SP 345: The Three Cultures of Medieval Spain
Spring 2011.
The main focus of this course is to explore a relevant cultural topic through the study of culture, literature, and other artistic manifestations. In this particular course you will explore and learn about Medieval and Golden Age Spain, with an emphasis on the three religious cultures that co-existed in that time period, their historical and cultural traditions, their lasting influence in Spanish culture, and the opportunities and challenges that the Spaniards of the Middle Ages and the Golden Age faced as a result of this interaction. Until now, you might not have realized that Spain also has a rich Muslim and Jewish history, that Jews were already living in the Iberian Peninsula –which they called Sepharad– even before Christianity arrived in those parts, and that Arabs, who inhabited the country for more than 800 years, refer to it as Al-Andalus. In fact, you might not even know that the first literary manifestations of the Spanish language were written in Hebrew and/or Arabic characters. As you might imagine, the co-existence of these three distinct religious and cultural groups was not always easy, but while there were many battles and struggles between them, there was also much room for cooperation, co-existence, and mutual tolerance. Among other important cultural topics we will examine the Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the year 711; the religious myths that were created in the northern Christian kingdoms; the role of the Jewish communities in the cities of medieval Spain; the Inquisition; etc... finishing with the expulsion of the Jews and moriscos from Spain in the Golden Age.
The main focus of this course is to explore a relevant cultural topic through the study of culture, literature, and other artistic manifestations. In this particular course you will explore and learn about Medieval and Golden Age Spain, with an emphasis on the three religious cultures that co-existed in that time period, their historical and cultural traditions, their lasting influence in Spanish culture, and the opportunities and challenges that the Spaniards of the Middle Ages and the Golden Age faced as a result of this interaction. Until now, you might not have realized that Spain also has a rich Muslim and Jewish history, that Jews were already living in the Iberian Peninsula –which they called Sepharad– even before Christianity arrived in those parts, and that Arabs, who inhabited the country for more than 800 years, refer to it as Al-Andalus. In fact, you might not even know that the first literary manifestations of the Spanish language were written in Hebrew and/or Arabic characters. As you might imagine, the co-existence of these three distinct religious and cultural groups was not always easy, but while there were many battles and struggles between them, there was also much room for cooperation, co-existence, and mutual tolerance. Among other important cultural topics we will examine the Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the year 711; the religious myths that were created in the northern Christian kingdoms; the role of the Jewish communities in the cities of medieval Spain; the Inquisition; etc... finishing with the expulsion of the Jews and moriscos from Spain in the Golden Age.
