Voices from Medieval and/or Re – 13448 – FREN 475 – 01

Medieval Millennials

in 13-14th century Paris

In fall 2018, the course will focus on the understanding of medieval everyday in the life of a twenty year old in Paris, home to royalty, charlatans, Knights, merchants, clerics, prostitutes, gamblers, students, and beggars. We will visit Europe’s largest, most cosmopolitan city, and investigate the private lives of people within their homes to see how people actually dressed, ate, washed, slept, loved, worked, fought, worshiped, and dance and play.

For this course, I will ask you to pick the angles and  themes you are interested by. For example some might be interested by gender studies, literature, economy, education, or gastronomy… “le rôle de la femme dans la littérature”, “le rôle de la science dans l’évolution de l’alimentation”, “le rire et la religion”, “la construction d’une gastronomie française”, ” …

1) Our Textbook…. a cool Graphic Novel!

….depicting a gang of Templars hanging in Paris… while preparing the biggest hold-up of the century!
It serves as reference to see how people used to live in Paris in the XIII-XIV centuries…

1. Templars in Paris: Our Textbook will be the Novel “Templiers”, depicting a gang of Templars hanging in Paris while preparing the biggest hold-up of the century. It serves as reference to see how people used to live in Paris in the XIII-XIV centuries…
   • Discussion: In class we question and discuss details from the book (about history, about what they eat, how they shop, count the time, take a bath, dress, and of course, love…).
   • Lecture on everyday’s life in Paris: I will give short lectures on a theme of everyday life to be followed by discussions.
   • Students mini-presentation 1: students will pick a subject on everyday life (A recipe, a medicinal plant, a way of living, school, university) adopt a perspective of their choice… and will build up a short presentation 3mn.

I have arranged to have the special edition collector for cheaper than the regular issue, delivered to us directly from the editor, so behold, we will order the books in class.

In class we question and discuss details from the book (what they eat, how they shop, count the time, take a bath, dress, , love…)

2) Heroes and Villains

Besides queens and kings, the other famous people were the heroes and villains of the era who included Artists, Clerics, Crusaders, Diplomats, Religious Leaders, Military Leaders, Philosophers & Theologians, Physicians, Mathematicians, Writers & Poets and Reformers who featured in the turbulent times of the Parisian Middle Age –

1. Heroes and villains: Even in medieval times they had stories and legends about people with extraordinary gifts – queens, saints and warriors.
   • Lecture on medieval people: I will give short lectures on important actors of the period, besides queens and kings, the other famous people were the heroes and villains of the era who included Artists, Clerics, Crusaders, Diplomats, Religious Leaders, Military Leaders, Philosophers & Theologians, Physicians, Mathematicians, Writers & Poets and Reformers who featured in the turbulent times of the Parisian Middle Age – to be followed by discussions.
   • Reading of novels:
     • Frédégonde, la sanguinaire (545-597) 2
     • Charlemagne (742-814)
     • Guillaume le Conquerant (1027-1087)
     • Aliénor d’Aquitaine, légende noire (1122-1204) 6
     • Louis (1214-1270)
     • Isabelle, Louve de France (1295-1358) 2
     • Philippe le Bel (1268-1314)
     • Jeanne d’Arc (1411-1431)
   • Discussion: In class we question and discuss details from Medieval History, and those who made it.
   • Students mini-presentation 2: Students will choose a famous personae. they will build a short presentation (3mn) with the angle of their choice.
     (available at the library)

3) Reflections on Everyday life in Medieval Paris

Our main goal is to reflect on everyday life in Medieval Paris, you will pick a subject and put it in perspective for your final.

4) Making of manuscripts

1. The making of manuscripts: As books “go digital,” we can appreciate what is gained in terms of convenience, accessibility and interconnectedness. However, we should also consider what is lost as texts transition to a digital sphere.
   • Lecture on the Manuscript: I will present the materials and techniques used to create the lavishly illuminated manuscripts produced in the Middle Ages Paris. The four stages involved in the making of a medieval book: parchment making, writing, illumination, and binding. Students will approach the making, selling but also reading and transportation of the medieval books in its social and historical context. The goal is to be able to see a medieval manuscript as a physical artifact laden with numerous “clues” about the society that made it.
   • Discussion: In class we question and discuss details from the usage of manuscript, the role of books in knowledge, power and the growth of ideas.
   • Students mini-presentation 3: Students will pick a manuscript, adopt a perspective of their choice (making, history, narrative, illumination, …) and will build up a short presentation 3mn.
   • Study of three Parisian works. In class students will
     • Le Songe d’Enfer, Raoul de Houdenc 1220 (Literature and poetry)
     • Kompost et Kalendrie des Bergiers, 1392 (Science and the era of printing)
     • Le livre d’heure parisien, 1470 (Illuminations and religion)

5) Paris

1. Paris: Required is a kind of connective tissue to bind together the visual culture of the past and to relate it to cultural, economic and ideological agendas. Rather than seeking an abstract formalistic or developmental matrix, this sequence anchors the understanding of medieval architecture, sculpture, painting and the sumptuous arts within the unity of the most powerful city in northern Europe in the Middle Ages–Paris.
   • Lecture on Paris: I will present the city of Paris during the medieval period, and more particularly from the moment of its spectacular expansion in the eleventh century until the works of fortifications and embellishment during the reign of Charles V. Thus, the goal is to understand the evolution of urbanism and discover the main monuments of the city: centers of power, administration, places of worship and teaching, utilitarian buildings.
   • Discussion: In class students question, discuss, and compare Medieval Paris with Contemporary Paris. Size power, architecture, organization but also what survived from the capital of medieval Europe.

6) Assignements and Structure

• Material:

  • Readings: Students will read (at home) and talk about them in class. Templars, Aliénor d’Aquitaine et Jeanne d’Arc see 1. And 2.
  • Movies: Students will watch (at home) Le nom de la Rose, Le frère du Guerrier, Le retour de Martin Guerre et Jeanne Captive.
  • Manuscripts: Students will study (in class) three parisian work. Livre d’heures parisien, Kalendrier des bergiers parisien, Le Songe d’Enfer. (pdf files)
  • Art and music artefacts: Students will study Parisian music and art (in class).

• Class preparation (10%) and participation (10%):

For each class, students will either read a few pages or watch a movie (freely available in our dropbox). Announced quizzes will assess the reading/watching. Along the class, students will write little paragraphs to summarize their understanding of the reading, emphasize their interest in the topic and prepare them to the conversation, those will be useful for the making of the final project.

• Assessment:

  • Attendance/Participation in class (oral) 10%
  • Preparedness (written) 10%
  • Announced Quizzes (15 x1%) 15%
  • Présentations oral (35%) 15%
  • Midterm 15%
  • Project Final 25%
  • 2 face à face with the Prof 10%

• Mini-presentations (15%):

students will build 3 mini-presentations (3mn), 1) on everyday life, 2) on a special personae or a special event, 3) on any artefact or monument of their choice.

• Quizzes (15%):

students will have announced quizzes on the reading and watching (4 drops).

• Midterm (15%)

Presentation of a manuscript or a fabliau questioned through its reception, diffusion (ex humour, making, pricing) on the theme of your choice (food for example).
Powerpoint presentation, and paper (900 mots).

• Final (25%)

Critical thinking presentation on a comparison between then and now. (ex: the effect of new technologies, the university system, the revolution of printing vs the revolution of digital, the place of religion in peace and wars, the perception of the identity, the perception of the others, the invention of courteous love…)… how is it still influencing our lives…

• Face à face (10%)

Students will meet with me in my office for face-à-face, twice during the semester (once before September 15^th, once between Nov 1^st and 17^th).