April 2025 Modules

Welcome to the Readings in Poetry page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

From TV shows to computer games, the Vikings still manage to capture our imagination and ensnare us in an odd mix of fact and fiction. But who were they really? This new series aims to take a deep dive and provide challenging perspectives about the real Norse characters that shaped medieval Europe.

In this module we will walk (or sail!) in the footsteps of the Norse to discover how they changed and were changed by the worlds they encountered. In Britain, the great army conquered three kingdoms, intermingled with the local populace and forced the development of Wessex which would ultimately coalesce English unity. The assault on Ireland left monasteries devastated, but the Vikings also founded vital trade centres like Dublin and got involved in local wars. The raids in the Carolingian empire distrupted trade routes and eroded imperial power, ultimately leading to coopting the Norse into what would become the duchy of Normandy. To the East, the Rus reached the Byzantine empire where they formed elite guards, the Russian steppes beginning the process of state formation, as well as the far Muslim world they supplied with slaves. To the West, the troubled seas led them to settle the proto-democracy of Iceland, explore Greenland and even the coast of Canada. Through their travels, the course of medieval history was fundamentally altered by the Viking diaspora.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 1: Norse kings in Britain and Ireland
	Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material
Week 2	Lecture 2: Assault on the Frankish Empire
	Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material
Week 3	Lecture 3: From Varangians to Russians
	Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material
Week 4	Lecture 4: The Atlantic Way: Iceland, Greenland, Vinland
	Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 3 material

Why are the works of J.R.R. Tolkien still so relevant to us in the 21st century? In this course, we will look at some of the central themes of his novels, including Family, Home, Good vs. Evil, and Loss, exploring how Tolkien is still speaking to us almost fifty years after his death.

There are no required texts for this course, however, you may find having a copy of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings very useful (any edition).

The saga of Dune is far from over...

Across two months, we will read Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's completion of Frank Herbert's Dune saga. Whether you are a new or continuing student in our Dune book club, all are welcome to join this class. Connect with book lovers, compare to Herbert's originals, and share your insights.

Let the spice flow!

Month 1: Hunters of Dune
Month 2: Sandworms of Dune

This class will discuss the evolution, history, biology, behavior, and mysteries of buzzing insects with a focus on the honey bee. I will give a brief overview of beekeeping (this is not a how-to-keep-bees course) and honey bee products. We will learn the difference between bees and their wasp and hornet counterparts. We will explore the challenges facing bees and native pollinators, and you will discover how you can support bees and beekeepers. We’ll discuss some big names in the bee world and the amazing research they’re doing. There will be myriad stories about cool things and experiences.

Note: This is NOT a Beekeeping class, however, it may give you an idea of what beekeeping entails and the amount, kind, and frequency of care involved. Also, I can certainly refer you to resources relevant to your geography (America only).

This Writer's Workshop will be for practicing the art of writing flash fiction, works that are of 500 or fewer words in length. This is a marvelous place for a new writer to begin as the size is not overwhelming. It is also a marvelous place for a seasoned writer to practice the craft of scene creation and characterization under severe creative restriction.

We will read examples of flash fiction, and provide feedback for one another on original pieces that we shall write over the length of the course. For this we will use the Collaborative Feedback Method that we use in all Space creative writing courses, a method which emphasizes kindness and curiosity while still providing rigorous and useful feedback to the writer.

We will meet to blend learning, discussion, and playing games with reading, appreciating, and commenting on one another’s work as it is submitted for peer review. Writers are encouraged—but never required—to submit new pieces in any state of draftiness or readiness up to 2,000 words each week for peer reading and feedback. Our Collaborative Feedback method, developed here at Signum University, asks us to comment at the author's comfort level through a structured reader (not editor) response. We gather to encourage the story that the author wants to tell. Our philosophy of kindness first might just turn around your previous experience of writing groups.





A seat has been reserved in this module for any writer (especially a beginner) of marginalized identity to support them finding their voice. Please simply write to [email protected] to identify yourself if you wish to join the class.





Note: For more information about the Collaborative Feedback Method in SPACE, please check out our video here.

This series of modules introduces you to the vocabulary and grammar of Old Norse, preparing you to read medieval sagas, eddic poetry, and even Viking-Age runic inscriptions. Each one-month module builds on the previous one, so students ready to learn Old Norse will communicate with our Director and Professor Anderson to choose the right placement for everyone.

In this iteration of The Music of Middle-earth, we’ll be exploring Howard Shore’s score to The Two Towers, and seeking to better understand how the music behind Peter Jackson’s film interacts with the source material, the action on screen, and even Tolkien’s poetry.


Note: This series is not sequential, and folks are more than welcome to register for any class that interests them at any point.