Overview

Welcome to the Middle Ages, a period which will cover for our purposes some ten or more centuries in lands as far apart (and yet connected) as Baghdad and the British Isles, Spain and Scandinavia. Although it often appears quite alien to the twenty-first century, the medieval period was the incubator for much in our own contemporary society—not least of which is the very idea of getting a university education. Throughout this entire period, trial and error produced a cultural synthesis of three rather divergent streams: Roman, Christian, and Germanic. Nor were these elements mixing together in a vacuum; cultures distant in both time and geography influenced European affairs—at a minimum as some Other that Europe shied away from but more often as an intriguing option to explore or exploit as it suited Europeans. Thus Christendom, for better or worse, was forged. Although much of contemporary culture endeavors to distance itself from Christian antecedents, it was the cultivation and rejection of medieval forms and values that generated the succeeding cultures. We (and I emphasize your part here) are going to look at both of these, the survivors and the losers, in all arenas: cultural, political, artistic, theological, economic, military, and not least at all, the personal. This class is going to ask you to read some, write a bit, and think a great deal. As the breakdown further below indicates, you will have a variety of fora in which to showcase your understanding of the Middle Ages.

One basic goal of this course, an in-depth analysis of c.1000 years of history in fifteen weeks, is rather obviously an impossibility. Our solution to this problem will be, in the first portion of the course, to set up the foundational elements of the Middle Ages, to appreciate the structures and mentalities that informed a great many medieval persons and phenomena. In the latter part of the course, we will rely on this foundational material to then dive deeply into several different aspects of the High Middle Ages, especially what some have called “the Long Twelfth Century”. We will do this via several first-class monographs by leading scholars and via the very words of medieval folk themselves in some exemplary primary sources.

Course Goals

The goals (or should I say fruits?) of a history course are as numerous as the books which historians produce. Some have already been hinted at above. At the broadest level, though, historical study encourages and hones critical analysis of the questions which most concern us. And these issues are themselves countless, but in the most generic terms, they mostly center on the relations of people with one another, with themselves, and possibly with the supernatural. We will be asking “why?” rather a lot: Why did they think that? Why did they assume such a thing? Why does the past appear simultaneously alien and similar? Even as we ask these questions, others lie implicitly underneath: why do I think what I think? What are my prejudices and assumptions? How does my heritage sway my conclusions?

We will be asking the above questions all under the aegis of the course goals outlined by Longwood University's catalog:

Note the importance of Goal 7: the writing component. History is a discipline of writing as much as reading. The papers and exam essays will be your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to express your conclusions about historical events and historical scholarship. Don’t blow this off and do slipshod work.

Grading & Assignments

Exams: The exact format has yet to be determined, but you can be sure they’ll kick like a mule. The first will be worth 14% of the course grade; the second, 16%; and the final, 20%. (Sounds of cheering...)

Quizzes : There will be an indeterminate number of pop quizzes throughout the semester so as to confirm that students are staying on track with the reading assignments. In general, therse will be five-minute quizzes, chock-full of multiple-choice / true-false / fill in the blank types of questions. (Overall: 10% of course grade)

Papers: Ten pages, double-spaced, in the Chicago/Turabian style of citation, based heavily on primary sources, and full of original analysis. (Piece of cake...and a mere 25% of the course grade)

Note: there will be a low threshold of tolerance for grammatical errors and all other transgressions which a simple proofreading should catch. Remove these yourself so I won’t have to remove hard-earned points. Remember, the spell-checker is not your friend! For further guidance, consult the menu options under Leges Stephani and the writing guides.

Opportunity: Next semester (Spring 2009), Longwood will host its third undergraduate medieval paper conference. Some of you may wish to participate. If so, you will be in competition with other students from Virginia, NC, and the DC Metro area, so your commitment must be a worthwhile one. Although not all applicants may actually be presenters, anyone wishing to pursue this option will benefit from a “bump” to their final course grade.

Participation: Students must be ready to participate in classroom discussions, especially during the latter portions of the course when we will be bringing our readings under close scrutiny. Students should assume, for purposes of assessment, that they start with nothing in this category and are working their way to some cumulative grade (15%).

And the Rest...Be certain to read my “General Policies” page as well for further information on how your performance in the course will be assessed.

Lecture & Reading Schedule

Reading assignments are to be done before you come to class. The information provided by that text will do much to color in the background of the points that will be covered in lectures and daily Q&A. If your professor thinks the class is not taking this task seriously, it will begin to rain pop quizzes.

Academic Honesty

It is unfortunate, but every year some students attempt to submit work which is not their own. This act is, of course, the crime of plagiarism. Do not test your luck in this arena. The eventual odds are against you, and the penalties are unpleasant. Any student who submits plagiarized work will automatically fail the entire course. Previous students have found that I do not negotiate this point. If you're not sure what constitutes academic dishonesty, consult the student handbook, ask your instructors, or see my links to the problem.

Required Textbooks

We have six textbooks for this course. They are all required, and yes, I actually expect students to read them.

• Barber, The Two Cities
• Galbert of Bruges, The Murder of Charles the Good
• The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. by Betty Radice
• Joscelin of Brakelond., The Chronicle of the Abbey of Bury St Edmund's
• Duby, The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest
• Crouch, William Marshal: Knighthood, War and Chivalry, 1147-1219

Web Resources

No list of websites can ever be exhaustive, but here at least are some worth a visit:

• The Haskins Society Gateway
• The Internet Medieval Sourcebook
• The Labyrinth
• ORB

Contacting Dr. Isaac