MELC 565 A: Medieval African Literature: The Ethiopian Virgin Mary

Spring 2026
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Meeting:
TTh 3:30pm - 5:20pm
SLN:
17001
Section Type:
Lecture
Joint Sections:
MELC 365 A
Instructor:
Syllabus Description (from Canvas):

Course Outline

  • Introduction to Ethiopian Christianity and Indigenous Belief Systems
  • The Virgin Mary in Early Christian and Islamic Literature
  • Pre-15th Century Marian Thoughts in Ethiopia
  • The Introduction of the Book of Miracles of Mary
  • Imperial Mariology
    • The Paranoid Emperor and his Marian Devotion
    • Institution of The Book of Miracles of Mary
    • Silencing Opponents
  • Themes in Miracles of Mary 
  • Mary in Ethiopic poetry
    • Traditional School System of Ethiopic Christianity
    • The Genre of Poetry
  • Ethiopic Marian Imagination
    • Mary in Ethiopian Art
    • Mary, Death and Life-after-death
Catalog Description:
Introduces students to the theological, historical, and cultural significance of the Virgin Mary in Ethiopic literature. Examines primary Ethiopic texts, hymns, and artistic depictions to understand how the divine feminine figure was constructed. Offers a comparative perspective between religious traditions and explores the cross fertilizations of narratives.
Credits:
5.0
Status:
Active
Last updated:
June 12, 2026 - 6:04 pm