75361 - Women's Cultural Memory in Scandinavian Tradition

Learning outcomes

At the end of the classes the student will have theoretical and methodological instruments in order to know Nordic literatures. Nordic literatures it means literary expressions in Danish, Feroese, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish languages, from the very beginnings to the contemporary age. Due to the strong linguistic and cultural similitude, the classes will follow a comparatistic approach to Nordic literatures taking into account also other arts (painting, movie, music, etc.). The student will be able to know the most important social aspects of the Nordic culture which will be useful in a larger humanistic learning.

Course contents

2nd Semester: (Febraury - May 2016) 30 hours (6 CFU)

Icelandic contemporary literature: memory and future.

Iceland, remote island between Europe and America, plays a particular and autonomous role within the framework of the Nordic world, both from a linguistic and literary point of view. After the prestigious cultural medieval tradition, Icelandic literature seems to awaken only at the beginning of the twentieth century. On the road to independence, cultural identity, past and future are questioned. Tradition and modernity intermingle continuously in the works produced by writers and poets of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and the course will focus on this issue. After an anthropological and cultural introduction about Iceland, we will face some writers particularly significant within this path: Gunnar Gunnarsson, Halldór Laxness, Thor Vihljamsson, Jón Stefánsson Kalmann and poets (anthological choice) Sigurður Pálsson, Gurðir Elíasson, Sigurbjörg Þrastardóttir, Steinar Bragi, Vilborg Dagbjartsdóttir and Isak Harðarson.

Readings/Bibliography

Icelandic History and Literature of the 20th Century:

- Gianna Chiesa Isnardi, Storia e cultura della Scandinavia. Uomini e mondi del Nord, Milano, Bompiani, 2015, pp. 1030-1050; 1073-1085; 1156-1164; 1224-1231; 1276-1281;

Deisy Neijmann (ed.), A History of Icelandic Literature, Lincoln and London, University of Nebraska Press, 2006, pp. 357-362 e 376-380 (Gunnarsson); 371-374, 380-387, 404-411, 417-420 (Laxness); 421-423, 427-430 (Vilhjamsson)

Cultural Memory:

- Kirsten Hastrup, A Place Apart. An Anthropological Study of the Icelandic World, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1998

- Guðmundur Hálfdanarson, Collective Memory, History, and National Identity, in Astráður Eysteinsson, The Cultural Reconstruction of Places, Reykjavík, University of Iceland Press, 2006, pp. 83-100.

- Astráðrur Eysteinsson, Snæfellsjökull in the Distance, in Astráður Eysteinsson, The Cultural Reconstruction of Places, Reykjavík, University of Iceland Press, 2006, pp. 61-70

Literary Works:

 - Gunnar Gunnarsson, Navi sul cielo, Milano, Bompiani, 1943

- Halldór Laxness, Sotto il ghiacciaio, Milano, Iperborea, 2011

- Thor Vilhjálmsson, Il muschio grigio arde, Milano, Iperborea, 2002

- Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Luce d'estate ed è subito notte, Milano, Iperborea, 2013

- Silvia Cosimini (cur.),Tre poeti d'Islanda, in «In forma di parole», 3 (2005), pp. 17-19, 26-29, 46-47, 73-76, 106-109, 122-123, 126-127, 131-133, 138-143, 148-153, 156-159, 177-179.

- Silvia Cosimini (cur.),Altre voci islandesi, in «In forma di parole», 3 (2013), pp. 17-20, 34-35, 46-47, 49-51, 56-57, 60-63, 66-71, 84-85, 88-89, 91-93, 108-109, 120-121, 123-127.

- Sigurður Pálsson, È accogliente la mia casa, cur. Silvia Cosimini, Faenza, Mobydick, 2013, pp.27-37

Students no attending classes have to add:

- Jan Assmann, La memoria culturale, Torino, Einaudi, pp.5-58

- Raul Calzoni, Luoghi della memoria, in E. Agazzi, V. Fortunati, Memoria e saperi. Percorsi transdisciplinari, Roma, Meltemi, 2007, pp. 531-545

- Silvia Cosimini (cur.), Otto poeti islandesi del Novecento, in «Poesia», XIII (2000), n. 136 (febbraio), pp. 46-62

- Halldór Laxness, Gente indipendente, Milano, Iperborea, 2004

- Jón Kalman Stefánsson, I pesci non hanno gambe, Milano, Iperborea, 2015

Teaching methods

The course is structured as a seminar. Students are invited to participate actively to the lessons.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral interview. During the interview the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated . The student will be invited to discuss the texts covered during the course and to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information that will enable to illustrate the similarities and cultural areas of the discipline. The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence. Mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and / or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments; training gaps and / or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency. Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

During the course, some audiovisual material will be used. Teaching material will be posted on the web platform of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Zironi