Survey of British Literatures and Cultures - Introduction Outline and Key Concepts

Survey of British Literatures and Cultures

Session 1 Introduction

  • Title of Lecture: Survey of British Literatures and Cultures

  • Professor: Dr. Jana Gohrisch

  • Date: 09 April 2025

Course Overview

  • Lehrgebiet A: British and Postcolonial Studies

  • Lecturers:

    • Prof. Dr. Jana Gohrisch - Survey of British Literatures and Cultures

    • Aylica Boock, M.A. - 20th-century British Prose, English, Scottish, and Irish Drama

    • Lena Falk, M.A. - 20th- and 21st-century Postcolonial Science Fiction, Posthumanism, Queer Studies

Outline of the Course

  1. Introduction

    • 1.1 Organisational Announcements

    • 1.2 Aims, Theories, Methodologies, References

  2. Early History to Middle Ages

    • 2.1 New Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age

    • 2.2 Romans

    • 2.3 European Migrants

    • 2.4 Cultural Links and Writing Cultures

  3. Middle Ages: Old and Middle English Literatures

    • 3.1 The Old English Epic Poem Beowulf

Organisational Announcements

  • Student services information:

    • PPT as PDF uploaded on Stud.IP: Monday evening

    • Digital Recording uploaded on Stud.IP: Thursday

    • BritF3 Seminars for in-depth study

    • Tutorial for course recap

    • June and July Sessions: Seven sessions beginning 3 June 2025

    • Special exam preparation session on 21 July 2025

    • Tutor: Johanna Neumann

    • Email: johanna.neumann2@stud.uni-hannover.de

    • Participation: Optional but highly recommended

    • Registration info: available on Stud.IP

Coursework Requirements

  • Non-Graded Coursework (Studienleistung): Attendance (in person or online) and self-study

  • Graded Coursework (Prüfungsleistung):

    • Written exam (60 min) scheduled for:

      • 21 August 2025, 10:00 hrs, Schloßwender Straße 1 (Room R 105)

      • 19 February 2026, 10:00 hrs, Schloßwender Straße 1 (Room R 105)

    • Registration with the Exam Office: 15 and 31 May 2025 or 15 and 30 November 2025

    • Exam format:

      • 40 questions to be answered in 60 minutes

      • Types of questions: multiple-choice and matching

      • Minimum pass mark: 20 out of 40 correct answers

    • Grading follows a 2-point step system

    • Results will be provided by the end of August 2025

    • Withdrawal options and re-registration details for February 19, 2026 exam

Course Aims

  • Factual Level:

    • Survey of the history of Britain and Ireland

    • Overview of British and Irish literature from its beginnings to the present

    • Examination of significant cultural changes, methods intertwining literature and society

    • Analysis of echoes of earlier British literary texts within later British, American, and postcolonial cultures

    • Discussions on significant terms and developments in literature

Historical Scope

Early History to Middle Ages

  • Overview of major periods:

    • New Stone Age (ca. 4000 BC)

    • Bronze Age (ca. 2000 BC)

    • Iron Age (ca. 600 BC)

Romans (AD 43)

  • Roman conquest led to significant changes in the cultural fabric and governance of Britain.

    • Roman influence lasted until AD 410

European Migrants

  • Overview of migration waves:

    • 4th-5th century: Angles, Jutes, Saxons

    • 8th-10th century: Vikings

    • 1066: Normans

Cultural Links and Writing Cultures

  • Examination of the emergence of writing driven by migration and cultural interactions

Middle Ages: Old and Middle English Literatures

The Epic Poem Beowulf

  • The most significant Old English literary work, written around 1000 AD

Detailed Historical Timeline

  • Early Settlement:

    • Palaeolithic Era: ca. 850,000 BC to 8,300 BC (Old Stone Age)

    • Mesolithic Era: ca. 8,300 BC to 4,000 BC (Middle Stone Age)

    • Neolithic Era: ca. 4,000 BC (New Stone Age)

    • Bronze Age: ca. 2000 BC (Beaker Folk)

    • Iron Age: ca. 600 BC (Celtic groups)

    • Roman conquest in AD 43

    • Germanic tribes (Anglo-Saxons) arrival in AD 410

Settlement Patterns

  • No written documents but reveals a complex history using a three-age system

    • Evidence shows transitions between New Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages

New Stone Age (ca. 4000 BC)

  • Transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture

    • Improvements in stone technology

    • Domestication of plants (wheat, barley) and animals (sheep, cattle, pigs, horses)

    • Monument building (examples: Stonehenge, Skara Brae)

Notable Sites
Skara Brae (Orkney Islands)

  • Europe's most complete Neolithic village

  • Founded ca. 5200 years ago, uncovered in 1850

  • Features include clustered houses, stone hearths, primitive sewage systems

Stonehenge

  • Famous archaeological site located on Salisbury Plain, active ca. 3100-1100 BC

  • Potential purposes:

    • Worship of ancient deities

    • Astronomical observatory

    • Burial site for dignitaries

  • Key questions surrounding construction and stone transportation remain

Bronze Age (ca. 2000 BC)

  • Continued use of great monuments

  • Expansion of trade and production of bronze (90% copper, 10% tin)

  • Intensified agricultural practices leading to population growth

Iron Age (ca. 600 BC)

Celts

  • Diverse cultural zones emerge, characterized by:

    • Social hierarchy and developed religious systems

    • Developments of art, music, and literature

Migration Influences

  • Various invasions leading to significant changes, including establishment of Celtic language and cultural exchange in Britain and Ireland

Roman Conquest and Influence

Timeline of Roman Occupation

  • Invasion in AD 43, significant impacts of literacy, culture, and buildings originally driven by the Roman administrative systems

Economic and Cultural Contributions

  • Development of roads and towns

  • Improvement in trade and culture leading to broader literacy through Latin

  • Religious plurality introduced with the establishment of Roman temples and public works (e.g., baths)

Summary of Literary Theories and Methodologies

Theoretical Level

  • Literature as an expression of cultural phenomena discussed through several angles:

    • (American) New Historicism

    • Reader-Response Theory

    • Gender Studies

    • Postcolonial Criticism

    • Structuralism

    • Stylistics

Methodological Approaches

  • Analysis must focus on text as well as its context and reception within society, emphasizing the aesthetic framework of poesis (creation) versus mimesis (imitation)

Distinct Literary Techniques in Beowulf

  • Core components include:

    • Interlace structure similar to oral traditions

    • Use of kennings to enhance the alliterative nature of the text

    • Emphasis on the communal aspect of storytelling to strengthen shared identity and values

Conclusion

  • The lecture offered insight into the evolution of literary traditions from the New Stone Age through the Iron Age, highlighting the interlinked development of Britain’s cultural and literary identities.