This course plays on the verb ‘to matter’, the medieval French term matiere (used for thematic cycles), and the concept of materiality. It explores the physicality of manuscripts, fragments, and amulets, while treating poetry and music as forms of ‘matter’ beyond metaphor. Through canonical and non-canonical works from Marie de France to incantations in (faux) Hebrew students gain skills to navigate medieval poetry and music, and to reassess ‘modern’ corpuses through the lens of multisensory engagement. The course is taught in French.
