Geraldine Heng Department of English: Spring 2016 E360S: Unique # 34680; RS 357: Unique # PAR 105, Wednesday 6:00-9:00 pm

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1 Race/GH 1 PAR 105, Wednesday 6:00-9:00 pm RACE IN THE MIDDLE AGES: COURSE DESCRIPTION In medieval literature, difference from the norm is often marked by skin color: a Christian knight or lady in Western Europe is conventionally "fair," while a Moslem or "Saracen" enemy is often described as black, and someone of mixed parentage (European-and-African, or Christian-and-Muslim) may be depicted as piebald: black-and-white. In romances, when a Saracen converts to Christianity, his skin may change color at baptism, turn dramatically white. Jewish communities living in medieval Europe were required by canon law, from the Fourth Lateran Council on, to publicly identify themselves by wearing a special badge that marked them off as separate and different from Christians. In England, Jews were required by law to wear the "badge of shame" from 1218 forth, till their expulsion from the country. Literature and history thus suggest that the Middle Ages like other periods before and after were intensely interested in issues that we now today identify as race-related. It is also clear that the concept of race in the medieval period is complicated by religion, as well as various economic, political, social, military, and other factors that determine questions of race in Europe from the Renaissance onward. This course explores the changing patterns, meanings, and uses of racializing discourses in medieval Europe from the 12th through 15th centuries, by looking at some of medieval culture's most prominent texts, legends, and artifacts. We will look at literary romances and travel literature, chronicles and sagas, saints' legends, statuary, maps, and whatever else may be useful to us. For purposes of comparison, we will also review selected texts originating before and after the medieval centuries. Course requirements: a collaborative term paper of at least 35 pages (50%), 1 in-class presentation (20%), attendance (10%) and active participation (20%). Texts listed here are suggestive, not final. All premodern texts read in modern English translation except Chaucer and two Middle English texts. Texts: Vinland Sagas, Parzival, Moriaen, Chaucer s Prioress's Tale, Anglo-Norman ballad on Hugh of Lincoln, poems from the Vernon manuscript: the Boy Singer, the Jewish Boy, King of Tars, Richard Coer de Lyon, John of Plano Carpini s History of the Mongols, William of Rubruck s Journey to the Mongols, Marco Polo s Travels, Mandeville s Travels; cinematic texts: Merchant of Venice, Othello, Titus.

2 Race/GH 2 RACE IN THE MIDDLE AGES: SYLLABUS Wk 1: INTRODUCTION; RELIGION & RACE 1/20: Introduction, texts and readings, course format and structure, course requirements. What is race, & what are its politics? Watch: The Merchant of Venice (1973, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright) Wk 2: DEFINITIONS: WHAT IS RACE? 1/27: Read: The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages I: Race Studies, Modernity, and the Middle Ages at: _I_Race_Studies_Modernity_and_the_Middle_Ages and The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages II: Locations of Medieval Race at: es_ii_locations_of_medieval_race Discuss definitions of race & The Merchant of Venice. Small group discussions & presentations begin. Wk 3: NATIVE NORTH AMERICANS: INDIGENES IN THE AMERICAS 2/3: Read: The Vinland Sagas (use Penguin edition/translation, please), Birgitta Wallace, L Anse aux Meadows and Vinland; Bo Almqvist, My name is Gudrid; Sverrir Jakobsson, Black Men and Malignant Looking : the Place of the indigenous Peoples of North America in the Icelandic World View. Wk 4: MEDIEVAL JEWS I 2/10: Read: Chaucer s Prioress s Tale; the Anglo-Norman Hugo de Lincolonia (Hugh of Lincoln); England s Dead Boys: Telling Tales of Christian-Jewish Relations before and after the First European Expulsion of the Jews at: Jewish_Relations_Before_and_After_the_First_European_Expulsion_of_the_Jews Wk 5: MEDIEVAL JEWS II 2/17: Read: Two Miracles of the Virgin stories: The Child Slain by Jews and The Jewish Boy Wk 6: MEDIEVAL MUSLIMS, HOLY WAR, RELIGION, & COLOR I 2/24: Read: Selection from the Middle English Romance of Richard Coer de Lyon; Madeline Caviness, From the Self-Invention of the Whiteman in the Thirteenth Century to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at: Wk 7: AFRICA & BLACKNESS IN THE MEDIEVAL IMAGINATION I 3/2. Read: Selection from the Middle High German romance Parzival (Books 1-3)

3 Race/GH 3 Wk 8: AFRICA & BLACKNESS IN THE MEDIEVAL IMAGINATION II 3/9: Read: The Middle Dutch Roman van Moriaen SPRING BREAK Wk 9: MEDIEVAL MUSLIMS, HOLY WAR, RELIGION, & COLOR II 3/23: Read: the Middle English romance, The King of Tars; John Tolan, Saracens as Pagans. Wk 10: WORLD RACES: MONGOLS I 3/30: Read: John of Plano Carpini, History of the Mongols (Hystoria Mongalorum) in Christopher Dawson, ed., Mission to Asia. Wk 11: WORLD RACES: MONGOLS II 4/6: Read: William of Rubruck, Journey to the Mongols (Itinerarium), in Christopher Dawson, ed., Mission to Asia; also read: Franciscan letters in Mission to Asia. Wk 12: WORLD RACES: MONGOLS & OTHERS I 4/13: Read: Marco Polo, The Travels (Penguin translation only) Wk 13: WORLD RACES: MONGOLS & OTHERS II 4/20: Read: The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (Penguin translation only) Wk 14: POSTMEDIEVAL RACE: THE LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES? 4/27: Watch: Othello (1995, Laurence Fishburn) Small group discussion. Wk 15: 5/4: Watch: Titus (1999; Julie Taymore, Anthony Hopkins) Small group discussion. TERM PAPERS DUE TODAY: NO EXTENSIONS.

4 Race/GH 4 RACE IN THE MIDDLE AGES: TEXTS AND COURSE PACKET There are 4 electronic texts, a course packet, and 4 books for this course. Please consult the syllabus for the order of readings. The electronic articles: 1. The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages I: Race Studies, Modernity, and the Middle Ages at: ges_i_race_studies_modernity_and_the_middle_ages 2. The Invention of Race in the European Middle Ages II: Locations of Medieval Race at: _Ages_II_Locations_of_Medieval_Race 3. England s Dead Boys: Telling Tales of Christian-Jewish Relations before and after the First European Expulsion of the Jews at: Jewish_Relations_Before_and_After_the_First_European_Expulsion_of_the_Jews 4. Madeline Caviness, From the Self-Invention of the Whiteman in the Thirteenth Century to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at: The course packet contains: 1. Birgitta Wallace, L Anse aux Meadows and Vinland 2. Bo Almqvist, My name is Gudrid 3. Sverrir Jakobsson, Black Men and Malignant Looking : the Place of the indigenous Peoples of North America in the Icelandic World View. 4. The Prioress s Tale 5. Hugo de Lincolonia (Hugh of Lincoln) 6. The Child Slain by Jews and The Jewish Boy 7. Selection from the Middle English romance Romance of Richard Coer de Lyon 8. Selection from the Middle High German romance Parzival (Books 1-3) 9. The Middle Dutch Roman van Moriaen 10. The King of Tars 11. John Tolan, Saracens as Pagans The print packet will be produced by Canopy Course Notes, available at: Asel Art Supply, 510 West M.L.K. Blvd in the first two weeks of the semester.

5 Race/GH 5 Books: In addition to the items above, you will need to purchase 4 books. These books are inexpensive and easy to obtain in paperback, and I have not ordered them for you at the Co-Op, because the Co-Op s prices are always much higher than Amazon s. Some of these books can be had for as little as 1 cent plus shipping on Amazon.com. However, please be sure to purchase only the editions/translations listed below, so that we are all reading the same editions with the same pagination system: 1. The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America, edited and translated by Magnus Magnusson and Herman Palsson (48 copies were available on Amazon.com at last check, for as little as 1 cent plus shipping). 2. Mission to Asia, ed. Christopher Dawson (29 copies available on Amazon, for as low as $8.79 plus shipping: once these stocks are depleted, you ll have to buy this from Amazon at full price, $24.95, so order your copy early). 3. The Travels of Marco Polo, edited and translated by Ronald Latham (96 copies available on Amazon, for as little as $1.87). 4. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, edited and translated by C.W.R.D. Moseley (63 copies available on Amazon, for as little as $4.14). Documented Disability Statement: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at (voice) or (video phone), or visit Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Academic Integrity: Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. For additional information on Academic Integrity, see Religious Holy Days: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of a pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, I will give you an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

6 Race/GH 6 RACE IN THE MIDDLE AGES: COURSE POLICY READ THIS CAREFULLY The requirements for this course are: class attendance & active participation in large- and smallgroup discussions; the reading of your assigned texts, as demonstrated by your informed participation in large- & small-group classroom discussion; an in-class presentation on appropriate cultural, literary, historical, social or other material on race; and a final term paper that will be collaboratively researched and written in teams, due on Wednesday, May 4. Please note that merely speaking up in class, or asking questions, does not qualify as informed discussion that demonstrates your reading of assigned texts. To earn your participation grade you must demonstrate that you have read the assigned texts. This course will require students to work in teams to conduct research and writing for their term papers. Grades will be earned as follows: 10% for attendance, 20% for active participation; 20% for an in-class research presentation, & 50% for a collaborative term paper of at least 35 pages, typed & double-spaced. Grades will be as earned; there will be no grading curve. Attendance will be taken from Week 2; 4 absences lead to an automatic grade of F for the course; 3 absences lead to no higher than a final grade of C for the course. One point is deducted from your attendance percentage for every absence. Failure to make a presentation when a presentation has been scheduled will automatically result in an F for the presentation grade. Persistent lateness for class is penalized. Presentations can take a variety of forms: discussion of historical, social, artistic, cultural, literary, scientific, or other material on any aspect of race, in any historical period & any part of the world. The first 2 presentations will each earn an extra 5% bonus points if they receive a grade of 18% or above of the 20% assigned grade for presentations. When in doubt as to whether the subject or form of the presentation you have in mind is appropriate, please consult me in advance before or after class, during office hours, or by e- mail. The maximum time for presentations is 25 minutes, excluding Q & A time; presentations exceeding this time limit, & extending into the time allotment of another student, will be penalized. Presentations & term papers must be on different subjects: there should be no overlap between your in-class presentation & your term paper / final written project. Tern papers: Students will form pods, or small groups, to conduct research & writing on 1 of these 5 subjects: (1) Race in Latin America, (2) Race in Africa, (3) Muslims & Hindus in India: Race? (4) Koreans in Japan, (5) Are Asian Americans one race or many? Research and papers can be written with any focus. Each pod will make its own decisions on the assignment of individual work & writing within the pod; the assigned group leader will report to me periodically on the progress of the pod; the maximum number of people each pod can have is 5 members. The grade earned for the paper is assigned to every individual in the pod. There will be NO EXTENSIONS for submission of writing assignments.