Tolkien the Medievalist

Week 1 (Jan 19)

• Introduction
• Tolkien's Themes (selections from art, short verse, lays and other tales--all in-class)

• Beowulf
• Tolkien, "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" (essay--undergraduates 5-34; graduates 5-44)

• Hrafnkel's Saga and Other Stories  
• Tolkien, Beorhthem's Son (Tolkien Reader 1-28)
• The Kalevero Cycle (selection from Kalevala Cantos 31-36) (handout)  
• [Graduate students will also read The Battle of Maldon (handout).]

• Gawain and the Green Knight (GGK 23-122)
• Tolkien, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (essay--undergraduates 72-101; graduates 72-105)
• Tolkien, "On Fairy Stories" (Tolkien Reader 29-99)

• Tolkien, "Leaf by Niggle" (Tolkien Reader 100-120)  
• Sir Orfeo (GGK 169-190)
• Pearl (GGK 123-168)

Tolkien the Myth Maker

Week 6 (Feb 23)

• Silmarillion (1-162) [Ainulindal� through XVI "Of Maeglin"]
• selection from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 239)

• Silmarillion (163-306) [XVII "Of the Coming of Men into the West" through XXIV "Of the Voyage of E�rendil and the War of Wrath"]; also bring Kalevala materials to class.
• [Graduate students also read Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth.]

Exam #1 due in LC#230 by Monday, Mar 5, 5pm

• Silmarillion (307-338) [Akallab�th]; you might find pages 341-358 helpful, as well.
• "Aldarion and Erendis" (Unfinished Tales 181-227)
• Disaster of Gladden Fields" (Unfinished Tales 283-300)
• "Cirion and Eorl" (Unfinished Tales 301-334)

Spring Break March 12-16--No Class

Tolkien the Storyteller

Week 9 (Mar 23)

• The Annotated Hobbit [Note: All students are responsible for the scholarly notes, as well as the main text.]
• selection from The Marvelous Land of the Snergs [handout]
• selections from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 226-231, 240-243)

Week 10 (Mar 30)

• Fellowship of the Ring
• "Brief History of LOR" (Reader's Companion xviii-xliv; also skim xlv-lxvii)
• selections from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 197-210, 221-225)
• Reader's Companion --as needed 

[Four suggestions for taking advantage of this scholarly companion: 1) Consult it when you have questions about anything you're reading; 2) Dip into it between chapters; 3) Skim it and read what interests you, especially the longer notes; 4) Don't forget it as a research tool when you begin your paper.]

Good Friday April 6--No Class

Week 11 (Apr 13)

• The Two Towers [Please bring Fellowship to class, as well.]
• selection from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 232-233)
• Reader's Companion --as needed 

• The Return of the King (You may dip into appendices B-E as you see fit, but pay closer attention to appendices A & F.) [Please bring Fellowship and Two Towers to class, as well.]
• selections from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 244-251)
• Reader's Companion --as needed 

• Farmer Giles of Ham (Tolkien Reader 121-188)
• Smith of Wooton Major [Note: Graduate students, you are responsible for the Flieger edition's addendums and scholarly notes, as well as the main text.]
• selections from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Tolkien Reader 211-217)

Research Project due in LC#230 by Monday, May 1, 5pm

• No additional reading; Presentations.

Take-Home Final (Exam #3) due in LC#230 by Wednesday, May 9, 5pm