Guide to Courses 2009-10

Undergraduate Courses: Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic

Departmental website: http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/
Information for current students [http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/currentstudents/index.htm]

In this subject there are undergraduate courses of study followed by candidates for:

The Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos is concerned with the history, material culture, language, and literature of the different peoples of Britain, Brittany, Ireland, and Scandinavia in the Middle Ages (from the fourth century to the twelfth). It is a course which should appeal to anyone with a special interest in the relevant early languages or in medieval literature or history. In general the course of study is cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, and source-based: that is to say, it concerns the history, languages, and literatures of various peoples - Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, and Celtic - separately and in relation to each other, and provides the opportunity to acquire, develop, and apply expertise in some or all of a number of different though complementary disciplines, through first-hand exposure to, and direct analysis of, primary evidence. Within the wider scope of the Tripos, however, students are free to place the focus of their studies where they please, although most select a combination of historical and literary options. No previous knowledge of the subjects studied is required.

The Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos, Part I

The examination consists of the following papers.

  1. England before the Norman Conquest
    An introduction to the history and civilization of England from the age of the Anglo-Saxon settlements to the Norman Conquest. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

  2. Scandinavian history in the Viking Age
    An introduction to the history and culture of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the Viking Age, including the westward expansion to the North Atlantic and the eastward expansion to Russia and Ukraine. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

  3. The Brittonic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth
    An introduction to the history and culture of the Brittonic-speaking peoples from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the Anglo-Norman invasions. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

  4. The Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth
    An introduction to the history and culture of the Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

  5. Old English language and literature
    An introduction to the language and literary characteristics of Old English prose and poetry. There will be set texts in the original language; a candidate will be required to translate passages from the set texts and an unseen passage of Old English, and to write essays on selected topics.

  6. Old Norse language and literature
    An introduction to the language and literary characteristics of Old Norse prose and poetry. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate passages from the set texts and an unseen passage of Old Norse, and to write essays on selected topics.

  7. Medieval Welsh language and literature
    An introduction to the language and literature of Wales from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate, and to comment on the linguistic characteristics of passages from the set texts, to translate an unseen passage of Middle Welsh, and to write essays on selected topics.

  8. Medieval Irish language and literature
    An introduction to the language and literature of early medieval Ireland down to the end of the twelfth century. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate, and to comment on the linguistic characteristics of passages from the set texts, to translate an unseen passage of Old Irish, and to write essays on selected topics.

  9. Insular Latin language and literature
    An introduction to the Latin literature of England and the Celtic-speaking countries from the fourth century to the twelfth. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate passages from the set texts and an unseen passage of Insular Latin, and to write essays on selected topics.

  10. Palaeography and codicology
    An introduction to the manuscript as a physical object and the history of scripts used in the manuscript sources studied in Papers 1-9. Candidates will be required to answer compulsory practical questions, and to write essays on selected topics.

  11. Early medieval literature and its contexts
    (Paper 10 of Part I of the English Tripos.)

  12. French literature, thought, and history, before 1300
    (Paper Fr. 3 of Schedule B of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos.)

  13. Paper not available.

  14. The archaeology of Europe: Europe in the first millennium A.D. (1)
    (Paper A25 in Archaeology of Part IIA of the Archaeological and Anthropological Tripos.)
    A25 The archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England.

  15. The archaeology of Europe: Europe in the first millennium A.D. (2)
    (Papers A26 in Archaeology of Part IIA of the Archaeological and Anthropological Tripos.)
    A26 Scandinavian archaeology.

  16. Europe in the first millennium AD I: Anglo-Saxon archaeology
    (Paper A25 of Part IIB of the Archaeological and Anthropological Tripos).

  17. Europe in the first millennium AD II: Scandinavian archaeology
    (Paper A26 of Part IIB of the Archaeological and Anthropological Tripos).

A candidate must offer four of the papers specified above. A candidate may not offer more than one paper chosen from among Papers 13-17. Furthermore, no candidate who has previously offered Paper 14 in Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos may offer Paper 16; and no candidate who has previously offered Paper 15 in Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos may offer Paper 17. A candidate must also offer a dissertation on a topic, approved by the Head of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, which falls within the scope of one or more of Papers 1-10 of Part I and Papers 1-9 of Part II. A dissertation shall be of not fewer than 9,000 words and not more than 12,000 words in length, including appendices but excluding bibliography. Candidates will be required to declare that the dissertation is their own work and that it does not contain material already used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose. Every dissertation shall be typewritten.

The Preliminary Examination for the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos, Part I

The examination, which is normally taken at the end of a candidate's first year of study, consists of the following papers.

  1. England before the Norman Conquest
  2. Scandinavian history in the Viking Age
  3. The Brittonic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth
  4. The Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth
  5. Old English language and literature
  6. Old Norse language and literature
  7. Medieval Welsh language and literature
  8. Medieval Irish language and literature
  9. Insular Latin language and literature
  10. Palaeography and codicology

A candidate must offer four papers.

In addition, candidates will also take two departmental tests (known as Preliminary Assessment Tests, or PATs) at the end of the second term of their first year. Students will then have the option to continue all six subjects to Part I, or to replace one, two, or three of their first-year papers with one or two borrowed papers and/ or a dissertation.

The Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos, Part II

The examination consists of the following papers.

  1. A subject in Anglo-Saxon history specified by the Faculty Board of English
    An advanced topic in the history and civilization of England from the age of the Anglo-Saxon settlements to the Norman Conquest. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.
    For 2009-10: The Anglo-Saxon Chancery

  2. A subject in Scandinavian history of the Viking Age specified by the Faculty Board of English
    An advanced topic in the history and culture of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the Viking Age, including the westward expansion to the North Atlantic and the eastward expansion to Russia and Ukraine. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.
    For 2009-10: The Coming of Christianity

  3. A subject in Celtic History specified by the Faculty Board of English
    An advanced topic in the history and culture of the Celtic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.
    For 2009-10: Sea Kings and the Celtic Speaking World c. 1014-1164

  4. A subject in in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic History specified by the Faculty Board of English
    An advanced topic in the history and culture of Anglo-Saxon England, medieval Scandinavia and the medieval Celtic-speaking peoples. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.
    For 2009-10: Law and lawlessness

  5. A subject in Old English literature specified by the Faculty Board of English
    The work of an author or a group of authors, or a group of texts, or a literary topic or genre within the field of Old English literature, will be prescribed for special study. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original language.
    For 2009-10: Beowulf

  6. Advanced medieval Scandinavian language and literature
    Scandinavian languages and literatures from the medieval period are studied. There will be set texts in the original language. Candidates will be required to translate and comment on extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages, and also to write essays on selected topics in medieval Scandinavian literature.

  7. Advanced medieval Welsh language and literature
    Welsh language and literature from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages are studied. There will be set texts in Old and Middle Welsh. Candidates will be required to translate extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages from Middle Welsh. There will be a further group of set texts in medieval Breton and Cornish. Candidates will be required to translate and comment on extracts from these texts, and will also be required to write essays on selected topics in medieval Welsh, Breton, and Cornish language and literature.

  8. Advanced medieval Irish language and literature
    Irish language and literature from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages are studied. There will be set texts in the original language. Candidates will be required to translate extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages, and also to write essays on selected topics in medieval Irish language and literature.

  9. A subject in Insular Latin literature specified by the Faculty Board of English
    This course focuses on Insular Latin texts written by, for, and about women, to be studied for their own sake as literature, as well as for the cultural and historical interest of their content.
    For 2009-10: Writing Women

  10. Textual criticism
    An introduction to the processes by which extant sources written in the languages studied for Papers 5 - 9 have been transmitted, and of the scholarly methods by which these sources are converted into a usable form. The various editorial and diplomatic approaches and techniques are studied. Candidates will be required to answer a compulsory practical question and to write essays on selected topics.

  11. Germanic philology
    The history and grammar of the Germanic languages will be studied in relation to one another and to their Indo-European background. Candidates will be required to comment on passages and to write essays on selected topics.

  12. Celtic philology
    The history and grammar of the Celtic languages will be studied in relation to one another and to their Indo-European background. Candidates will be required to comment on passages and to write essays on selected topics.

  13. Medieval English literature, 1066-1500
    (Paper 4 of Part II of the English Tripos.)
    For 2009-10: Dreams and visions

  14. A subject in medieval European history
    (Paper 14 of Part II of the Historical Tripos which in any year has been approved for the purpose of Regulation 10 for the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos by the Faculty Board of English.)
    For 2009-10: The Vikings in Continental Europe and Britain c. 800 - c. 950

  15. Historical linguistics
    (Paper 7 of the Linguistics Tripos)

A candidate must offer four of the papers specified above, provided that a candidate may not offer more than one paper chosen from among Papers 13-15, as well as a dissertation on a topic, approved by the Head of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, which falls within the scope of one or more of Papers 1-10 of Part I and Papers 1-9 of Part II. A dissertation shall be of not fewer than 9,000 words and not more than 12,000 words in length, including appendices but excluding bibliography. Candidates will be required to declare that the dissertation is their own work and that it does not contain material already used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose. Every dissertation shall be typewritten.

For further information, see http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/

The title of this document is: Courses available 2009-10: Undergraduate degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic
URL: http://www.cam.ac.uk/guide/ugcourses/anc.html

Last updated: 13/08/2009