We are looking for more contributors to two of our sessions sponsored by ASIMS for the International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo 2017. Prospective presenters can contact Dr James Lyttleton at jilyttleton@hotmail.com
‘The Life Course in Medieval Ireland’
Life is marked by various stages: birth, childhood, the coming of age, marriage, the raising of a family, old age and death. Although correlated with the biological processes of aging, each stage is also characterised by different kinds of knowledge, social roles, and symbolic meanings. The ways in which medieval society marked transitions between stages such as childhood with social rituals has recently become a topic of great interest to scholars, and this session shows how this cultural narrative of aging helped shape the everyday experience in medieval Ireland. Scholars in this session draw upon literary sources and material remains to provide insights and commentary on aspects of the life course in early and late medieval Ireland. This session will include contributions from the fields of history, literary studies, art history and archaeology, and will be chaired by Dr James Schryver (University of Miinesota, Morris).
Roundtable session ‘Pedagogical Approaches to Medieval Irish Studies’
As medieval studies and Irish studies become more popular at the university level, scholars teaching these courses draw on increasingly varied perspectives. We bring ideas into our classes inspired by archaeology, architecture, art history, literary studies and history, among many others. Courses can involve workshops, field trips, project based learning, and various ‘hands-on’ activities and assignments. These types of work build the students’ knowledge base, increase their understanding of the Middle Ages, and deliver a more enhanced learning experience. Digital humanities, building on the strengths of traditional scholarship, has also contributed to new ways of delivering course content. This roundtable session seeks to share various perspectives on teaching these subjects, including the incorporation of new pedagogical approaches in the classroom. This will be chaired by Dr James Lyttleton.
ASIMS is also co-sponsoring a session with The Heroic Age:
Echoes of Columbanus
Contact: Deanna Forsman North Hennepin Community College 7411 85th Ave. North Brooklyn Park, MN 55445 Phone: 763-488-0405 dforsman@nhcc.edu
The Irish ascetic Columbanus is the most famous example of the classic peregrinus: an individual who chooses a life of exile among foreigners as a form of religious devotion. Columbanus is also famous for his monastic establishments and Rule, as well as his interactions with royalty and the bishop of Rome. This session seeks to further explore the long-term influence of Columbanus in multiple venues. Papers will examine the influence of the Columbanian Rule on ascetic practice, the relationship between monastery and royalty, sources of spiritual authority, the practice of peregrinatio, etc.