HI2E5-15 The Supernatural in Early Modern Britain
Introductory description
This module will focus on British conceptions of the supernatural from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Topics will include miracles, witchcraft, possession, astrology, angels, ghosts, fairies and the impact of the Reformation, Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment. The module will give due consideration to differences between England, Wales and Scotland, and students will be encouraged also to reflect on the broader global framework. We will draw on a wide range of source materials, including church and court records, pamphlets, religious or philosophical treatises, material objects, artwork, literary sources, parliamentary acts, manuscript letters and antiquarians’ accounts.
Module aims
The module will prioritise understanding the ideas and cultural trends that bolstered supernatural beliefs. We will think about how historians can approach the ‘otherness’ of the past, in part by considering how ‘fantastical’ belief systems could be rational within their historical contexts. Students will develop a broader understanding of early modern religion, natural philosophy and community tradition. The history of the supernatural is a history of tension between religious orthodoxy, and beliefs or practices that subsisted outside of the intellectual mainstream. We will consider the clashes and crossovers between ‘popular’ and ‘elite’ conceptions of the supernatural world, and examine how discourses about the supernatural could marginalise or empower disadvantaged groups. Stories about female witches and prophets, or ‘gypsy’ fortune-tellers and second-sighted Scottish Gaels, both reinforced and subverted established stereotypes. We will also look at how physical and mental disabilities were navigated through narratives of ‘monstrosity’ and possession. Ultimately, the module will ask students to reflect sensitively on how early modern communities celebrated, contested or made sense of the unfamiliar.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1: Miracles and providences
Week 2: Angels
Week 3: Witchcraft
Week 4: Possession
Week 5: Popular magic
Week 6: Reading week
Week 7: Ghosts
Week 8: Fairies and second sight
Week 9: Disenchantment
Week 10: Broader contexts
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the nature and range of early modern British supernatural beliefs, and to show some awareness of the wider global framework.
- Communicate ideas and findings, adapting to a range of situations, audiences and degrees of complexity.
- Generate ideas through the analysis of a broad range of primary source material.
- Analyse and evaluate the contributions made by existing scholarship.
- Act with limited supervision and direction within defined guidelines, accepting responsibility for achieving deadlines.
Indicative reading list
Generic Reading lists can be found in Talis
Specific reading list for the module can be found on
Subject specific skills
See learning outcomes.
Transferable skills
See learning outcomes.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 2 hours (12%) |
| Practical classes | 1 session of 2 hours (1%) |
| Private study | 130 hours (87%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Seminar contribution | 10% | No | |
Reassessment component |
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| 1000 word reflection | Yes (extension) | ||
Assessment component |
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| Group project | 40% | No | |
Reassessment component |
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| Individual project | Yes (extension) | ||
Assessment component |
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| 3000 word essay | 50% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Written feedback provided via Tabula; optional oral feedback in office hours.
Optional ‘feed-forward’ on an essay plan submitted in advance of the deadline.
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 2 of UHIA-V102 Undergraduate History (Renaissance and Modern History Stream)
- Year 2 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM13 Undergraduate History and Politics (with a term in Venice)
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL15 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with a term in Venice)
This module is Option list A for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 2 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM13 Undergraduate History and Politics (with a term in Venice)
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL15 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with a term in Venice)
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
- Year 2 of UHIA-V102 Undergraduate History (Renaissance and Modern History Stream)
- Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
This module is Option list C for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology