Discussion of various approaches to writing about literature and film (from research papers to reviews, polemical essays, and informal articles). Students will be trained in the various aspects of composition: locating and organizing material, using sources, building arguments, revising, and editing. This includes analyzing different critical discourses, as well as the implied reader and other relevant theoretical issues. This is a required course for students majoring in Comparative Literature and first-year students are urged to register for it.

Literary Methods & Concepts This is the introductory course and forms the basis for other courses in Comparative Literature. The aim is to acquaint the students with the main literary concepts and methodological foundations and to give them some experience in analysing texts. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods in connection with required essays. This course is to be taken during the first term.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

The aim of this survey course is to sample the literary history of the last four millennia by reading a number of world masterpieces from Africa, Asia and Europe. All texts will be read in Icelandic translations. 

An interdisciplinary and introductory course entailing a dialogue between the academic fields of the department, i.e. comparative literature, film studies, gender studies, art studies, linguistics, cultural studies, sign language and interpreting studies and translation studies. The latest international developments in the field of humanities will be examined and questions asked about the relationship of academic studies and our world view(s). We will analyse the semiotic system of language, inquiring whether it can serve as the basis for our understanding of other semiotic systems. We will ask about the connection and relationship between different languages and linguistic worlds. What is "multiculture"? How are spoken language, written language and visual language interconnected within society? What constitutes cultural literacy? Literature, art, film and other visual material will be examined in both a national and international context, with a view to how these semiotic systems influence the borderlines of gender, race, class, nation, and different world cultures. The study materials include theoretical and critical writings, literary works, visual art and images, and films, as well as some current media coverage. Evaluation is based on four assignments and a written exam.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

Historical overview of the development of literary theory. The main emphasis is on twentieth and twenty-first century trends and methods. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

This course will focus on the works of two female poets and pioneers in the writing of modernist literature in Iceland in the 20th century, Ásta Sigurðardóttir (1930–1971) and Svava Jakobsdóttir (1930–2004). Discussion will cover the reception of their works and their literary-historical context, the authors' lives and careers, and how their experiences and public images are reflected in their writings, as well as the influence of intellectual movements and social changes such as feminism and class struggle. The texts of Ásta and Svava will be compared, with attention paid to connections between their bodies of work and the elements that distinguish them, as well as their influence on other writers and the Icelandic literary field in the 21st century.

This is a survey course on the literature of the Middle East, and its literary history from the earliest period in Sumer up until the 21^st century.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

In this course, students will become acquainted with some of the masterpieces of French dramatic literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The return of tragedy in relation to war and civil conflict will be examined, as will the social relevance of comedy over time. Trends and movements in theatre will be examined, from the experimental theatre of the Renaissance, neoclassicism, revolutionary ideas in eighteenth and nineteenth-century theatre, and the avant-garde theatre of the twentieth century to the devised and/or research-based dramaturgy of today. Emphasis will be placed on the aesthetics and dramaturgy of plays, including the specificity of drama in verse. Entire plays or excerpts from works will be read in Icelandic or English translations by Garnier, Corneille, Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Musset, Beaumarchais, Hugo, Dumas, Feydeau, Anouilh, Sartre, Genet, Cixous, Koltès, Mouawad.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but some of the course material will be in English. For students of French, an additional weekly class (40 min.) will be offered in French.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

Discussion of various approaches to writing about literature and film (from research papers to reviews, polemical essays, and informal articles). Students will be trained in the various aspects of composition: locating and organizing material, using sources, building arguments, revising, and editing. This includes analyzing different critical discourses, as well as the implied reader and other relevant theoretical issues. This is a required course for students majoring in Comparative Literature and first-year students are urged to register for it.

Literary Methods & Concepts This is the introductory course and forms the basis for other courses in Comparative Literature. The aim is to acquaint the students with the main literary concepts and methodological foundations and to give them some experience in analysing texts. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods in connection with required essays. This course is to be taken during the first term.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

The aim of this survey course is to sample the literary history of the last four millennia by reading a number of world masterpieces from Africa, Asia and Europe. All texts will be read in Icelandic translations. 

An interdisciplinary and introductory course entailing a dialogue between the academic fields of the department, i.e. comparative literature, film studies, gender studies, art studies, linguistics, cultural studies, sign language and interpreting studies and translation studies. The latest international developments in the field of humanities will be examined and questions asked about the relationship of academic studies and our world view(s). We will analyse the semiotic system of language, inquiring whether it can serve as the basis for our understanding of other semiotic systems. We will ask about the connection and relationship between different languages and linguistic worlds. What is "multiculture"? How are spoken language, written language and visual language interconnected within society? What constitutes cultural literacy? Literature, art, film and other visual material will be examined in both a national and international context, with a view to how these semiotic systems influence the borderlines of gender, race, class, nation, and different world cultures. The study materials include theoretical and critical writings, literary works, visual art and images, and films, as well as some current media coverage. Evaluation is based on four assignments and a written exam.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

Historical overview of the development of literary theory. The main emphasis is on twentieth and twenty-first century trends and methods. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

This course will focus on the works of two female poets and pioneers in the writing of modernist literature in Iceland in the 20th century, Ásta Sigurðardóttir (1930–1971) and Svava Jakobsdóttir (1930–2004). Discussion will cover the reception of their works and their literary-historical context, the authors' lives and careers, and how their experiences and public images are reflected in their writings, as well as the influence of intellectual movements and social changes such as feminism and class struggle. The texts of Ásta and Svava will be compared, with attention paid to connections between their bodies of work and the elements that distinguish them, as well as their influence on other writers and the Icelandic literary field in the 21st century.

This is a survey course on the literature of the Middle East, and its literary history from the earliest period in Sumer up until the 21^st century.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

In this course, students will become acquainted with some of the masterpieces of French dramatic literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The return of tragedy in relation to war and civil conflict will be examined, as will the social relevance of comedy over time. Trends and movements in theatre will be examined, from the experimental theatre of the Renaissance, neoclassicism, revolutionary ideas in eighteenth and nineteenth-century theatre, and the avant-garde theatre of the twentieth century to the devised and/or research-based dramaturgy of today. Emphasis will be placed on the aesthetics and dramaturgy of plays, including the specificity of drama in verse. Entire plays or excerpts from works will be read in Icelandic or English translations by Garnier, Corneille, Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Musset, Beaumarchais, Hugo, Dumas, Feydeau, Anouilh, Sartre, Genet, Cixous, Koltès, Mouawad.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but some of the course material will be in English. For students of French, an additional weekly class (40 min.) will be offered in French.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

Discussion of various approaches to writing about literature and film (from research papers to reviews, polemical essays, and informal articles). Students will be trained in the various aspects of composition: locating and organizing material, using sources, building arguments, revising, and editing. This includes analyzing different critical discourses, as well as the implied reader and other relevant theoretical issues. This is a required course for students majoring in Comparative Literature and first-year students are urged to register for it.

Literary Methods & Concepts This is the introductory course and forms the basis for other courses in Comparative Literature. The aim is to acquaint the students with the main literary concepts and methodological foundations and to give them some experience in analysing texts. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods in connection with required essays. This course is to be taken during the first term.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

The aim of this survey course is to sample the literary history of the last four millennia by reading a number of world masterpieces from Africa, Asia and Europe. All texts will be read in Icelandic translations. 

An interdisciplinary and introductory course entailing a dialogue between the academic fields of the department, i.e. comparative literature, film studies, gender studies, art studies, linguistics, cultural studies, sign language and interpreting studies and translation studies. The latest international developments in the field of humanities will be examined and questions asked about the relationship of academic studies and our world view(s). We will analyse the semiotic system of language, inquiring whether it can serve as the basis for our understanding of other semiotic systems. We will ask about the connection and relationship between different languages and linguistic worlds. What is "multiculture"? How are spoken language, written language and visual language interconnected within society? What constitutes cultural literacy? Literature, art, film and other visual material will be examined in both a national and international context, with a view to how these semiotic systems influence the borderlines of gender, race, class, nation, and different world cultures. The study materials include theoretical and critical writings, literary works, visual art and images, and films, as well as some current media coverage. Evaluation is based on four assignments and a written exam.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

Historical overview of the development of literary theory. The main emphasis is on twentieth and twenty-first century trends and methods. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

This course will focus on the works of two female poets and pioneers in the writing of modernist literature in Iceland in the 20th century, Ásta Sigurðardóttir (1930–1971) and Svava Jakobsdóttir (1930–2004). Discussion will cover the reception of their works and their literary-historical context, the authors' lives and careers, and how their experiences and public images are reflected in their writings, as well as the influence of intellectual movements and social changes such as feminism and class struggle. The texts of Ásta and Svava will be compared, with attention paid to connections between their bodies of work and the elements that distinguish them, as well as their influence on other writers and the Icelandic literary field in the 21st century.

This is a survey course on the literature of the Middle East, and its literary history from the earliest period in Sumer up until the 21^st century.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

In this course, students will become acquainted with some of the masterpieces of French dramatic literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The return of tragedy in relation to war and civil conflict will be examined, as will the social relevance of comedy over time. Trends and movements in theatre will be examined, from the experimental theatre of the Renaissance, neoclassicism, revolutionary ideas in eighteenth and nineteenth-century theatre, and the avant-garde theatre of the twentieth century to the devised and/or research-based dramaturgy of today. Emphasis will be placed on the aesthetics and dramaturgy of plays, including the specificity of drama in verse. Entire plays or excerpts from works will be read in Icelandic or English translations by Garnier, Corneille, Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Musset, Beaumarchais, Hugo, Dumas, Feydeau, Anouilh, Sartre, Genet, Cixous, Koltès, Mouawad.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but some of the course material will be in English. For students of French, an additional weekly class (40 min.) will be offered in French.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

Discussion of various approaches to writing about literature and film (from research papers to reviews, polemical essays, and informal articles). Students will be trained in the various aspects of composition: locating and organizing material, using sources, building arguments, revising, and editing. This includes analyzing different critical discourses, as well as the implied reader and other relevant theoretical issues. This is a required course for students majoring in Comparative Literature and first-year students are urged to register for it.

Literary Methods & Concepts This is the introductory course and forms the basis for other courses in Comparative Literature. The aim is to acquaint the students with the main literary concepts and methodological foundations and to give them some experience in analysing texts. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods in connection with required essays. This course is to be taken during the first term.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

The aim of this survey course is to sample the literary history of the last four millennia by reading a number of world masterpieces from Africa, Asia and Europe. All texts will be read in Icelandic translations. 

An interdisciplinary and introductory course entailing a dialogue between the academic fields of the department, i.e. comparative literature, film studies, gender studies, art studies, linguistics, cultural studies, sign language and interpreting studies and translation studies. The latest international developments in the field of humanities will be examined and questions asked about the relationship of academic studies and our world view(s). We will analyse the semiotic system of language, inquiring whether it can serve as the basis for our understanding of other semiotic systems. We will ask about the connection and relationship between different languages and linguistic worlds. What is "multiculture"? How are spoken language, written language and visual language interconnected within society? What constitutes cultural literacy? Literature, art, film and other visual material will be examined in both a national and international context, with a view to how these semiotic systems influence the borderlines of gender, race, class, nation, and different world cultures. The study materials include theoretical and critical writings, literary works, visual art and images, and films, as well as some current media coverage. Evaluation is based on four assignments and a written exam.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

Historical overview of the development of literary theory. The main emphasis is on twentieth and twenty-first century trends and methods. In addition to lectures there are small group discussion periods.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

From the mundane to the dangerous, conspiracy theories are exerting a troublingly central influence on contemporary society. You may have heard the critiques — but what would it mean to think of the modern conspiracy theory less as a product of “fake news” or “media diets,” consumed by the “crazy” and/or “ignorant” individuals, and more as a specific narrative form in popular culture? From its roots in the 19^th century, and its ferment in the rise of genre fiction of the 19^th and early 20^th Century, modern conspiracy theory begins to coalesce and take shape in the latter decades of the 20^th century, eventually carrying through to the present as it evolves and is exacerbated by our rapidly transforming media environment and ongoing social crises. In this course we will analyze a series of novels, films, and TV shows that take the conspiracy theory as their object, asking why and how the conspiracy emerges as a form for making sense of the world at certain historical moments. Attention will be paid to the difference (and congruities) between literary form and film language, as well as discrete periods of conspiracy in film and literature (post-Watergate New Hollywood thrillers, 1980s/90s internet forums, digital UFO cultures, new age spirituality, etc).

Jane Austen has never been more popular than now in the first decades of the 21st century. Her novels are constantly being rewritten and her image as an author has become surprisingly complex. In this course, Austen's cultural author-function is examined, especially as it pertains to how her novels are rewritten within three literary genres generally associated with women: the romance, the chick lit novel and self-help books. Jane Austen's life, real or imagined, is by many seen as a key to her romances; and this obsessive focus is relevant to various aspects of the contemporary Darcy hysteria. Questions will be asked relating to women's status within postfeminist consumer culture, and mass culture in general, while light is shed on Austen's importance in contemporary society. In addition, there are a number of works where Jane Austen is either presented as a character or has a role as a consultant, a guru and a mentor, as is the case in self-help books which make use of her popularity.

The course focuses on literature of migration from different corners of the world. Students will read literature by immigrants in a variety of genres; novels, poetry, autobiography, and memoirs from different countries and eras. The aim is to investigate cultural discourse, historical development, form, and genres which reflect migration through time, with a specific focus on contemporary works. Different ideas on the self and on the status of minorities, will be examined along with emphasis on descriptions of landscape, city and nature. The course will also focus on common themes such as ideas about the promised land, the struggle between the old and the new world and adoption of new ways of living. The works read will be original literary works as well as theoretical writings on the subject.

The course will be dealing with pioneering theatre artists and playwrights in Europe and the US starting with the rise of naturalism and realism in the nineteentch century. Then symbolism, surrealism and dada in the early years of the twentieth century will be introduced, the theatre of the absurd in the 1950s and 60s will be explained, and thereafter the discussion will be taken to contemporary postmodern theatre. The ideas of Constantine Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, Eugene Ionesco, Jerzy Grotowski and Peter Brook will be taught in some detail - as well as the the theatre of Samuel Beckett, Tadeusz Kantor and Robert Wilson. It will be discovered how the works of playwrights from certain periods are in direct interrelation with a changing view on the art of the theatre and certain plays will be selected for reading in order to explain this further.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

A survey of Classical Greek literature, including a study of several important literary works from Homer to the late Classical period.

An overview of Icelandic literary history from the beginning to the end of the 19th century. Novelties and changes in Icelandic literature will be placed in context with contemporary currents in European literature.

: In this course, students will read works by several Russian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will examine literary movements and trends in Russian literature, as well as the social context in which they emerged. It will also explore the relationship between writers and political power in different periods, issues of censorship, and the influence of literature. Paintings and films related to the works will likewise be discussed when relevant. The teaching is based on lectures and class discussions.

The course deals with the history of German literature from the late 18th century to the early 20th century and aims at giving an overview of the most important literary currents in the period, from romanticism to socialist realism. On the reading list are, among others, works by Goethe, Novalis, Fontane, Rilke, Mann and Seghers. The main focus is on the novel, but short stories, essays and poems, as well as a number of secondary texts, will also be dealt with.

Anger is a prominent driving force and theme in literature and the arts from the very beginning of the Western cultural tradition. Anger is intertwined with the very nature of storytelling. In this course, we examine various examples of anger and place them in the context of theories from the study of emotions—ranging from the anger of Achilles to that of Donald Duck. Who is allowed to be angry? Why are they so angry, and what purpose does their anger serve in a cultural-historical context? A selection of works and scholarly texts dealing with anger, and with anger as a phenomenon, will be read.

The BA thesis is primarily intended to train students in researching a chosen topic within their field of study and presenting their findings in a well-structured academic text. Students write a BA thesis on a research topic of their own choice in consultation with their supervisor. The course coordinator assists students in selecting a supervisor if needed. Students are encouraged to meet with their supervisor and prepare an initial outline of the research project before the thesis semester begins.
The final thesis should demonstrate the student’s ability to work independently and academically, present material logically and systematically, analyse sources, and make use of scholarly resources (e.g., handbooks, dictionaries, or comparable online resources).
Students are encouraged to use the services of the University of Iceland Centre for Writing https://ritver.hi.is/en/center-writing, which offers support for academic writing. At the Centre for Writing, students can book consultations and receive advice on any issues related to academic essays, reports, and other written assignments.
Students are also advised to familiarise themselves with the University of Iceland guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence: https://gervigreind.hi.is/

See detailed rules regarding BA theses at the School of Humanities (in Icelandic only): https://ugla.hi.is/kerfi/view/page.php?sid=3544

This course will focus on the works of two female poets and pioneers in the writing of modernist literature in Iceland in the 20th century, Ásta Sigurðardóttir (1930–1971) and Svava Jakobsdóttir (1930–2004). Discussion will cover the reception of their works and their literary-historical context, the authors' lives and careers, and how their experiences and public images are reflected in their writings, as well as the influence of intellectual movements and social changes such as feminism and class struggle. The texts of Ásta and Svava will be compared, with attention paid to connections between their bodies of work and the elements that distinguish them, as well as their influence on other writers and the Icelandic literary field in the 21st century.

This is a survey course on the literature of the Middle East, and its literary history from the earliest period in Sumer up until the 21^st century.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

In this course, students will become acquainted with some of the masterpieces of French dramatic literature from the Renaissance to the present day. The return of tragedy in relation to war and civil conflict will be examined, as will the social relevance of comedy over time. Trends and movements in theatre will be examined, from the experimental theatre of the Renaissance, neoclassicism, revolutionary ideas in eighteenth and nineteenth-century theatre, and the avant-garde theatre of the twentieth century to the devised and/or research-based dramaturgy of today. Emphasis will be placed on the aesthetics and dramaturgy of plays, including the specificity of drama in verse. Entire plays or excerpts from works will be read in Icelandic or English translations by Garnier, Corneille, Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Musset, Beaumarchais, Hugo, Dumas, Feydeau, Anouilh, Sartre, Genet, Cixous, Koltès, Mouawad.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, but some of the course material will be in English. For students of French, an additional weekly class (40 min.) will be offered in French.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.