Medieval Literature Courses and Certifications

Beowulf Study Guide

Master Beowulf: explore its historical context, translations, literary devices, characters and setting, key quotations, and chapter-by-chapter analysis of the Old English epic.

• Study.com
• 13 hours 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

The Canterbury Tales Study Guide

Explore The Canterbury Tales through tale-by-tale analysis of its literary context, devices, characters, quotes, and summaries.

• Study.com
• 21 hours 20 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

The Medieval Icelandic Sagas

24 ratings at edX

Learn about the Icelandic Sagas, the characteristic literary genre of Medieval Iceland comprising roughly 40 texts.

• edX
• 6 weeks, 2-3 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Free Online Course (Audit)

King Arthur: History and Legend

120 ratings at The Great Courses Plus

Uncover the richness of the Arthurian tradition from the Middle Ages to the 21st century in this wide-ranging and fascinating survey of Arthurian literature and art.

• The Great Courses Plus
• 12 hours 4 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Trial Available

Old English Literature: Language as History

44 ratings at The Great Courses Plus

Explore how Old English literature reveals the languages, cultures, beliefs, and history of early medieval Britain.

• The Great Courses Plus
• 12 hours 42 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Trial Available

Introduction to Dante's Paradise - Cantos I and II

Explore Dante's Paradise through its cosmic structure, guides, and poetic journey. Delve into theological concepts, mythological references, and the transformative power of divine light and love.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 15 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Old English and Beowulf - Spring 2023

Dive into Old English grammar and literature, from basic pronunciation to reading Beowulf, through intensive study of Anglo-Saxon language fundamentals and epic poetry translation.

• YouTube
• 4 hours 14 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Old Norse Mythology in the Sources

374 ratings at Coursera

Read the Vikings' gods in their own texts: study the Poetic Edda, Snorri's Edda, Saxo, and runic inscriptions to meet Odin, Thor, Loki, Freyr and Freyja.

• Coursera
• 4 weeks, 2 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

Ancient Masterpieces of World Literature

39 ratings at edX

Examine how cultures of the ancient world defined themselves through literature and how their vision of literature contributes to our understanding of civilization, culture, and literature today.

• edX
• 6 weeks, 3-6 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Free Online Course (Audit)

Old English and Beowulf

Learn Old English grammar from short prose texts, then translate Anglo-Saxon poems and passages of Beowulf, covering pronunciation, the case system, verbs, and syntax.

• MIT OpenCourseWare
• Self-Paced
• Free Online Course

Dante's Paradise: The Final Cantos and Beatific Vision - Lecture 23

1 rating

A close reading of Dante’s final cantos, tracing the ascent into the Empyrean, the farewell to Beatrice, and the poet’s struggle to describe the divine vision.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 8 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Dante's Inferno: Cantos XIX, XXI, XXV, and XXVI - Prophecy, Sacrilege, and Poetic Hubris

Examines how Dante’s treatment of simony, prophecy, poetic hubris, and Ulysses dramatizes the risks of his poetic vocation in Inferno.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 11 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Dante's Divine Comedy

153 ratings at The Great Courses Plus

Join two gifted teachers as they share the fruit of two lifetimes' worth of historical and literary expertise in this introduction to one of the greatest works ever written.

• The Great Courses Plus
• 12 hours 12 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Trial Available

Great Minds of the Medieval World

64 ratings at The Great Courses Plus

Go beyond the typical philosophy course and explore the most fascinating minds of the Middle Ages, including great philosophers, prolific writers, and cultural movers.

• The Great Courses Plus
• 12 hours 5 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Trial Available

After the Plague

34 ratings at The Great Courses Plus

Using Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales as a portal, examine how the Black Death transformed medieval Europe and its people.

• The Great Courses Plus
• 10 hours 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Trial Available