LTWL 172 Parzival and the Grail Oral Reports
These reports are designed to help illuminate specific historical or cultural elements in our readings.  The questions below are designed to help you see what I had in mind when I set up the topics.  Two excellent reference tools that you may want to consult for the report are The Dictionary of the Middle Ages (SSH Reference Stacks D114.D5 1982) and Bumke, Courtly Culture:  Literature and Society in the High Middle Ages. Additional references are also suggested below. Topics are assigned on a first come, first served basis.  Look over the topics, make sure the report date will work for you and then send me an email (llampert@ucsd.edu) before our next class meeting on Jan. 12.  After that date Oral Report topics will be assigned by me.   Reports should be 12-15 min. maximum.  You will be evaluated on the quality of the research you present and the organization, clarity and effective communication of the overall presentation. 

Thurs., Jan 19:  Medieval Food and Drink
When Parzival arrives at Pelrapeire the city is under siege and its residents are badly undernourished.  Condwiramurs and her company do their best to show him hospitality, but the narrator lets us know that they cannot host him in typical style.  What would typical meals have been like for nobles?  For ordinary people?  For feast days? 

Tues. Jan. 24: Medieval Dress
Part of the splendor of the Grail Castle comes from the wonderful garments worn by the inhabitants.  They are created from the most sumptuous fabrics from Arabia and Nineveh and are of elegant style.  What sorts of garments might members of Wolfram’s audience have imagined when they were hearing these described?  What sorts of clothes and materials were people wearing in his time?

Tues., Jan. 26: The Legend of the Round Table
In Book 6, Parzival is once again in the midst of Arthur’s court and there is reference to the Round Table.  Of course, the fame of the Round Table lives on today, but where did this legend start?  What were its medieval meanings?

Tues., Jan. 31: Childhood/adolescence
In Book 7, Gawain becomes the champion of the young girl, Obilot, despite the fact that she cannot really be his lady.  How old do you think Obilot is?  What is the age of adulthood in this period and how are little girls viewed?

Thurs. Feb. 1:  Chess
In Book 8, Gawain and Antikonie defend themselves in a tower by hurling oversize chess pieces at those who threaten them.  What might a medieval audience have imagined here?  What is the status of chess in medieval Western Europe?  Who played it and what are its origins? 

Tues., Feb. 7:  The Templars
In Book 9, a grail knight is referred to as a templar (page 239).  Who were the Knights Templar?  What was their role in the period of the Crusades?

Thurs. Feb. 9:  Report on the Courtly Lady There are many strong female characters in Parzival.  What do we know about the lives of medieval noble women?  How do representations and ideals reflect what we know of actual historical conditions?

Tues., Feb. 14:  Castles
In Book 12, Gawain’s adventures have led him to the Castle of Marvels.  How does this castle compare to castles that Wolfram might have known? 

Tues. Feb. 21:  Medieval performance: Music.  Much medieval poetry was performed or read aloud.  What are the connections between medieval poetic and musical performance and how might this affect our understanding of Parzival?

Thurs. Feb.23:  Astrology
In Book 15, Cundrie recites the names of the planets in Arabic.  How might this have been received by Wolfram’s audience?  Where might he have learned these names?  How did people conceive of the heavens in his time? 

Tues. Feb. 28: Celtic Roots of Arthurian Myth
The Mabinogion and the tale of Peredur shine a light on the theory that Arthurian myth has its root in Celtic mythology.  One of the main scholarly proponents of this theory was the scholar Roger Sherman Loomis.  What are his theories about these Celtic origins?

Tues. Mar. 6:  Malory
Malory is the great conduit of Arthurian myth for the Anglophone tradition. Who was he?  What are the scholarly theories surrounding his identity and his works?