SS120 Gaelic Literature & Culture

The first part of this course will introduce you to early Gaelic narrative literature, the oldest vernacular literature in Western Europe, and to the culture(s) which created it. Featuring the heroic tales associated with Cú Chulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna, and the astonishing voyages to the Otherworld, you will critically engage with a selection of texts from this period (in translation). The second part of this course explores Irish folklore and the oral storytelling tradition and examines the emergence of modern Gaelic literature and associated Gaelic identity from the period of the Cultural Revival in the 19th century to present, through the reading of selections of Gaelic prose and poetry in translation. A knowledge of Irish is not a prerequisite for the course; all classes are through English. Introductory classes in the Irish language can be provided to interested students.