Norway and the world c.800-1550

The elective course may be taken as a singular course, or as part of a bachelor's degree. Offered to foreign and Norwegian students with an interest in Norwegian and Nordic histories and medieval history. As an elective for minors, it is relevant for students of religion, archaeology and other humanistic disciplines.

Norway's medieval history is one of exploration and engagement with the outside world. Storming upon the European scene in the late-eighth century, Norwegian raiders first instilled Christian observers in Britain and Continental Europe with a deep fear and resentment of those heathens from the north. Yet in the wake of those attacks emerged new avenues for contact and cultural transfer that drew Norway into the fabric of medieval European society. This course introduces students to the history of Norway as a European kingdom, delineating the cultural and political avenues by which Norwegians engaged with their neighbours from c.800 to c.1550. We begin with Norway's development a Viking stronghold, examining how Norwegian raiders shaped the cultural and political landscape of Britain and the North Atlantic. We will then examine the processes by which Norwegians accepted the common faith and ecclesiastic structures of Catholic Church, before addressing Norway's integration into the trans-regional commercial networks of Northern Europe. We will also study Norway's rise as a powerful and expanding power with a vast overseas realm in the thirteenth century, and its decline in the shadow of its Scandinavian neighbours in the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth. We will also gain insights into contemporary perceptions of Norway by looking at how the country and its inhabitants were portrayed by European medieval observers.

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student has:

- Knowledge Norway's relations with Europe in the Middle Ages.

- Knowledge of historiographic debates relating to medieval Norway in Europe.

- Knowledge of avenues for cultural transfer (e.g. religion, art, literature)

- Knowledge of Norway's expansion and authority in the North Atlantic

- Knowledge of Norway's relative economic and political decline.

Skills

The student is able to / can:

- Analyse secondary and selected primary sources and draw their own conclusions.

- Present and discuss events and processes in their historical contexts.

- Present and discuss different viewpoints on the same historical events.

- Present findings and arguments in written academic format.

This course consists of lectures and seminars, with meetings once per week, for a total teaching time of at least 30 hours. Seminars are scheduled every fourth week and are used to discuss central themes discussed in lectures and to provide opportunity for student presentations.

In addition to these meetings, students also receive mid-term supervision relating to their first assignment.

Language of instruction and examination

This course is available for inbound exchange students. There are no academic prerequisites to add this module in your Learning Agreement.

Do you have questions about this course? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: INBOUND STUDENT MOBILITY: COURSE COORDINATORS AT THE FACULTIES | UiT

More info about the coursework requirements

Coursework requirement:

The following coursework requirements must be completed and approved in order to take the final exam:

(either) an individual written assignment (c. 6 pages, 12pt., 1,5 space), to be complete and submitted within one week of assignment.

(or) group project consisting of an in-class presentation (c. 15 min) and a single written report (c. 10 pages, 12pt, 1,5 space). Up to 3 students can work together.

The coursework requirement will be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

Re-sit examination