CJA042 Czech Literature from the Beginnings to the 18th century I

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2009
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Hana Bočková, Dr. (lecturer)
Mgr. Vladimíra Maroušková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Andrea Procházková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jitka Rejhonová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Michaela Soleiman pour Hashemi, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jiří Kudrnáč, CSc.
Department of Czech Literature – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Eva Zachová
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Main aims of the course are:
- to introduce problems of the study of old Czech literature;
- to acquire the basic knowledge concerning literary history of that period, development of the genre system and functions of old Czech literature;
- to become familiar with an essential amount of scientific literature and its methods;
- to become familiar with interpretative methods suitable for an analysis of old literature;
- to apply acquired knowledge and skills on the creation of own scientific texts.
The contents of the seminars are readings and interpretations of the selected works, included in the period of old Czech literature. By dealing with the particular texts the students should learn the features of this wide period of Czech literature, the features of the various works and the principles of their formation. The particular texts are chosen with regards to several aspects: the chronological aspect (9th – 18th century: literature of the Middle Ages, literature of Hussite period, Humanism literature and Baroque literature, plus proposals of possible periodization); the genre aspect (hagiography, historiography, lyric poetry, epos, medieval dispute, play, tractate, travels, hymnography, homiletics etc.); the linguistic aspect (works originally written in old Slavonic language, Latin and German will be read in Czech translantions) and the functional aspect (spiritual and secular literature, satirical works, scientific and scholarly works, didactic works, amusing works etc.) The works should be perceived and interpreted on the basis of the period aesthetic norms and cultural and historic context. A part of the seminar programme is devoted to the compulsory reading. - At the end of this course students are able to: • understand the development of early Czech literature and explain its transformations; • use the information about the genre system of early Czech literature; • deduce the characteristics of works which are not in the syllabus in relation to their basic characteristics and categorization; • interpret a selected extract of an early Czech text on the basis of the general knowledge of its particularities.
Syllabus
  • prof.Hashemi (Horáková): 1. Basic specific features of old Czech literature in comparison with modern literature (especially an allegoric approach to the representation of reality), the Bible as a source and inspiration.
  • 2. The genre system in Middle Ages.
  • 3. Old Slavic literature and its specific features, "Kosmas'Chronicle".
  • 4. Love lyrics in the Middle Ages.
  • 5. Gallant epics in the Middle Ages
  • 6. Satire in the Middle Ages;
  • 7.-10. The genre system of literary renaissance/humanism (early, generalised and popularised humanism)
  • 11-13. The genre system of baroque literature (early, high and last phases of baroque literature)
  • 14. The basic works of Czech baroque poetry; the systemisation of acquired information.
  • PhDr. V. Maroušková: Key texts of old Czech literature will be examined on the basis of genre groups. After a short description of the genre, the seminar work will be focused on analyses of selected texts, which will illustrate characteristic features of the genre in the context of old Czech literature. 1. The tradition of Cyril and Methodius 2. Hagiography 3. Chronicle. 4. Spiritual poetry 5. Courtoasy 6. Medieval dispute 7. Hussite movement 8. Unity of Brethern 9. Baroque spiritual poetry 10. Jan Amos Comenius 11. Baroque prose, especially preaching.
  • Mgr. J.Rejhonová: The concept of the old Czech literature. Proposals of periodization. The general features of the works (anonymousness, imitativeness, incompleteness of the texts, questions of titles). Selection and interpretation of the texts which represent a particular period. 1. a medieval hagiography; 2. a medieval chronicle; 3. medieval secular love poetry; 4. a medieval secular epic work; 5. a medieval play; 6. a medieval dispute; 7. literature of the Hussite period (tendentious works); 8. Humanism literature (“information boom“); 9. Renaissance amusing works; 10. Jan Amos Comenius – turn of Renaissance and Baroque and the exile literature; 11. Baroque spiritual poetry; 12 Baroque preaching (including Baroque patriotism)
Literature
  • ECO, Umberto. Umění a krása ve středověké estetice. Translated by Zdeněk Frýbort. Vydání druhé. Praha: Argo, 2007, 227 stran. ISBN 9788072038923. info
  • PETRŮ, Eduard. Zrcadlo skutečnosti :kniha o středověké, renesanční a barokní parodii. Vyd. 1. Praha: ISV, 2002, 171 s. ISBN 80-85866-90-0. info
  • Česká literatura od počátků k dnešku. Edited by Jan Lehár - Alexandr Stich. Praha: Lidové noviny, 2000, 559 s. ISBN 80-7106-285-5. info
  • NECHUTOVÁ, Jana. Latinská literatura českého středověku do roku 1400. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2000, 368 pp. ISBN 80-7021-305-1. info
  • HORÁKOVÁ, Michaela. Literatura. 1, Výklad, interpretace, literární teorie (Literature I). 2., upravené vyd. Praha: Scientia, 2000, 191 pp. edice pro střední školy. ISBN 80-7183-194-8. info
  • HORÁKOVÁ, Michaela. Literatura I. Výbor textů. Interpretace. Literární teorie (Literature I. Commentary, Interpretation, Literary theory). 2. vydání. Praha: Scientia, 1999, 262 pp. edice pro střední školy. ISBN 80-7183-155-7. info
  • KOLÁR, Jaroslav. Návraty bez konce : studie k starší české literatuře. Edited by Lenka Jiroušková. Vyd. tohoto souboru 1. Brno: Atlantis, 1999, 358 s. ISBN 8071081906. info
  • KOPECKÝ, Milan. Nic stálého přítomného : k literárnímu baroku. Vyd. 1. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1999, 145 s. ISBN 8021022272. URL info
  • CURTIUS, Ernst Robert. Evropská literatura a latinský středověk. Vyd. 1. Praha: Triáda, 1998, 738 s. ISBN 80-86138-07-0. info
  • PETRŮ, Eduard. Vzdálené hlasy :studie o starší české literatuře. Olomouc: Votobia, 1996, 443 s. ISBN 80-7198-162-1. info
  • VAŠICA, Josef. České literární baroko : příspěvky k jeho studiu [Vašica, 1995]. Vyd. 2. [Brno]: Atlantis, 1995, 349 s. ISBN 80-7108-123-X. info
  • GALÍK, Josef. Panorama české literatury :(literární dějiny od počátků do současnosti). Edited by Lubomír Machala - Eduard Petrů. 1. vyd. Olomouc: Rubico, 1994, 547 s. ISBN 80-85839-04-0. info
  • Česká středověká lyrika. Edited by Jan Lehár. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1990, 406 s. ISBN 807021015X. info
  • KOPECKÝ, Milan. Český humanismus. Praha: Melantrich, 1988. info
  • ŠKARKA, Antonín. Půl tisíciletí českého písemnictví. Edited by Emanuel Macek - Pavel Spunar - Jan Lehár. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1986, 502 s. URL info
  • LEHÁR, Jan. Nejstarší česká epika : Dalimilova kronika, Alexandreida, první veršované legendy. Translated by Rudolf Mertlík. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1983, 230 s. URL info
  • PETRŮ, Eduard. Zašifrovaná skutečnost : deset otázek a odpovědí na obranu literární medievalistiky. V Ostravě: Profil, 1972, 162 s. URL info
  • VILIKOVSKÝ, Jan. Písemnictví českého středověku. Vydání první. V Praze: Universum, 1948, 255 stran. URL info
Teaching methods
The method of the course is based on work with texts – explication, reading, interpretation and discussion.
Assessment methods
For obtaining a credit students have to write a seminar paper. Requirements for taking an exam are obtaining the credit and passing a discussion about books from the reading list.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: Seminář souvisí s doporuč. přednáškou Vybrané kapitoly ze st. čes. lit. Na sem. navazuje St. č. lit. II. Celý kurs je zakončen zkouškou.
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 1998, Autumn 1999, Autumn 2000, Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2010.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2009, recent)
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