkel's saga, The Sagas
of the Icelanders, pp. 436-462
Eirik the Red's saga, The Sagas
of the Icelanders, pp. 653-674
Mar 30-Apr
1: Nj‡ls saga
Apr 6-8: Nj‡ls
saga
Recommended
reading:
Byock, J. Feud
in the Icelandic Saga, Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power
Hastrup,
K. Culture and History in Medieval Iceland
Miller, W.
I. Bloodtaking and Peacemaking
Part C. Enduring Reputation Endures: Culture and Society in Early Modern and
Contemporary Iceland
Required reading:
April
13-15: Arngr’mur
J—nsson, Briefe Commentarie, pp. 160-177
Gories Peerse, van Yslandt, http://www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffdck/yslandt.pdf
Koester, "The Social and Temporal Dimensions of Icelandic
Obituarial Discourse"
Recommended
reading:
Koester,
"Gender Ideology and Nationalism in the Culture and Politics of
Iceland"
Part
D. Greenland – Tales and
Contemporary Issues
Required
reading:
April 20-22: Rasmussen, Knud Eskimo
Folk-Tales, pp. 16-19, 38-43, 46-48, 52-55, 66-67, 77-78
Nielsen, "Government, Culture and Sustainability in Greenland: A
Microstate with a Hinterland" Public Organization Review
Part
E. The Faroes
Required
reading:
April
27-29: Wylie, The Faroe Islands, pp. 7-19
Wylie and Margolin, The Ring of Dancers, pp. 95-132
Recommended
reading:
Wylie,
J. The Faroe Islands
May 4: Music
of the North Atlantic – no reading assignment
Requirements:
Undergraduates
Class participation in discussions related to the
course readings and completing of assignments related to discussion (15%)
Mid-Term, take-home exam: essay questions based on readings (30%)
Brief Presentation, in class, analyzing or comparing course
readings or describing final paper (5%)
Final
Paper - a list of
suggested, possible topics will be distributed. The paper should involve anthropological analyses of, or
social historical research on myths, folklore or peoples of the North Atlantic (50%)
Final
papers will be graded positively for significant breadth of well synthesized
historical research, for bringing together anthropological perspectives for
analysis of primary sources, or for clear focus on a specific research question
and thorough explication of it with the use of primary sources.
Graduates
Class
participation in
discussions related to the course readings and completing of assignments
related to discussion 10%
Brief
Presentation(s),
in class, analyzing or comparing course readings or describing final paper 20%
Final
paper of
approximately 20 pages (double spaced) 70%
Reading
beyond the required readings of the syllabus (including, of course, some of the
recommended readings)
Final
papers will be evaluated for synthesis of research and clarity of argument.
FINAL
PAPER DUE Wednesday, MAY 6, 4:00pm.
NO LATE PAPERS.
Blackboard:
Images,
links and other information for the course will be posted on Blackboard. If you have questions about using
Blackboard please see the instructor or Stacey Fritz, the teaching
assistant.
Course
Policies:
Regular
attendance is expected and attendance is included as part of the grade for
class participation. No eating
during class. Laptops may be used
for notetaking but no web surfing or email is allowed during class. Usual standards for plagiarism and
fairness apply; i.e., the work you turn in should be your own work. Give full references to the work of others
when appropriate. See the final
paper instructions, to be handed out, for reference formats.
Students with Disabilities: The University of Alaska Fairbanks is committed to
equal opportunity for students experiencing disabilities. Students with disabilities are
encouraged to contact the instructor early in the course so that arrangements
may be made to ensure a positive and productive educational
experience.