Around the sacred. Sacred space in French medieval secular literature 3304-2DXW-WM-WS-OG

The lecture will be devoted to various forms of interpenetration of secular and sacred elements in French medieval literature. We will talk about comic profanation of the carnival type in fabliaux, about religious representations of sacrilegium sin as the greatest transgression, and about the ambiguous role of sacred motifs in court literature, where they can emphasize the idealized image of love, but also be the subject of mockery. We will discuss with particular attention the scenes in which some element of secular life (most often related to sexuality or food) enters various sacred spaces (hermitage, monastery, cemetery, church). We will consider the literary goal of these transgressions and the attitude of contemporary society towards the sacred.

Type of course

general courses

Course coordinators

Agata Sobczyk

Learning outcomes

After completing the lecture, the student
1. has in-depth knowledge of the processes taking place in the areas of culture, language and literature;

2. Has the ability to distinguish between concepts and research postulates discussed during the lecture;

3. has an orderly, broad knowledge of the history of French literature;

4. has in-depth knowledge of cultural institutions and phenomena in French culture.

Assessment criteria

Obligatory presence

Final test

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3304-2DXW-WM-WS-OG in USOSweb