The Dal Riata: literature, politics and society in Dark Age Scotland (U03657)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U03657

Many conventional histories have it that the Scots and their nation were born around AD 500, when immigrants from Ireland landed on the coast of Argyll and founded the colony of Dalriada. The Dál Riata were, however, both much more, and much less than the founders of the Scottish nation. Knowing nothing of present-day international boundaries, they thrived on both sides of the North Channel in the period 550-750, belonging to a wider neighbourhood in north-west Britain and north-east Ireland which produced several remarkable individuals and a fascinating history. This course adopts a source-based approach to understanding that history and the individuals who feature in it. In examining primary written evidence in translation, including chronicles, hagiography, king-lists, genealogies, and poetry, students reflect on the political and social circumstances of those who produced such texts, and what they can and can’t reveal about the Dál Riata and their world – often with surprising results.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A survey course in medieval history, Scottish history, or Celtic civilization.

? Prohibited combinations : U03560 Literature, Politics and Society in Dark Age Scotland

Variants

? This course has variants for part year visiting students, as follows

Literature, Politics and Society in Dark Age Scotland (VS1) (Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2))

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Celtic, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
26/09/2008	11:00	13:00

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Friday	11:10	13:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course it is intended that students will be able to:
-produce a sound and competent essay, in accordance with the common marking scale;
-demonstrate, by way of essay and examination, recognition of the potential and limitations of different genres of written evidence in pursuing the study of early medieval societies;
-demonstrate, by way of essay and examination, insight into the literate culture of Early Historic Scotland, and in particular into the ways in which Gaelic writers mobilized the past for use in their own present;
-demonstrate the following transferable skills: independent gathering of relevant evidence pertaining to a posed problem; critical consideration of evidence in order to arrvie at sound conclusions; evaluating the work of others, including peers; presenting evaluations and conclusions clearly in both written and oral form; independent management of personal timetable, workload and other priorities in order to meet established deadlines.

Assessment Information

Students will submit an individual essay of 3000 words and sit a two-hour Degree Examination that may require comment on extracts from primary texts. The final mark will be composed of the essay mark, weighted at 50% of the final mark, and the exam mark, weighted at 50% of the final mark.