HISA1011 Palaeography: Introduction to the study and interpretation of historical handwriting (5 cr)
Study level:
Intermediate studies
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
Finnish
Responsible organisation:
Department of History and Ethnology
Curriculum periods:
2024-2025, 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027-2028
Description
The course introduces the various stages of development of handwriting types from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century and focuses on identifying old handwriting used in source materials, its specific features, letters, abbreviations, special vocabulary and general features of its grammar. A great variety of tools and techniques for reading and identifying the stylistic and linguistic characteristics old handwriting are presented. In addition to handwriting interpretation, the course offers a source critical exploration of key sixteenth- to nineteenth-century Nordic sources available to researchers, focusing on the Swedish- and Finnish-language sources, mainly in typical German, or Neo-Gothic, handwriting. Besides material on the history of Sweden and Finland, students look at some material from other countries and language areas. The course includes numerous exercises associated with the interpretation of specific materials, handwriting and language. proceeding from the easiest exercises (newer) to the more challenging (older). In addition to text sources, students also practise working with old maps and pictures. The theoretical knowledge, auxiliary material and techniques are directly and understandably related to the practical exercises.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the student will:
- know the basics of palaeography, recognise different types of handwriting and be able to independently read sources written in old handwriting and linguistic forms
- be able to independently apply palaeography tools and skills
- have advanced their ability to use old sources critically, understanding them more widely and more deeply, focusing on early modern Sweden and Finland, the key sources for community, social, administrative, economic and linguistic history, and their particular features
- be able to reflect on how these materials can be used from different approaches in research or the thesis
Study materials
Kurssilla hyödynnetään teosta:
Petteri Impola, Pirita Frigren, Petri Karonen, Matti Roitto & Antti Räihä (toim.) 2022, Vanhojen käsialojen lukuopas. Helsinki: Gaudeamus.
Completion methods
Method 1
Description:
Kurssi toteutetaan itsenäisesti verkkokurssina Moodle-alustalla. Moodle-alustalla opiskelija saa teoreettista tietoa paleografiasta sekä apuvälineitä vanhojen käsialojen lukemiseen. Verkkokurssi etenee esitellen erilaisia lähdeaineistoja, joihin tutustumisen lisäksi sisältyy lukuisia tiiviitä käsialojen tulkintaharjoituksia tai muita soveltavia tehtäviä. Kurssin päättää laajempi käytännön taitoja testaava lopputyö, joka arvioidaan.
Evaluation criteria:
Numeerinen arvosana asteikolla 0–5. Kurssin arvosana määräytyy itsenäisesti suoritettavasta moniosaisesta, erilaisia aineistoja ja käsialoja sekä niiden tulkintaa sisältävästä lopputyöstä. Lisäksi kurssin hyväksytty suorittaminen edellyttää kaikkien aiemmin kurssilla annettujen tehtävien ja harjoitteiden asiallista tekemistä, vaikka niitä ei erikseen arvioida. Haastavan lopputyön hyväksytty suorittaminen ei ole tietotaidollisesti mahdollista, mikäli ei ole tehnyt aiempia harjoitteita huolellisesti opiskellen.
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Parts of the completion methods
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Participation in teaching (5 cr)
Type:
Participation in teaching
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
Finnish