Melancholy, or melancholia, was the term for a condition profoundly
influencing one’s mood, one’s state of mind, and even, on a fundamental
level, one’s character or temperament. On the one hand, melancholy was
regarded as a medical condition, something that, given the right
therapy, might respond to treatment. On the other hand, it also became
hugely fashionable. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century, there
was what can be described as a cult of melancholy. Young men in
particular began to wear distinctive black outfits and cultivated the
kind of body language associated with melancholy. Melancholy was seen as
something that could provide a powerful creative impulse – texts, music
and works of art dealing with dark, brooding thoughts became popular.
This course will give you an opportunity to learn and think about
melancholy, and in particular the fashion for melancholy. We will look
at what dark thoughts can do, and how people actually came to enjoy
them. We will also look into the later history of the concept, some
forms of which have survived into our own time.
There will be a Moodle room in which a variety of texts, images and
music will be made available. You will receive the Moodle room password
via e-mail (to your official university e-mail address).
Just in case your application is rejected by the LSF system: If you
want to do this course because you are genuinely interested, you will be
most welcome, no matter what LSF says. Please get in touch with
claudia.hausmann@uni-due.de who will enrol you manually. The worst that
might happen to you is that you cannot do a Leistungsnachweis if you lack the formal requirements.
