Celtic Studies Courses

101 GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE I
This course is an introduction to the Gaelic language and culture of Scotland and Nova Scotia for students with no prior knowledge of the language. Students will learn the basics of spoken and written Gaelic as well as aspects of Gaelic culture rooted in the language. Three credits. Offered Fall Term 2024-25.

102 GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE II
Through a variety of written, oral, and audio-visual activities, students will build on their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills from the first semester. Students will also acquire a more advanced foundation in Gaelic grammar. Discussion of select Gaelic customs, practices, and traditions from Nova Scotia and Scotland will also form part of this course as they arise in the process of learning the language. Prerequisite: CELT 101 or permission of instructor. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

111 IRISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE I
An introduction to the Gaelic language and culture of Ireland for students with no prior knowledge of the language. Students will learn the basics of spoken and written Irish as well as aspects of traditional Irish culture rooted in the language, including proverbs, songs, stories, holidays and foodways. Not offered 2024-25.

131 CELTIC CIVILIZATIONS I
This course will provide an introduction to the Celtic peoples from the earliest times to the Middle Ages. Topics will include history, language, art, literature, mythology, and early Celtic Christianity. Acceptable as a course in the Dept of History. Three credits. Offered Fall Term 2024-25. 

132 CELTIC CIVILIZATIONS II
This course covers the Celtic cultures of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Isle of Man, and Cornwall from the medieval to modern period. Topics will include history, language, music, folklore, and literature. Acceptable as a course in the Dept of History. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

201 GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE III
Building on the communication skills and grammatical concepts learned at the 100 level, students will work on acquiring greater comfort and fluency in the language in the context of Gaelic culture in Nova Scotia and Scotland. Resources from the song and storytelling tradition will be used. Prerequisite: CELT 102 or permission of instructor. Three credits. Offered Fall Term 2024-25.

202 GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE IV
Through a variety of written, oral, and audio-visual activities from Gaelic Nova Scotia and Scotland, students will build on their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills acquired in CELT 101, 102, and 201. Students will also acquire a more advanced foundation in Gaelic grammar. Prerequisite: CELT 201 or permission of instructor. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

220 CELTIC PAGANISM
This course examines the religious practices and beliefs of the ancient Celtic peoples that we can glean from archaeology, reports of Greek and Roman commentators, place-name evidence, and the mythology in medieval Irish and Welsh narrative tradition. Other topics include syncretism, the adaptation of pagan festivals into Christian holidays, the persistence of elements of paganism into the Christian era, witchcraft in Scotland and Ireland in the context of the European phenomenon and neo-paganism today. Cross-listed as RELS 219. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

230 CELTIC CHRISTIANITY
This course is an exploration of the development of Christianity amongst the Celtic peoples. A major facet will be the medieval hagiographic tradition and saints’ cults from the fourth to the twelfth centuries. Other topics include monasticism, the peregrini, the Hiberno-Scottish mission to the continent, conflict with Roman Catholicism, material culture, and the modern use of the term “Celtic Christianity”. Cross-listed as RELS 229. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

300 THIRD-YEAR SCOTTISH GAELIC
Advanced level Gaelic. Emphasis will be on attaining fluency. The course will concentrate on the Gaelic of Nova Scotia with readings from local publications. The class will also work on transcribing recordings of local speakers. Six credits. Students wishing to take this should contact Dr. Michael Linkletter: @email 

319 CELTIC MUSIC
This course is an examination of traditional music from the six Celtic countries with emphasis on Scotland, Ireland, and Cape Breton, including Gaelic song, bagpipe, fiddle, and harp music. We will also explore the development of the “Celtic Music” genre in North America. Cross-listed as MUSI 319. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

321 CELTIC ART
Weave your way through Celtic knots and horror vacui (fear of empty space), and discover the art of the Celts. From the Battersea Shield to the Book of Kells, we will trace our way through the extraordinary legacy of weaponry, jeweller, illuminated manuscripts, Celtic crosses, and Sheela-na-Gigs to arrive at a deeper understanding of the people who made them. Acceptable as a course in the Dept of History. Cross-listed as ANTH 321 and ART 321. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

323 MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS
Medieval manuscripts often took years of effort to complete. How were these works of art and scholarship created, and by whom? This course focuses on how medieval manuscripts were put together (codicology) and on how to transcribe manuscript texts in various languages spoken on the British Isles and Ireland, including Gaelic, Old English, Middle English, French, Welsh, and Latin (no knowledge of these languages is required). Three credits. Offered Fall Term 2023-24.

325 THE CELTS IN POP CULTURE
Shamrocks, banshees, leprechauns, fairies, magic, and white-robed druids cutting mistletoe by moonlight. These are only some of the popular images associated with the Celtic peoples. Through a selection of media (including film, television, and novels) this course will explore the complexities of identity and the popular perception of Celtic culture, broadly defined. Among other topics, students will examine the pervasive association between Celtic culture and the supernatural. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

327 CELTIC KINGS, HEROES AND MONSTERS - MEDIEVAL IRELAND
From hot-headed heroes to terrifying monsters and death-tales, this course will examine topics and texts from medieval Irish literary tradition in detail. Cross-listed as ENGL 327. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

328 CELTIC KINGS, HEROES AND MONSTERS - MEDIEVAL WALES
From King Arthur to Culhwch and from dragons to giants, this course will examine topics and texts from medieval Welsh tradition in detail. Cross-listed as ENGL 328. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

331 SCOTTISH HISTORY
This course is a survey of the history of Scotland from the earliest times to the present with special emphasis on the role of the Gael. Topics that will be covered include the Dalriadic Scots and the consolidation of the kingdom of Alba, the early Gaelic church, the Kingdom and Lordship of the Isles, the rise of the clans, the decline of Gaelic, the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Reformation and union with England. Cross-listed as HIST 328. Three credits. Offered Fall Term 2024-25.

332 THE SCOTS IN NORTH AMERICA
This course will follow the fortunes of the Gaels of the Highland diaspora. Emphasis will be placed on studying the Highland settlements of North America with an in-depth look at the history of the Gaels in the Maritime Provinces, particularly Nova Scotia, from the earliest settlements to more recent times. Cross-listed as HIST 329. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

341 SCOTTISH GAELIC POETRY I
This course familiarizes students with some of the masterpieces of Gaelic literature from medieval to early modern times and provides a grounding in the historical and cultural aspects of literary production in the Scottish Gaelic world. Topics to be considered include the uses of poetry, the role of the poet in medieval Gaelic society, and the origins and flowering of vernacular Gaelic verse in Scotland. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

349 MEDIEVAL MEDICINE
This course examines the history of medicine in Western society, with particular emphasis on medieval Ireland, Wales and Scotland. During the course, we will look at specific diseases, including leprosy, the plague, and dancing mania; and at specific cures, including diet, charms, and surgery. This course is of particular interest for students in Celtic studies, history, and those interested in the history of medicine. Acceptable as Humanities requirement in the Health Program. Acceptable as credit in History. Three credits. Offered Winter Term 2024-25.

351 IRISH FOLKLORE
Studies in the oral traditions of Gaelic Ireland including the folktale, the storyteller, folklore collectors, folksong tradition, fairies and calendar customs. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

352 FOLKLORE OF SCOTLAND & NOVA SCOTIA
An introduction to the Gaelic folklore of Scotland and Nova Scotia, with an emphasis on wonder tales, clan sagas, Fenian tales, calendar customs, rites of passage, the supernatural and the history of folkloristics. Three credits. Not offered 2024-25.

491 HONOURS THESIS (6 CREDITS)
Each student works under the supervision of a chosen professor who guides the selection of a thesis topic, use of resources, methodological component, quality of analysis and execution, and literary calibre of the final version. Required for all honours students. Six credits. Contact chair of department for further details.

499 DIRECTED STUDY
A directed study course in advanced topics (such as Advanced Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic poetry, Old Irish, Middle Welsh, etc). Please consult the chair of department at least one month in advance of the term in which you wish to do a directed study. Available for three or six credits.

GRADUATE COURSES (MA PROGRAM)

Please consult with the Department Chair or Graduate Studies Coordinator for course availability. 

500 ADVANCED SCOTTISH GAELIC - SIX CREDITS​

520 GAELIC IMMIGRANT LITERATURE - SIX CREDITS

521 OLD IRISH I
This course focusses on acquiring Old Irish grammar for the purposes of translating early Irish texts and obtaining a foundation in the historical and linguistic basis of the modern Gaelic languages. Emphasis will be placed on discussing written exercises and/or translations of Old Irish texts, mastering grammatical concepts, as well as demonstrating an understanding of prepared readings on Old Irish grammar. Required for all MA students. Three credits.

522 OLD IRISH II
This course, which is a continuation of Old Irish I, focusses on acquiring further Old Irish grammar, and on translating basic Old Irish saga-texts and poetry. Required for all MA students. Three credits.

530 IRISH BARDIC POETRY - SIX CREDITS

555 SCOTTISH TRADITIONAL CULTURE - SIX CREDITS

560 WRITING GAELIC - SIX CREDITS

570 CELTIC SPIRITUALITY - SIX CREDITS

599 DIRECTED STUDY - SIX CREDITS

561 SELECTED TOPICS I - THREE CREDITS

562 SELECTED TOPICS II - THREE CREDITS

590 THESIS - EIGHTEEN CREDITS