EN3116 The Mystery of Love: Sacred and Secular Themes in Late Medieval English Literature

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 9

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

Monday 1-3

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr R S Rohrhofer

Dr R S Rohrhofer
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Raphaela Rohrhofer

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module introduces students to the nuanced ways in which late medieval texts expressed and negotiated the emotion of love in all its complexity. How did authors imagine, understand, and communicate such universal experiences as falling in and out of love, true love, or the sorrow of unrequited feelings? How did they depict the joyful hopefulness of love at first sight, the intensity of romantic and sexual desire, or the transcendent heights of contemplative rapture? The diverse selection of texts and genres includes poetry, prose, and lyrics; it spans both sacred and secular literature, addressing a rich variety of authorial and readerly responses to the mystery of love. The study of these texts will be interdisciplinary, incorporating illuminated manuscripts, modern mindfulness, queer re-readings of seminal works, texts from the global Middle Ages (read in translation), perspectives from disability studies, and connections to medievalisms.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS EN2003

Assessment pattern

Coursework - 100%

Re-assessment

Coursework - 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

Two-hour seminar (x 10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours

40

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

260

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse Middle English poetry, prose, and lyrics using advanced close reading skills.
  • Develop research skills by engaging with primary and secondary sources, and present findings clearly and persuasively, both in written and oral formats.
  • Assess the ways in which late medieval literature reflects the social, cultural, religious, and historical constructs of love, and articulate how these concepts influenced later periods.
  • Synthesise perspectives from various academic fields, such as art history/manuscript studies/history of the book, disability studies, queer theory, and medievalism.
  • Compare and contrast the thought, literature, and artistic traditions from different parts of the world, identifying common themes and recognising the diversity of perspectives within the late medieval period.