Spring 2026
ART HISTORY
*Professor Thomas Dale, AH515/815, “Cultural Encounter, Religion, Empire, and Race in Medieval and Early Modern Venice ” (Wednesdays, 4:00PM-6:30PM ; L170 of the Elvehjem Building)
Enduring as an independent city state for almost an entire millennium, Venice, a collection of settlements on islands and canals originating in the fifth century at the head the Adriatic Sea, forged a vast empire in the Eastern Mediterranean through trade, colonization, and conquest. A city like no other in Italy, Venice reveals in its architecture and monumental arts, as well as luxury objects in glass, textiles, and metalwork, a complex engagement with the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic states of the Mediterranean, and the Mongol Empire. This seminar explores the conceptual frameworks of cultural appropriation and entanglement, material religion, antiquarianism and humanism, imperial ideology, race and enslavement in Venice from late antiquity to early modernity.
ENGLISH
Professor Lisa Cooper, Engl/Medieval 803 “Medieval/Modern” (W 1PM-3:30PM, HCW 7105)
From cathedrals to skyscrapers. From monasteries to museums. From the divine right of kings to the American presidency. From global exploration and trade to conquest and colonialism. From antisemitic expulsions and pogroms to modern prejudice of all kinds. From the Black Death to Covid19. This seminar is an exploration of the continuing presence of the Middle Ages—in all its beauty and ugliness, and for better as well as for worse—in our more or less current moment. Each week, we will interrogate the reflection and refraction of the medieval past in and by the present (a phenomenon generally referred to as medievalism) through a different cultural or theoretical lens; topics will include race and racism; gender and sexuality; nationalism, the colonial, and the post-colonial; canon formation and literary theory; periodization; environmentalism and ecocriticism; and the digital humanities, along with other forms of cultural and artistic production. Readings and discussion will concentrate on recent secondary work (usually one monograph or essay collection to be read in full each week) focused on one or more these pressing themes; short presentations (usually two per semester) will ask seminar participants to engage with medieval primary texts (in translation as needed) referenced in the weekly reading, while final papers can be keyed to participants’ own area(s) of interest.
HISTORY
Professor Pablo F. Gómez, History of Science 903, “Global Pre-Modern Science” (Wednesdays, 1:20-3:15 / HUMANITIES 5257)
In this graduate seminar, we will discuss works that approach the histories of science, medicine, technology, and the body in the Middle Ages and early modernity from a global perspective (including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas).
SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES
*Professor Scott A. Mellor, Medieval 430, “The Vikings” (TR 1:00-2:15PM, Van Hise 494)
The Vikings begins with modern portrayals—from popular media to nationalist appropriations in the 19th and 20thcentury—and examines how these images have shaped and sometimes distorted our understanding of early medieval Scandinavia. From there, the course turns to historical sources and archaeological evidence to explore the legendary origins of the Scandinavian peoples, the consolidation of their kingdoms, and the far-reaching impact of Viking expansion. Students will study the conversion to Christianity, which marked the end of the Viking Age, alongside the rich cultural legacy of Norse mythology, runic writing, skaldic poetry, and Icelandic sagas. Viking art, warfare, and environmental interactions are also considered. Weekly reaction papers and group projects encourage critical thinking and collaborative inquiry, while two comprehensive essays assess students’ engagement with both historical and modern narratives. By tracing the evolution of Viking identity, students gain insight into the medieval world and the forces that continue to shape cultural memory today.
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Fall 2025 (2026)
ENGLISH
*Professor Martin Foys, Engl/Medieval 520 Really Old English (T-Th 2:30-3:45pm, HUM 2637)
Old English is the earliest form of English – over 1,000 years old, it is the language of Beowulf and Grendel, of saints and sinners, of farmers, seafarers, and a surprising number of animals and objects that can talk. It is a language that is uncannily strange, alien, yet at the same time the backbone, the muscle, of modern English. This course will teach you an awful lot about the language we use every day: in the first half of the semester, we will study basic pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, with short translation exercises due in most class meetings; in the second half, we will put the skills you’ve learned to work, reading Old English texts and poems in the original — a rare opportunity. Because this is a principally a language class, no research papers will be required. Instead, there will be translation exercises, quizzes, a midterm exam, and final translation projects. No previous experience required, though some familiarity with studying another language at any level can be helpful.
HISTORY
*Professor Elizabeth Lapina, Hist 600-Middle Ages in Film (Seminar, Tue 11:00am – 12:55pm Humanities 5257)
ITALIAN
Professor Jelena Todorovic, Italian 659, Dante’s Divina Commedia, Thur 2:25pm – 4:55pm, Van Hise 599 (Graduate course, open to non-Italian-speaking graduate students)
This is a discussion-based course that will investigate thoroughly a selection from Dante’s masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. From close readings of the selected cantos, we will branch out to discuss the literary, historical, political, social, and theological contexts behind this text.
SCANDINAVIAN STUDIES
*Professor Kirsten Wolf, 410 Introduction to Scandinavian Linguistics (Tue/Thur 9:30-10:45am, 487 Van Hise Hall)
The course is intended to give students an overview of the development of the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and Faroese) from Proto-Germanic to modern times, focussing on phonological and morphological changes. The emphasis will be on Proto Scandinavian (ca. 200-ca. 600), Common Scandinavian (ca. 600-ca. 1050), and Old Scandinavian (ca. 1050-1350). The course is a combination of lecture and seminar. Following a general introduction to and a brief survey of the various methods of study, the development from Indo-European to Proto-Germanic will be considered. By the end of the semester, students will have a good overview of the development of the Scandinavian languages and understand the main differences between East Norse (Danish and Swedish) and West Norse (Faroese, Norwegian, and Icelandic).
*Professor Kirsten Wolf, 511 Paleography and Philology – Old Norse (Tue/Thur 11:00am-12:15pm, 483 Van Hise Hall)
This is a history of writing in Iceland ca. 1150-ca. 1700 on the basis of manuscripts as principal sources for Old Norse-Icelandic. The course builds on 407 Old Norse I and 408 Old Norse II and must be regarded as a continuation of the two courses. It provides a survey of the development of the Icelandic language from the 12th century until a couple of centuries after the Reformation and introduces students to the field of codicology. The history of writing and writing materials are treated in detail. The development of writing in Iceland and Norway from the introduction of Christianity (1000) until around 1700 will be examined on the basis of exercices in transcribing medieval manuscripts. Students will be trained in dating manuscripts on the basis of paleographic and orthographic features and introduced to the methods and principles of editing a medieval text. By the end of the course, students will be able to transcribe an Old Norse-Icelandic manuscript and present both a diplomatic and normalized edition.