The Invention of Modern Love (MLF3006)

15 credits

Every love song, rom-com and gender debate of the modern era has its origins in the dazzling songs of the troubadours. The troubadours were poets who composed in Occitan over a period of about two hundred years, from 1100 to 1300. The body of work they created, which was read and imitated all over Europe, had a profound influence on the development of Western literature and culture, feeding into debates on the nature of desire and the limits of good behaviour. Prior knowledge of Occitan is NOT required; English translations of primary texts will be provided. This MLF-coded module is also open to students not taking French, and may especially suit those studying other Romance languages.