Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Fantastic Beasts and Where They Came From
School	Eng, Drama, & Creative Studies
Department	English Literature
Module Code	09 30620
Module Lead	Megan Cavell
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Long before fieldwork determined which species appeared in scientific texts, cunning foxes and resourceful hedgehogs were placed alongside fierce unicorns and formidable dragons. Ancient and medieval bestiaries and natural histories attributed whales with a diabolical desire to trick sailors and drag them to their doom. They depicted panthers as the friendliest animals to walk the earth. They saw in spiders the devil himself. Examining a range of real and imagined creatures, this module will explore the representation of animals and their behaviours in collections from the classical and medieval periods to the heyday of evolutionary theory. This long history will also provide context for revivals of the bestiary tradition in 20th-/21st-century American and British poetry and prose, documentaries and popular culture. The following thematic interests will shape the module’s discussion of the long tradition of animal- and nature-writing: perceptions of human superiority and animal alterity; intersecting systems of prejudice and oppression (such as hierarchies/binaries imposed on gender, race, sexuality and class); boundaries between real and imaginary creatures; the relationship between literature, science and religion; visual and literary intersections. From this module, students will gain a foundation in approaches to critical animal studies that will be useful to other modules. Classical and medieval texts will be studied in translation; prior knowledge of the original languages is not required.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: demonstrate an understanding of the stylistic and thematic features of the bestiary and natural history traditions, and contextualise them with regard to relevant historical, cultural, and biographical information apply and reflect on theoretical and critical approaches to these writings undertake independent research while preparing the summative essay construct a cogent, written argument that engages closely with both primary and secondary texts and demonstrates a firm grasp of subject-specific knowledge
Assessment	30620-01 : 4,000 Word Essay : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 1 x 4,000 word essay Reassessment: No resits are permitted in final year. If students miss the assessed task owing to extenuating circumstances, the failed task would be rescheduled at a later date.
Other
Reading List