Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 20 x 1 Hour Lectures |
| Seminar | 6 x 1 Hour Seminars |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 2,500 word essay | 50% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours (1 x 2 hour exam) | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 2,500 word supplementary (resit) essay | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours 1 x 2 hour supplementary (resit) examination | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of key developments in Welsh society, politics and economy in the Middle Ages.
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of historical arguments regarding Welsh history from the time of the Normans to Glyndŵr.
Demonstrate an understanding of primary and secondary sources relating to Wales in the Middle Ages.
Demonstrate an ability to analyse and deploy relevant historical evidence to produce appropriate arguments relating to medieval Welsh history
Aims
The aim of the module is to allow students to study in depth a key period in Welsh history when the country was greatly changed by the arrival of the Normans, attacks by English kings and attempts by Welsh princes to unite the country politically. Students will have an opportunity to engage with key sources from the period. The module is one of the Department’s second-year option modules.
Brief description
The now ruined Welsh castles of Edward I are a powerful reminder of an age of conquest and power struggle, which lasted for centuries. Beginning with the Norman Conquest of England and the arrival of Norman settlers in Wales in the eleventh century, discussing the rise and fall of the native princes and ending with Owain Glyndŵr’s revolt in the fifteenth century, this module aims to introduce this period of conflict and coexistence which shaped and re-shaped medieval Wales and its people. Questions of national identity will be addressed in the light of the transformation of medieval Wales during the centuries of unrest and settlement, and these issues will be further illustrated with examples from medieval Welsh prose and poetry (in translation). By assessing the interaction between Welsh society and others through politics, trade and war, the situation of medieval Wales will be set into the wider European context.
Content
1. Introduction: assessing the evidence – medieval sources
2. The arrival of the Normans
3. Normans and princes: the struggle for supremacy
4. The Normans in Wales: influence and effect
5. The Lord Rhys
6. Llywelyn the Great
7. Llywelyn the Last
8. Edward I and Wales
9. Visit to the National Library
10. Economy and society
11. Church and religion
12. Culture
13. Seeking the silent majority?
14. Wales after the conquest (i): tension and conflict
15. Wales after the conquest (ii): coexistence
16. Owain Glyndwr (i): support and opposition
17. Owain Glyndwr (ii): consequences
18. Conclusions
SEMINARS
1. Normans and princes: a divided Wales?
2. The two Llywelyns: forming a Welsh state?
3. Wales and the continent: an international society?
4. The Glyndŵr Rebellion: a national rebellion?
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework. |
| Information Technology | Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths. |
| Problem solving | Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays. |
| Research skills | Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students will develop the ability to analyse sources relevant to the period and field as well as the ability to deal critically with the secondary literature. |
| Team work | Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5