Bachelor of Eddic Studies (B.E.S.)
120 Semester Credit Hours
Program in Development:
The Bachelor of Eddic Studies is currently in development and is not yet open for enrollment. Program structure, curriculum, and requirements may be revised prior to launch.
Program Description
The Bachelor of Eddic Studies (B.E.S.) is a planned 120-semester-credit-hour program integrating the study of Eddic literature, saga tradition, Old Norse language, history, law, archaeology, religion, and culture with character formation, leadership, teaching, and cultural stewardship.
Through sustained engagement with primary sources and historical evidence, students develop the knowledge and interpretive skills necessary to understand the Old Norse tradition in its historical context while considering questions of wisdom, responsibility, community, and the stewardship of cultural inheritance.
Curriculum
Year I — Foundations: Wisdom & Tradition — 30 credits
BES 101 — Introduction to Eddic Literature — 5 credits
Introduction to the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda as foundational sources for understanding Old Norse mythology, ethics, cosmology, poetic tradition, and cultural memory. Students learn the historical context, organization, transmission, and interpretive challenges of the Eddic corpus.
BES 102 — The Poetic Edda: Myth, Wisdom & Cosmology — 5 credits
Close study of major mythological and wisdom poems, including Völuspá, Hávamál, and Vafþrúðnismál, emphasizing cosmology, wisdom, human conduct, fate, mortality, and relationships among gods, people, and the world.
BES 103 — The Prose Edda: Myth, Poetry & Tradition — 5 credits
Study of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, examining its mythological narratives, poetic theory, preservation of traditional material, and importance for interpreting Old Norse literature.
BES 104 — Saga Literature and the Norse World — 5 credits
Introduction to Icelandic saga literature through selected family, legendary, and kings' sagas. Students examine kinship, reputation, law, conflict, hospitality, leadership, loyalty, and the relationship between individual conduct and community stability.
BES 105 — History and Civilization of the Norse World — 5 credits
Survey of Scandinavian society from the late Iron Age through the medieval period, examining settlement, household organization, trade, warfare, kingship, assemblies, law, religion, conversion, and the development of the North Atlantic world.
BES 106 — Eddic Ethics: Honor, Wisdom & Responsibility — 5 credits
Study of moral thought expressed through Eddic poetry and saga literature, examining wisdom, courage, moderation, hospitality, reciprocity, loyalty, reputation, oath, responsibility, and the consequences of human choices.
Year II — Understanding: Language, Sources & Interpretation — 30 credits
BES 201 — Old Norse Language I — 5 credits
Foundations of Old Norse grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and reading, preparing students to work with selected passages from primary texts.
BES 202 — Old Norse Language II: Reading the Sources — 5 credits
Continued language study emphasizing guided reading and translation of selected Eddic and saga passages and comparison of translations.
BES 203 — Reading the Eddas: Text, Translation & Interpretation — 5 credits
Introduction to textual criticism and responsible interpretation through comparison of manuscripts, translations, editorial decisions, and competing readings of selected Eddic texts.
BES 204 — Law, Assembly & Social Order — 5 credits
Study of law, assemblies, dispute resolution, compensation, oath, property, kinship, and social responsibility using saga narratives and surviving medieval legal traditions.
BES 205 — Runes, Language & Literacy — 5 credits
Historical study of Germanic writing traditions, major runic alphabets, inscriptions, literacy, language change, and the cultural uses of writing in Scandinavian society.
BES 206 — Archaeology and Material Culture of the Norse World — 5 credits
Study of settlements, halls, burials, ships, tools, art, monuments, sacred spaces, and archaeological evidence, emphasizing how material evidence complements—and sometimes challenges—literary sources.
Year III — Formation: Character, Leadership & Community — 30 credits
BES 301 — Leadership in Eddic and Saga Tradition — 5 credits
Examination of kings, chieftains, householders, law-speakers, warriors, counselors, and other leaders as case studies in authority, judgment, courage, loyalty, restraint, responsibility, failure, and legacy.
BES 302 — Hákon the Good: Leadership, Faith & Legacy — 5 credits
Focused historical and literary study of Hákon the Good, examining his education, kingship, law, religious circumstances, political challenges, leadership decisions, death, and literary memory as a case study in leadership and cultural transition.
BES 303 — Conflict, Frith & Reconciliation — 5 credits
Study of conflict through Eddic wisdom, saga narratives, and historical law, examining feud, mediation, compensation, reconciliation, restraint, justice, responsibility, and the conditions necessary for durable communal peace.
BES 304 — Rhetoric, Storytelling & Oral Tradition — 5 credits
Development of oral communication through speeches, storytelling, poetry, textual exposition, teaching, and public presentation, drawing inspiration from the oral and literary traditions of the Norse world.
BES 305 — Community, Hospitality & the Common Good — 5 credits
Study of household, kinship, friendship, hospitality, reciprocity, assembly, service, and communal obligation, asking how strong communities balance individual honor with responsibility toward others.
BES 306 — Wisdom, Character & the Examined Life — 5 credits
Advanced formation seminar bringing Eddic wisdom into conversation with questions of character, mortality, wealth, ambition, adversity, self-mastery, friendship, reputation, responsibility, and living a worthy life.
Year IV — Stewardship: Teaching, Service & Legacy — 30 credits
BES 401 — Advanced Eddic Studies Seminar — 5 credits
Advanced interdisciplinary study integrating Eddic literature, saga evidence, history, language, archaeology, law, and religious tradition while requiring students to distinguish historical evidence from interpretation and contemporary application.
BES 402 — Religion, Ritual & Sacred Tradition in the Norse World — 5 credits
Study of Old Norse religious life through literary, historical, linguistic, and archaeological evidence, including gods and other holy powers, sacred spaces, offerings, seasonal observances, ritual gatherings, ancestors, and relationships with the land.
BES 403 — Teaching the Eddic Tradition — 5 credits
Study and practice of teaching Eddic literature, history, ethics, and cultural traditions to different audiences. Students develop lessons, lead discussions, present primary texts, and practice responsible interpretation.
BES 404 — Cultural Stewardship & Preservation — 5 credits
Study of the preservation, transmission, interpretation, and responsible presentation of historical traditions, including manuscripts, oral traditions, material heritage, public education, digital preservation, and community cultural initiatives.
BES 405 — Leadership Practicum: Mentorship & Service — 5 credits
Supervised application of the Institute's principles of Wisdom, Honor, and Service through mentorship and an approved service, educational, cultural, or community leadership placement.
BES 406 — B.E.S. Capstone Thesis or Project — 5 credits
A culminating scholarly or applied project demonstrating the student's ability to research, interpret, teach, preserve, or responsibly apply the Eddic tradition.
Learning Outcomes
• Interpret the Poetic and Prose Eddas and saga literature using historical, textual, and linguistic methods.
• Read introductory Old Norse and work critically with manuscripts, translations, and editorial choices.
• Distinguish primary evidence from interpretation by integrating literary, archaeological, legal, and historical sources.
• Explain Norse religion, cosmology, ethics, and social order within their historical context.
• Communicate effectively through rhetoric, storytelling, and the public presentation of primary texts.
• Demonstrate leadership, character, and responsibility oriented toward frith, hospitality, and the common good.
• Design and deliver educational materials and learning experiences about the Eddic tradition for diverse audiences.
• Contribute to cultural stewardship and preservation through research, documentation, and community initiatives.
• Complete a capstone thesis or applied project that responsibly applies or advances Eddic studies.
A Program of Study and Formation
The Bachelor of Eddic Studies is designed to move from inheritance to understanding, from understanding to formation, and from formation to stewardship.
Through sustained study of Eddic literature, saga tradition, Old Norse language, history, law, archaeology, religion, and leadership, students are challenged not only to understand the tradition, but to consider what responsible stewardship of that inheritance requires.