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Lecturer(s)
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Solomon Kristýna, doc. Mgr. Ph.D.
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Course content
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The aim of the seminar "Humor und Komik in der Deutschen Märendichtung" is to introduce students to the field of German medieval short-story literature, with a focus on the genre of "Märe," through the lens of both contemporary and modern theories of humor and comedy. The course aims to foster an understanding of the aesthetic, social, and cultural functions of laughter in the 13th through 15th centuries through a detailed analysis of key texts. 1 Introduction to Medieval German Verse Tales: Genre, Origins and Textual Transmission 2 Theories of the Comic: Humour, Laughter and Comedy in the Middle Ages 3 Cunning, Deception and Gender Roles: Drei listige Frauen 4 Body Comedy and Social Order: Die halbe Birne 5 Religious Institutions as an Object of Comedy: Das Nonnenturnier 6 Violence, Repetition and Grotesque Comedy: Der fünfmal getötete Pfarrer 7 Criticism of Monastic Life and Bawdy Comedy: Die drei Mönche zu Kolmar 8 Female Cunning and the Transgression of Moral Boundaries: Die böse Adelheid 9 The Reversal of Power Relations and Gender Comedy: Aristoteles und Phyllis 10 Comedy and Violence in Medieval German Verse Tales 11 Comedy, the Body and Eroticism 12 Medieval and Modern Humour Compared: What Did People Laugh at Then, and What Do We Laugh at Today?
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Work with Text (with Book, Textbook)
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Learning outcomes
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The aim of this course is to introduce students to the field of German medieval short stories, with a focus on the "Märe" genre, as viewed through the lens of both contemporary and modern theories of humor and comedy. The course aims to foster an understanding of the aesthetic, social, and cultural functions of laughter in the 13th through 15th centuries through a detailed analysis of key texts.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to characterize the specific features of the Märe genre, its origins, historical development, the ways in which texts have been preserved, and its place within German medieval literature. They will be able to apply basic theoretical concepts of comedy, humor, the grotesque, and laughter to specific medieval literary texts. They will be able to analyze literary depictions of gender roles, romantic relationships, and motifs of female or male cunning in the context of the social order of the time.
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Prerequisites
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The seminar is intended for all students of the Palacký University.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Student performance, Analysis of Creative works (Music, Pictorial,Literary), Seminar Work
Active participation and completing the tasks are necessary to obtain the credits. Maximum of 2 absences.
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Recommended literature
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Bayless, Martha. A Cultural History of Comedy in the Middle Ages. New York. 2020.
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Pethainou, Kleio. Medieval Humour: Expressions, Receptions and Functions. Budapest. 2023.
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Ridder, Klaus, and Hans-Joachim Ziegeler. Deutsche Versnovellistik des 13. bis 15. Jahrhunderts. Berlin. 2020.
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