HIS4121 – Medieval encounters with nature
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
Today, the relationship between humans and nature often appears one-sided - humans dominate and exploit nature, while nature "strikes back" through climate crises, pandemics, and natural disasters. But how did people in the past perceive their relationship with the natural world? Did they see nature as something to be controlled, feared, or respected?
This course explores these questions by examining a wide range of medieval sources (c. 500-1500). We will investigate how medieval people understood their place in nature by analysing depictions of landscapes, animals, plants, mountains, and oceans, as well as descriptions of natural disasters, disease outbreaks, storms, and droughts - moments when the human-nature relationship seemed to break down.
Through a close reading of medieval texts - including travel narratives, land descriptions, chronicles, legal codes, and medical writings - we will explore how medieval societies conceptualised the natural world and reacted to challenges. In doing so, we will also engage with modern scholarly perspectives, particularly ecocriticism, environmental, cultural, and intellectual history, to better understand how medieval attitudes toward nature continue to shape our world today.
Learning outcome
When you have completed this course you will be able to:
- contextualise and analyse a range of primary sources
- understand major trends in human-nature relations in the Middle Ages?
- understand and use subject-specific terms?
- formulate and articulate a position on a focused research question?
Admission to the course
The course is available to students accepted to Historie (master), Modern International and Transnational History (master), European History (master) and Incoming Exchange Students at Master Level at the Faculty of Humanities.
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with HIS2121 – Medieval encounters with nature.
Teaching
The course will be taught in twelve 2-hour seminars, designed to encourage active discussion and in-depth engagement with texts.?Attendance in class is expected and active participation is essential. Students are required to read the assigned texts in advance.
Compulsory assignment: To qualify for the exam, all students must submit an obligatory exposé (1 to 2 pages) on their intended term paper topic. The term paper will cover a topic that participants will choose, within the framework of the course. If accepted - subject to possible revision - the exposé will qualify participants for the final examination.
The teaching language is English, but students can submit written assignments in Norwegian if they want to.
Examination
The course is assessed by a term paper. Your paper must not exceed 4500 words, notes included. Attachments and/or bibliography are not included in the word count.???
Based on the exposé, students will tailor their topic and research question with the help of the lecturers
Heisemne Masters students - Each student must also independently identify 200 pp. of reading beyond the assigned readings to be included in the bibliography of your term paper.
Language of examination
Students can submit written assignments in Norwegian and English
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.