GERMAN 285 A: Representation and Diversity

CHID  250/ GERMAN 285/ GLITS  252                                                              Dr. Annegret Oehme

Winter 2026                                                                                                                oehme@uw.edu

Lee Paul Sieg Hall 224

WeFr 11:30-12:50                                                                    

Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-3pm, Thursdays 1-2pm

Sign-up: https://oehme.youcanbook.me/

Medieval Monsters

Course Description

From werewolves to unicorns and dragons, this course explores how medieval and early modern cultures defined and blurred the boundaries of what it means to be human through monsters. Drawing on texts like Pliny’s Natural History, the biblical books of Daniel and Revelation, medieval short stories and romances, as well as visual sources including bestiaries, maps, and apocalyptic paintings, students will examine how race, religion, and power were expressed through monstrous bodies. The course encourages students to think critically about cultural difference, hybridity, and moral allegory, while also engaging creatively with premodern materials. Students will gain experience in visual analysis, collaborative research, and public-facing digital scholarship. In the final weeks, students will reflect on what it means for monstrosity to symbolize not only fear and otherness but also political critique and imaginative potential.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Identify key types of medieval and early modern monsters and analyze their cultural meanings.
2. Explain how monstrosity intersects with religion, gender, and political power in premodern Europe.
3. Conduct independent research using primary texts and visual sources and present findings clearly and persuasively.

Readings

Reader available at EZ Copy N Print; 4336 University Wy NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

All readings are available in English.

Requirements and Grading

In addition to reading and preparing all material for each module, each student is expected to:

• Participate in class discussions and activities
• Complete all of the assignments described below

Your course grade will be calculated in the following way:

• Canvas assignments (Quizzes, discussions, collaborative readings): 30%
• Projects
  • Meet the Monster 20%
  • The Monster Returns 25%
  • Beasts at the Burke 25%

Project Assignments

• Meet the Monster: Working in small groups, students will invent an original monster grounded in a premodern context. Drawing on the readings and discussions, each group will create a visual and narrative profile that reflects the fears, values, and boundaries. This project will help students understand how monstrous figures express social and cultural anxieties and will develop skills in collaborative interpretation and creative synthesis.
• The Monster Returns: Building on their invented creature, student teams will design a physical or digital artifact, such as a bestiary entry, map, or game, that places their monster within a cultural or historical context. Each team will present their artifact to the class, reflecting on how their monster has been reimagined or misunderstood over time. This project will help students explore the afterlives of medieval monstrosity and consider how representation influences meaning across different media and periods.
• Beasts at the Burke: During an individual visit to the Burke Museum, students will assume the role of medieval naturalists, observing fossils and animal specimens through a premodern lens. Each student will compose a short “monstrous description” in the style of a bestiary or travel narrative, paired with a reflection on how modern science and medieval imagination define the boundaries of the natural and the strange. This project will help students connect medieval natural history to modern scientific display and recognize how the concept of monstrosity depends on cultural perspective. Note: UW Students have free entry to the Burke.

Schedule

1. Week: January 7^th / January 9^th

Wednesday: Introduction

Friday: Monster Theses

Read: Cohen, Jeffrey J. “Monster Culture (Seven Theses).” In Monster Theory: Reading Culture. University of Minnesota Press, 1996, pp. 3–25.

2. Week: January 14^th / January 16^th

Wednesday: Pliny 

Read: Urbanski, Charity. “Monster Theory and Monstrous Races.” In Medieval Monstrosity. Routledge, 2023, pp. 22–27.

Friday: Isidore of Seville

Read: Urbanski, Charity. “Monster Theory and Monstrous Races.” In Medieval Monstrosity. Routledge, 2023, 29–33.

Quiz (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

3. Week: January 21^st / January 23^rd

Wednesday: Monstrous Races/ Medieval Maps  

Read: Wright, Alexa. “Monstrous Strangers at the Edge of the World.” In The Monster Theory Reader. University of Minnesota Press, 2020, pp. 173-191.

Friday: Duke Ernst I

Read: The Legend of Duke Ernst. Trans. with intro. by J. W. Thomas and Carolyn Dussère. University of Nebraska Press, 1979, pp. 86–103.

4. Week: January 28^th / January 30^th

Wednesday: Duke Ernst II

Read: The Legend of Duke Ernst. Trans. with intro. by J. W. Thomas and Carolyn Dussère. University of Nebraska Press, 1979, pp. 103–126.

Friday: Bestiaries

Quiz (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

Burke Museum (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

5. Week: February 4^th/ February 6^th

Wednesday: Dragons I

Read: “Dragon,” Bestiary Sources

Friday: Dragons II

Read: “Saint Margaret,” “Saint George,” Golden Legend

6. Week: February 11^th/ February 13^th

Wednesday: Unicorns I

Read: “Unicorn,” Bestiary Sources

Friday: Unicorns II

Read: “Saint Justina,” Golden Legend

Quiz (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

7. Week: February 18^th/ February 20^th

Wednesday: No Class

Friday: Meet the Monster Presentations

8. Week: February 25^th/ February 27^th

Wednesday: Werewolves I (online)

Read:   Selections Volsunga saga

            Summary Volsunga Saga

Friday: Werewolves  II

Read: Marie de France, “Bisclavret”

Quiz (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

9. Week: March 4^th/ March 6^th

Wednesday: Werwolves  III

Read: Werewolf Mayse

Friday: Daniel

Read: Bible, “Book of Daniel,” Ch. 7, 1-28.

10.  Week: March 11^th/ March 13^th

Wednesday: Apocalypse

Read:  Bible, “Revelation,” Ch. 12-13

Friday: Project Presentations

Quiz (Due Sunday, 11:59 pm)

Participation and Classroom Environment

The success of this class relies on your shared thoughts and questions. Don’t hesitate to share your insights with everyone – this classroom is a space for discussion and learning together. To ensure success and create a safe environment for all, all discussions should be conducted in a respectful and professional manner. Diverse experiences and perspectives are valued in our classroom. I aim to present material in a respectful way regarding gender, sexuality, disability, socioeconomic status, age, culture, ethnicity, race, and disability. Let’s work together to create a welcoming and respectful learning environment. By participating in this class, you agree to help maintain this classroom as a safe space for everyone. Discriminatory or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated. 

Screen policy

No laptops, phones, or tablets until prompted (except for DRS accommodations).
Exception: e-ink or tablet note-taking devices may be used for handwriting only.
Once I signal “screens on,” feel free to open laptops or devices for activities or research.

Disability Accommodations

UW is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for all students. If you have documented physical, psychological, or learning disabilities on file with UW, you may be eligible for reasonable academic accommodations to help you succeed in this course. If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, please notify me within the first two weeks of the quarter so that I may make appropriate arrangements early in the semester. (Additionally, if you have not done so, please register with DRS http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs).

Religious Accommodation

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).

Communication and Office Hours

• Communication that is class-related should happen via the Canvas conversation tool (use the link on the side of your Canvas link called “Inbox”). I will try to respond to your messages within 24 hours of receipt during the week. If you email me on Friday afternoon, I may not be able to respond until Monday.
• I will communicate with you via Canvas and Email. Please set your notifications on your account accordingly to get notified about important messages!
• Set up an office hour meeting with Prof. Oehme with the reason for your through https://oehme.youcanbook.me

Academic Integrity

In a case of plagiarism or cheating, I will report the case and follow UW’s procedures.