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Lecturer(s)
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Jajtner Tomáš, Mgr. Th.D., Ph.D.
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Course content
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1. Introduction, technical matters Lecture: J. R. R. Tolkien as a literary scholar and writer between the Middle Ages and the Present 2. The principles of medieval aesthetics and their reflection in Tolkien's novels: the theme of quest, the epic, literature orally transmitted and written, allegory, alliteration and other formal aspects 3. The Simarillion and its relation to Kalevala 4. The Simarillion and early medieval epic texts (Christ I, "The Voyage of Earendil") 5. The Hobbit and early medieval English riddles ("Riddles in the Dark") 6. The Hobbit and Beowulf 7. The Lord of the Rings and the Breton lai Sir Orfeo 8. The Lord of the Rings and early medieval lamentations (The Ruin) 9. The Lord of the Rings and high medieval allegory (The Pearl) 10. The Lord of the Rings and early medieval heroic poems (The Fight at Finnsburg, The Battle of Maldon) 11. The Lord of the Rings and early medieval elegies (The Wanderer, The Seafarer) 12. The Lord of the Rings and high medieval chivalric romances (Sir Gawain and the Green Night) 13. Summary 14. Conclusion and evaluation
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming)
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Learning outcomes
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The seminar "The Work of J. R. R. Tolkien and Medieval Aesthetics" deals with the prose work of J. R. R. Tolkien and the principles of medieval literary aesthetics. It examines his key works The Hobbit (1937), The Lord of the Rings (1953-54) and The Silmarillion (1977) looking for the impact of the mentioned principles as regards the construction of their form and content. Implicitly it also opens up the question on the vitality of this aesthetics (not only) in the fantasy literature of the 20th and 21st century.
The course helps students get acquainted with the basic principles of medieval asthetics and major works of English medieval literature.
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Prerequisites
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No prerequisites.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Essay
Regular attendance, reading assignments, written essay (1500 words).
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Recommended literature
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Carpenter H. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. Mariner Books, 2014.
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Kreeft P. Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings. Ignatius Press, 2005.
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Lee S., Solopova E. The Keys od Middle-Earth: Discovering Medieval Literature Through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien. 2nd Edition. Palgrave-Macmillan, 2015.
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Tolkien J. R. R. Beowulf, The Monsters and The Critics (lecture). Web source.
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Tolkien J. R. R. The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings. Del Rey, 2012.
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