Young German scholar Florian Deichl (Ludwig-Maxmilians-Universität München) will speak about the sinister figure of Hagen in the German medieval Song of the Nibelungs and try to uncover the origins of the human fascinations by so called “dark heroes”
The lecture is a part of the cycle Life and Biography in the Middle Ages.
Annotation:
The course aims to depict the forms and shapes of the genre of biography in the Middle Ages. It attempts to cover a broad spectrum of cultures and languages – Latin, Hebrew, Middle High German, Occitan, Old Norse or Balkan – and a full range of figures whose life medieval biography could depict: heathen and Christian kings, heroes, saints, Jesus as well as adventurers and dark heroes.
However, the course plans to offer more than an analysis and classification of biography subgenres and picturesque personalities. All the lectures should address the question of what was substantial in a human life for the medieval man, what gave it value and endowed it with meaning.
All the lectures and discussions will be in English, the lectures will be held by guest professors from foreign universities.