Who was Siegfried and why does he matter?
This course studies changing notions of German identity and nationhood by exploring a foundational myth of the German nation: the life and death of the hero Siegfried the Dragonslayer. We read the medieval works from Scandinavia and Germany (Volsungasaga; Nibelungenlied); explore excerpts of Richard Wagner’s operas known as the Ring cycle and Fritz Lang’s famous silent movie from 1924; study fascist appropriations of the legend in the twentieth century; and end by considering contemporary appropriations of this material in movies, comics, plays, and paintings.
This course is being taught by our newest professor, Dr. Ann Marie Rasmussen, an expert in medieval studies and the holder of the Diefenbaker Memorial Chair in German Literary Studies.
The course, which has the number GER 298, will be taught in English, and there are no prerequisites. For more information please contact Katja Czarnecki.