[Regia-NA] FW: New Course on Vikings at Columbia University New York.

[Linda Rice]

Subject: New Course on Vikings at Columbia University New York.

Please inform interested New Yorkers about a new course on:


The Vikings, , 400-1100

Course No. EXTN3318X: Thursdays 6:10- 8:15,
Room 301M Fayerweather
Jens Ulff-Moller < ju71 at columbia.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION
The aim of this course is to survey the impact of the Vikings, and the
civilizations of Northern Europe in the early middle Ages. Topics to be
discussed include migration and settlement, urbanization and economic
growth, paganism and conversion, among others. The class format will be
lecture and discussion. No prerequisites.

Textbooks to purchase at the Columbia University bookstore:
James Campbell, The Anglo-Saxons (NY, 1982).
John Haywood, The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings (NY, 1995).
J.D. Richards, The English Heritage Book of Viking Age England (London,
1991).


Recommended reading, to be found in the library:
Bede, Ecclesiastical History. (Oxford, 1995).
M.      Swanton, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Boston, 1995.

John Haywood, Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. N.Y., 2000. Oxford, 1997.
William W. Fitzhugh, Vikings: the North Atlantic saga. Washington, 2000.
Gwyn Jones, The North Atlantic Saga. Oxford 1968.
Peter Sawyer, The Oxford History of the Vikings.
James Graham-Campbell, Cultural Atlas of the Viking World. Oxford, 1994.
Henry Loyn, Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest.London, 1995.
Henry Loyn, The Vikings in Britain.NY, 1995.
Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford 1971.
Dorothy Whitelock, English Historical Documents. London, 1971.
Else Roesdahl, Vikings. London, 1991.
Else Roesdahl, From Viking to Cruisader.NY, 1992.
Gwyn Jones, The Norse Atlantic Saga (London, 1964).
Martin Welch, Discovering Anglo-Saxon England (Pa, 1993).
Richard Hall, Viking Age York (London, 1994).

SYLLABUS
Introduction.
M 23/9  Problems studying Early Scandinavia. Sources: Written,
Archaeological (Petroglyphs; the Gundestrup cauldron, etc).
        Geography, climate, and geology of northern Europe; from Ice-Age to
Viking Age.
        Ethnic groups in Scandinavia (lndo-Europeans, Celts. Germanic, Sami,
Slavs peoples)
        Anthropology., agriculture, and language.

Periodization: Stone age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, the great migrations, the
two Viking Ages.
        Haywood,  part I, p. 16-27. Campbell, 8-21.

Week 2: Scandinavia in the Viking Age.
30/9    Social stratification: The Free and the unfree, aristocracy,
peasants, women
        Daily life agriculture, towns and trade, Hedeby, Ribe, Aarhus,
Birka;.
        Social Scandinavian kingdoms, Gudme, Jelling, Lejre, Uppsala.
Paganism.

        Haywood, p. 28-45. Beowulf, lines 229-324.

        Causes of the Viking Age. Warfare, shipbuilding and seafaring:
Nydam, Ladby, Gokstad, Oseberg Ships; Danevirke, the Trelleborgs Haywood, p.
8-11.

Week 3: Britain & Europe before the Viking Age
7/10    Settlements. Celtic & Roman Britain, the Anglo-Saxons.
The maior kingdoms, kingship, social structure, Sutton Hoo, The first
Christian kings.. 20-68.

        The Pirenne Thesis. Age of Athelbald & Bede, Northumbria in the 8th
century, Learning and religion.
Campbell, 70-100. Bede, book V, 23-24.

        Trade, land. The age of Offa & Alcuin, and Charlemagne. Campbell,
101-128.

Week 4: The Viking raids 800-900
14/10   The Viking raids. Haywood, p. 46-61

        The Vikings in Britain 785-875. Kingdoms dissolve; Settlements. The
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 785-875.
Haywood, p. 62-65. ASE, 49-63.

        Wessex King Alfred and the Viking raids 860-900 Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle, 876-900.
Haywood, p. 66-67. Campbell, p. 130-159.

Week 5:         Unification. The supremacy of Wessex 900-975.
21/10   King Edward, and Ethelflæd's conquest policy. Haywood, p. 68-71.

        The effects of the Scandinavian settlements in the Danelaw; York.
Loyn, VB, p. 77 101. Campbell, 162-163. Haywood, p. 78-79.

Week 6: The North Atlantic expansion I
28/10   The Scandinavian impact on Ireland, Scotland, Orkney, Shetland.
Haywood, p. 72-79.

        The North Atlantic expansion IÍ. Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland,
Vinland.
Haywood, p. 86-99.

        Screening of video on Vikings in North America

Week 7: The Viking Expansion in the East and South.
4/11    Vikings in Russia. Staraja Ladoga, Novgorod. The princes of Kiev.
        Haywood, p. 100-109.

        Vikings in Byzantium and Asia, Arabic coins in Scandinavia. Reading,
TBA.

        The Norman expansion: Normandy, Spain, Sicily.
Haywood, p. 80-83.

Week 8:         Scandinavia and Britain 975-1000
11/11   Scandinavian kingdoms, Iceland, sagas, conversion to Christianity.
Loyn, VB, p. 52-63, Haywood, p. 132-135.

        Ethelred the Unready. Svein & Cnut. The Danish conquest of England
975-1066.
        Haywood, p. 118-121. Campbell, p. 192-201.

        Social changes, Church and monastic reform.
Campbell, 201-213.

Week 9: The Norman Conquest.
18/11   The end of Anglo-Saxon England, William the Conqueror.
Loyn, ASE, 315-330. Haywood, p. 124-127. Campbell, 214-239.

        England at the end of the eleventh century. Agriculture, Feudalism,
the Domesday Book. Loyn, ASE, 331-384.

25/11   Thanksgiving. No class.


Week 10: The Vikings in Scotland and Ireland.
2/12    Haywood, p. 128-131.

Week 11.
9/12

Week 12
16/12
        Conclusion: Anglo-Saxon England, and the Viking Age in perspective.

        The impact of the Vikings on Western Europe?