Welcome to the course page for Dickinson College’s Mapping the Global Middle Ages in Fall 2025.
From England to Jerusalem, Morocco to Rome, Ireland to India, the medieval traveler encountered and came to terms with varieties of cultures, religions, and races. The maps and written records of these travelers, imagined and real, both described and created moments of connection across vast distances, shaping larger cultural narratives about nationalism, race, religion, and personal identity. This course seeks to understand the dialogue enacted between these regions from 900-1500 CE and uncover the diverse cultural work performed by reports of encounters with other cultures. How did these travel narratives strengthen or question faith, critique or support nationalism, and establish or sustain gendered and racial identities?