Module Information

This module explores a range of 21st-century texts that take their inspiration from medieval texts and culture. From Seamus Heaney’s oft-discussed translation of ‘Hwæt’ into ‘So’ in his Beowulf to Kazuo Ishiguro’s imagining of a post-Arthurian time of peace between Britons and Saxons, the Middle Ages have fostered a range of 21st-century medievalisms that articulate and explore the value and relevance of the medieval for early 21st-century culture and society. Between Heaney and Ishiguro, our journey through these medievalisms will have us accompany King Arthur to the gates of Rome, join a group of American tourists in Burma, witness a single mother struggle to raise her son in the hills above a US town, and get to know a range of British people—both contemporary and imagined-medieval—try desperately to negotiate the vagaries of life. These 21st-century medievalisms illustrate the continued currency and relevance of the Middle Ages, and in doing so they challenge us to reassess our beliefs and expectations.