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HHC372
Monarchy: Ancient and Medieval
This thematic module explores the institution of monarchy in the ancient and medieval periods. It will address a number of overlapping questions, and take a concerted comparative approach toward comparing the nature of kingship in both eras. What made a king a king? How did a monarch interact with his (or her) subjects? How was royal power reflected in the palaces and buildings constructed by monarchs? Could queens exercise power in the same way as kings? The module draws on modern theoretical observations about monarchy and explores specific examples from across the ancient and medieval world from the Achaemenid kings of Persia and Alexander the Great, to the Carolingians and the monarchs of the new Latin kingdoms founded during the expansion of Europe after 1000, with examples along the way from Egypt and Rome. Students will develop the skills required to work with a range of primary evidence including royal inscriptions, monuments and art, coins, archaeological remains, political treatises, administrative and legal texts, and manuscript illuminations. Students will also gain expertise in modern scholarship on the subject, engaging with key modern debates on the nature of kingship in the ancient and medieval epochs. Ultimately, the module will give students a framework for assessing monarchy which can be applied productively to monarchy in any period of history.
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HIH237
The Practice of History
The purpose of the module is to encourage you to think more deeply about how historians work and, in particular, about how we as historians can locate and use primary historical sources effectively as a means of interpreting and understanding the past. During the module we will learn about the survival of historical evidence, how it is organised and made accessible to historians to undertake their research, and how to effectively locate and interpret it in your studies. We will consider how the process of doing historical research changes over time, in particular with the impact of recent developments like digitization.
At the core of the module will be the work you undertake with others in your seminar group using a range of primary sources which your seminar tutor will introduce to you. As part of the module assessment you will also undertake your own primary source based research project using items from these collections. The module is designed strengthen your analytical skills and to help prepare you for the more extensive uses of primary evidence which you will encounter in final year special subjects and dissertation.
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HIH3300
History Dissertation
The History dissertation is a free-standing, 40-credit module that runs across both semesters of Level Three. Candidates conduct research upon a subject of their choice, devised in consultation with a member of staff teaching for the degrees in History, and concerning a topic that falls within staff research and teaching interests.
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HIH3353
The First Crusade: Devotion, Piety and Power in the Latin Christian World
This Special Subject focuses on the rich corpus of primary source material available for studying the First Crusade (1095-99). By any reckoning, the First Crusade was a seminal event in world history. It inaugurated the brand of Christian Holy War known as the crusades, and resulted in the establishment of a Latin presence in the Holy Land that lasted for two centuries. The success of the First Crusade astounded medieval observers, and a wealth of sources relating to the expedition were produced by contemporaries and near-contemporaries. Students who take this Special Subject will carry out a close reading of a range of primary sources; these will include letters sent by popes and participants in the crusade, charters drawn up by crusaders as they prepared to depart, and narrative histories of the expedition, including several written by participants. Particular focus will be paid to the anonymous Gesta Francorum (`The Deeds of the Franks¿), the earliest and most influential chronicle account of the First Crusade.
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HIH396
From Machiavelli to Mussolini: Government and Society in Western Political Thought
This module offers a guide to the history of ideas on government and society which continue to influence political thought and action in the 21st century. The lectures will start by looking at the origins of democratic thinking in Athens, 5th Century BC, and will then give a brief account of medieval political thought and the impact of Christian-Muslim encounters. The main part of the course will deal with modern ideas on government as developed by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, the political authors of the Enlightenment and American Revolution, and Marx and Lenin. The final part will focus on the Italian and German national socialists' assault on the liberal state and Western democratic tradition. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss a representative selection from the 'classics' of Western political thought and reflect on their contemporary political relevance. As will be shown, some of today's best-known early modern texts on the nature of state power were misinterpreted by contemporaries and brought into disrepute by fascist ideologues who claimed them in defence of dictatorship.
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HIMD00
Medieval Studies Dissertation
The Medieval Studies dissertation gives you the opportunity to pursue a substantial research project in a subject of your own choosing. Under the supervision of a specialist in the field, and using the materials you created in the Research Folder module, you will develop advanced research skills and expert subject knowledge. The module encourages independent study while supporting you in constructing coherent and persuasive arguments, communicating complex ideas effectively, and engaging critically with medieval scholarship. Completing this dissertation will not only deepen your knowledge of medieval history but also prepare you for postgraduate research or professional applications.
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HIMM00
Reading Medieval Manuscripts
Medieval manuscript sources are crucial to our understanding of the Middle Ages. Research across the disciplines of medieval studies is grounded in the study and use of medieval books and documentary sources. This module aims to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage with original manuscript sources of various types, from early Anglo-Saxon Gospel books to medieval chronicles, from illustrated books of hours to critical legal documents. Students will engage with these sources via digital and printed images and full-scale printed facsimiles, learning to recognise and transcribe medieval hands from all periods. Students will be given the chance to read original manuscripts during a visit to the West Glamorgan Archive Service (Swansea), and other repositories such as the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) and Hereford Cathedral Library may also be visited. This module assumes no prior knowledge of medieval manuscripts, nor any prior knowledge of the medieval languages featured in the manuscript samples, including Latin, Old English and Middle English.
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HIMM01
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 1: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module introduces you to current themes, approaches and sources in medieval studies, that is, the interdisciplinary study of medieval history and literature. It begins to develop the skills required to conduct MA-level study. Lectures outline general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as genre and gender.
Workshops are built around interacting collaboratively with students to develop the necessary skills to implement the approaches discussed within and beyond the module¿s focus themes. Special attention will be given to the discipline¿s increasing interest in historically underrepresented groups and the emergent concept of the `global Middle Ages¿.
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HIMM04
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 2: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module builds on HIMM01 (Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies I) to deepen your understanding of key themes, sources, and research approaches in the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages, in order to develop the research skills required to conduct MA-level research. Lectures and seminars refine your general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as identity and spirituality. Following on from HIMM01, this module progressively shifts its thematic focus in a more strongly methodological direction, considering themes such as quantitative methods and archaeology in medieval studies. It also familiarises you with the medieval heritage of South Wales and the surrounding region.
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HIY102
Global Challenges and the Historian
What are the historical roots of the climate crisis? Why has poverty proven so difficult to eliminate? Why do epidemic diseases continue to resurface? Will AI eventually replace historians? These are just some of the pressing questions explored in this module. Here at Swansea we believe that history provides essential tools for understanding the present. This module invites you to examine how insights from the past can help contextualize and address the complex global challenges we face today. You will be encouraged to reflect on your role as an emerging historian and to develop skills that will enable you contribute to contemporary debates.
Through a series of workshops across the semester, you will also develop practical skills in communicating historical knowledge and arguments to diverse audiences. Activities may include writing for the public, drawing up policy briefings, drafting podcast episodes, or create content for, and design, educational resources. Drawing on the rich research expertise of staff across the History and Heritage department, and inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, this module explores themes such as poverty, famine, disease, gender inequality, climate change, and education, and more. It spans a vast range of historical periods and regions, asking you to think creatively about why history matters. By thinking collaboratively with fellow students and with expert researchers in the department, you will deepen your understanding of history¿s relevance in the modern world and enhance your ability to engage broad audiences. At its core, this module challenges you to consider how your study of history can shape your identity as a global citizen.
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HIY102C
Heriau Byd-eang a'r Hanesydd
Beth yw gwreiddiau hanesyddol yr argyfwng hinsawdd? Pam mae wedi bod mor anodd dileu tlodi? Pam mae clefydau epidemig yn dychwelyd byth a hefyd? A fydd deallusrwydd artiffisial yn disodli haneswyr yn y pen draw? Dyma rai o'r cwestiynau mawr sy'n cael eu harchwilio yn y modiwl hwn. Yma yn Abertawe credwn fod hanes yn darparu arfau hanfodol sy¿n ein helpu i ddeall y presennol. Mae'r modiwl hwn yn gyfle i archwilio sut y gall gwybodaeth am y gorffennol helpu i ddarparu cyd-destun a mynd i'r afael â'r heriau byd-eang cymhleth sy'n ein hwynebu ni yn yr oes sydd ohoni. Byddwch yn cael eich annog i fyfyrio ar eich rôl fel darpar hanesydd ac i ddatblygu sgiliau a fydd yn eich galluogi i gyfrannu at ddadleuon cyfoes.
Mewn cyfres o weithdai ar draws y semester, byddwch hefyd yn datblygu sgiliau ymarferol ar gyfer cyflwyno gwybodaeth a dadleuon hanesyddol i gynulleidfaoedd amrywiol. Gall gweithgareddau gynnwys ysgrifennu ar gyfer y cyhoedd, llunio briffiau polisi, braslunio penodau ar gyfer podlediadau, neu greu cynnwys ar gyfer adnoddau addysgol. Mae'r modiwl hwn yn manteisio ar arbenigedd ymchwil cyfoethog staff yn yr adran Hanes a Threftadaeth, ac mae wedi'i ysbrydoli gan Nodau Datblygu Cynaliadwy y Cenhedloedd Unedig. Mae'n archwilio themâu fel tlodi, newyn, clefydau, anghydraddoldeb rhywedd newid yn yr hinsawdd, addysg, a mwy. Mae'n rhychwantu ystod eang o gyfnodau a rhanbarthau hanesyddol, gan ofyn i chi ystyried yn greadigol pam mae hanes yn bwysig. Trwy feddwl mewn ffordd gydweithredol ar y cyd â chyd-fyfyrwyr ac ymchwilwyr arbenigol yn yr adran, byddwch yn dyfnhau eich dealltwriaeth o berthnasedd hanes yn y byd modern ac yn gwella eich gallu i ymgysylltu â chynulleidfaoedd eang. Yn ei hanfod, mae'r modiwl hwn yn eich herio i ystyried sut y gall astudio hanes lywio eich hunaniaeth fel dinesydd byd-eang.
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HIY104
Medieval Matters: Exploring the Middle Ages
Why does medieval matter? This exciting module introduces you to the history of Europe from around 500 to 1500, exploring how medieval people lived, believed, governed and built communities. You'll learn about kings and peasants, towns and trade, religion, education, warfare and even pandemics ¿ all through themes that connect the past to the present. From the rise of universities to crusades and colonial expansion, we'll uncover how medieval values still shape our world today. Whether you're curious about castles or the roots of modern Europe, this module offers fresh insight into the long-lasting legacy of the Middle Ages.
Pam mae¿r canol oesoedd yn dal i fod yn bwysig? Mae¿r modiwl cyffrous hwn yn eich cyflwyno i hanes Ewrop tua 500 i 1500, gan archwilio sut roedd pobl ganoloesol yn byw, yn credu, yn llywodraethu ac yn adeiladu cymunedau. Byddwch yn dysgu am freninoedd a phobl gyffredin, trefi a masnach, crefydd, addysg, rhyfeloedd a hyd yn oed pandemigau ¿ i gyd drwy themâu sy¿n cysylltu¿r gorffennol â¿r presennol. O sefydlu prifysgolion i ymgyrchoedd y Groes a gwladychiaeth, byddwch yn darganfod sut mae gwerthoedd canoloesol yn dal i ddylanwadu ar ein byd heddiw. P¿un a ydych â diddordeb mewn cestyll neu wreiddiau Ewrop fodern, mae¿r modiwl hwn yn cynnig golwg newydd ar etifeddiaeth barhaol yr Oesoedd Canol.
