Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER IV
pp. 254–259
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS AND TRIPOS EXAMINATIONS

The provisions contained in this Chapter are Regulations of the General Board

In this section

TRIPOS EXAMINATIONS

ANGLO-SAXON, NORSE, AND CELTIC TRIPOS

1. The Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos shall consist of two Parts. A separate class-list shall be published for each Part.

2. The following may present themselves as candidates for honours in Part I:

  1. (a)a student who has not obtained honours in an Honours Examination provided that he or she has kept one term and that six complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence;
  2. (b)a student who has obtained honours in an Honours Examination, in the year after or next but one after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence.

3. The following may present themselves as candidates for honours in Part II:

  1. (a)a student who has obtained honours in Part I of the Anglo Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos in the year after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after her or his first term of residence;3
  2. (b)a student who has obtained honours in another Honours Examination in the year next after or next but one after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after her or his first term of residence;
  3. (c)an Affiliated Student as allowed by the Faculty Board of English in accordance with the regulations for Affiliated Students.

4. No student shall be a candidate for both Parts, or for either Part and also for another Honours Examination, in the same term.

5. No student who has been a candidate for either Part shall again be a candidate for the same Part.

6. The Faculty Board of English may from time to time make supplementary regulations defining all or any of the subjects set out in the following regulations, and may modify, alter, or withdraw such supplementary regulations as they think fit, due care being taken that sufficient notice is given of any change.

7. The Faculty Board of English shall give notice before the end of the Easter Term in every academical year of the variable subjects for the examinations to be held in the academical year next but one following; provided that the Board shall have the power of subsequently issuing amendments if they have due reason for doing so and if they are satisfied that no student's preparation for the examination is adversely affected.

8. The Faculty Board of English shall nominate such number of Examiners as they may deem sufficient for each Part of the Tripos, and shall have the power to nominate Assessors for any papers.

9. The questions proposed by each Examiner and Assessor shall be submitted for approval to the whole body of Examiners.

10. The answers to each question shall be read by at least two Examiners or Assessors.

11. In the class-list for each Part of the Tripos, the names of the candidates who obtain honours shall be arranged in three classes, of which the second shall be divided into two divisions. The names in the first and third classes and in each division of the second class shall be arranged in alphabetical order. A mark of distinction shall be affixed to the names of those candidates placed in the first class whose work either in a part or in the whole of the examination is of special merit.

12. The papers in Part I shall be as follows:

 Paper  1.

England before the Norman Conquest.

 Paper  2.

Scandinavian history in the Viking Age.4

 Paper  3.

The Brittonic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth.

 Paper  4.

The Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth.

 Paper  5.

Old English language and literature (also serves as Paper 8A of Part I and Paper 26 of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  6.

Old Norse language and literature (also serves as Paper 8B of Part I and Paper 27a of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  7.

Medieval Welsh language and literature (also serves as Paper 8C of Part I and Paper 28a of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  8.

Medieval Irish language and literature (also serves Paper 8D of Part I and as Paper 29a of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  9.

Insular Latin language and literature (also serves as Paper 8E of Part I and Paper 30 of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 10.

Palaeography and codicology.

 Paper 11.

Early medieval literature and its contexts (also serves as Paper 2 of Part I and Paper 20 of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 12.

Love, violence, and power in France, 1100–1500 (Paper Fr. 3 of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos).

 Paper 13.

Medieval Latin literature, from 650 to 1300 (Paper ML 2 of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos).5

 Paper 14.

The North Sea in the early Middle Ages (Paper ARC26 of Parts IIa and IIb of the Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos).

 Paper 15.

Europe in late Antiquity and the migration period (Paper ARC27 of Parts IIa and IIb of the Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos).

13. A candidate for Part I shall offer six of the papers specified in Regulation 12, provided that

  1. (a)no candidate shall offer more than two papers chosen from among Papers 11–15;
  2. (b)no candidate shall offer both Paper 14 and Paper 15;
  3. (c)a candidate may submit in place of any one of the papers required under this regulation a dissertation on a topic approved by the Head of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic which falls within the scope of one or more of Papers 1–10.

14. The papers in Part II shall be as follows:

 Paper  1.

A subject in Anglo-Saxon history specified by the Faculty Board of English.

 Paper  2.

A subject in Scandinavian history of the Viking Age specified by the Faculty Board of English.

 Paper  3.

A subject in Celtic history specified by the Faculty Board of English.

 Paper  4.

A subject in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic history specified by the Faculty Board of English.

 Paper  5.

A subject in Old English literature specified by the Faculty Board of English.4

 Paper  6.

Advanced medieval Scandinavian language and literature (also serves as Paper 27b of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  7.

Advanced medieval Welsh language and literature (also serves as Paper 28b of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  8.

Advanced medieval Irish language and literature (also serves as Paper 29b of Part II of the English Tripos).4

 Paper  9.

A subject in Insular Latin literature specified by the Faculty Board of English.

 Paper 10.

Textual criticism.

 Paper 11.

Germanic philology (also serves as Paper 31 of the Linguistics Tripos).4

 Paper 12.

Celtic philology (also serves as Paper 27 of the Linguistics Tripos).4

 Paper 13.

Medieval English literature, 1066–1500 (Paper 6 of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 14.

A subject in medieval European history (a paper on a subject announced for a paper of Part II of the Historical Tripos which in any year has been approved for the purpose of this regulation by the Faculty Board of English).

 Paper 15(a).

Historical linguistics (Paper 11 of the Linguistics Tripos).6

 Paper 15(b).

History of the English language (Paper 13 of the Linguistics Tripos).7

 Paper 16.

The North Sea in the early Middle Ages (Paper ARC26 of Parts IIa and IIb of the Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos).

 Paper 17.

Europe in late Antiquity and the migration period (Paper ARC27 of Parts IIa and IIb of the Human, Social, and Political Sciences Tripos).

 Paper 18.

Topics in medieval studies: to be specified by the Faculty Board from time to time (Paper Fr.7 of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos).

 Paper 19.

England before the Norman Conquest (Paper 1 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos).

 Paper 20.

Scandinavian history in the Viking Age (Paper 2 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos).

 Paper 21.

The Brittonic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth (Paper 3 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos).

 Paper 22.

The Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth (Paper 4 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos).

 Paper 23.

Old English language and literature (Paper 5 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos. Also serves as Paper 8A of Part I of the English Tripos and Paper 26 of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 24.

Old Norse language and literature (Paper 6 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos. Also serves as Paper 8B of Part I and Paper 27A of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 25.

Medieval Welsh language and literature (Paper 7 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos. Also serves as Paper 8C of Part I and Paper 28A of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 26.

Medieval Irish language and literature (Paper 8 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos. Also serves as Paper 8D of Part I and Paper 29A of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 27.

Insular Latin language and literature (Paper 9 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos. Also serves as Paper 8E of Part I and Paper 30 of Part II of the English Tripos).

 Paper 28.

Palaeography and codicology (Paper 10 of Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos).

15. Except as provided in Regulation 16, a candidate for Part II shall offer

  1. (a)four of papers 1–18, provided that:
  2. (i)a candidate may not offer more than one paper chosen from among Papers 13–18;
  3. (ii)no candidate who has previously offered Paper 14 in Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos shall offer Paper 16;
  4. (iii)no candidate who has previously offered Paper 15 in Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos shall offer Paper 17;
  5. (iv)no candidate shall offer a subject which he or she has previously offered in any other Honours examination;
  6. (b)a dissertation on a topic, approved by the Head of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, which falls within the scope of one or more of Papers 1–10 of Part I and Papers 1–12 of Part II.

16. (a) A candidate for Part II who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in Part I of the Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos or in another Honours Examination may offer in place of one of the papers required under Regulation 15(a) one paper chosen from among Papers 19–28;

(b) candidates for Part II who take the examination in the year next but one after obtaining honours in another Honours Examination may offer in place of up to two of the papers required under Regulation 15(a) papers chosen from among Papers 23–27;

provided that:

  1. (i)a candidate may not offer a paper that he or she has previously offered in another Honours Examination;
  2. (ii)a candidate may not offer any of the following combinations of papers:
  1.  Paper 5 together with Paper 23;
  2.  Paper 6 together with Paper 24;
  3.  Paper 7 together with Paper 25;
  4.  Paper 8 together with Paper 26;
  5.  Paper 9 together with Paper 27.

17. (a) A candidate for Part I who wishes to offer a dissertation under Regulation 13(c), or a candidate for Part II who is required to offer a dissertation under Regulation 15(b), shall submit an application, including the title of the proposed dissertation, a brief account of its scope, and a statement of the scheme of papers to be offered in the examination. Applications shall be submitted to the Head of the Department, so as to arrive not later than the division of the Michaelmas Term next preceding the examination.

(b) Each candidate must obtain the approval of the proposed title by the Faculty Board not later than the last day of the Full Michaelmas Term next preceding the examination. When the Faculty Board have approved a title, no change shall be made to it or to the candidate's scheme of papers, without the further approval of the Faculty Board.

(c) A Part I dissertation shall be of not fewer than 7,000 and not more than 10,000 words in length, and a Part II dissertation shall be of not fewer than 9,000 and not more than 12,000 words in length, including appendices but excluding bibliography. Candidates will be required to declare that the dissertation is their own work and that it does not contain material already used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose. Every dissertation shall be typewritten.

(d) A dissertation shall be submitted to the Head of the Department, so as to arrive not later than the first day of the Full Easter Term in which the examination is to be held.

(e) The Examiners shall have power to examine a candidate viva voce on his or her dissertation and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS

Part I

Paper 1. England before the Norman Conquest

An introduction to the history and civilization of England from the age of the Anglo-Saxon settlements to the Norman Conquest. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 2. Scandinavian history in the Viking Age

An introduction to the history and culture of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the Viking Age, including the westward expansion to the North Atlantic and the eastward expansion to Russia and Ukraine. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 3. The Brittonic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth

An introduction to the history and culture of the Brittonic-speaking peoples from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the Anglo-Norman invasions. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 4. The Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth

An introduction to the history and culture of the Gaelic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 5. Old English language and literature (also serves as Paper 8A of Part I and Paper 26 of Part II of the English Tripos)

An introduction to the language and literary characteristics of Old English prose and poetry. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate passages from the set texts and an unseen passage of Old English, and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 6. Old Norse language and literature (also serves as Paper 8B of Part I and Paper 27a of Part II of the English Tripos)

An introduction to the language and literary characteristics of Old Norse prose and poetry. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate passages from the set texts and an unseen passage of Old Norse, and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 7. Medieval Welsh language and literature (also serves as Paper 8C of Part I and Paper 28a of Part II of the English Tripos)

An introduction to the language and literature of Wales from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate, and to comment on the linguistic characteristics of, passages from the set texts, to translate an unseen passage of Middle Welsh, and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 8. Medieval Irish language and literature (also serves as Paper 8D of Part I and Paper 29a of Part II of the English Tripos)

An introduction to the language and literature of early medieval Ireland, in particular until the end of the tenth century. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to translate, and to comment on the linguistic characteristics of, passages from the set texts, to translate an unseen passage of Old Irish, and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 9. Insular Latin language and literature (also serves as Paper 8E of Part I and Paper 30 of Part II of the English Tripos)

An introduction to the Latin literature of England and the Celtic-speaking countries from the fourth century to the twelfth. An advanced knowledge of Latin is not expected when preparation is begun, although some knowledge of the language is desirable. There will be set texts in the original language; candidates will be required to show detailed knowledge of these and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 10. Palaeography and codicology

An introduction to the manuscript as a physical object and the history of scripts used in the manuscript sources studied in Papers 1–9. Candidates will be required to answer compulsory practical questions, and to write essays on selected topics.

Part II

Paper 1. A subject in Anglo-Saxon history specified by the Faculty Board of English

An advanced topic in the history and civilization of England from the age of the Anglo-Saxon settlements to the Norman Conquest. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 2. A subject in Scandinavian history of the Viking Age specified by the Faculty Board of English

An advanced topic in the history and culture of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the Viking Age, including the westward expansion to the North Atlantic and the eastward expansion to Russia and Ukraine. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 3. A subject in Celtic history specified by the Faculty Board of English

An advanced topic in the history and culture of the Celtic-speaking peoples from the fourth century to the twelfth. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 4. A subject in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic history specified by the Faculty Board of English

An advanced topic in the history and culture of Anglo-Saxon England, medieval Scandinavia, and the medieval Celtic-speaking peoples. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original languages or in translation.

Paper 5. A subject in Old English literature specified by the Faculty Board of English

The work of an author or a group of authors, or a group of texts, or a literary topic or genre within the field of Old English literature, will be prescribed for special study. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original language.

Paper 6. Advanced medieval Scandinavian language and literature (also serves as Paper 27b of Part II of the English Tripos)

Scandinavian languages and literatures from the medieval period are studied. There will be set texts in the original language. Candidates will be required to translate and comment on extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages, and also to write essays on selected topics in medieval Scandinavian literature.

Paper 7. Advanced medieval Welsh language and literature (also serves as Paper 28b of Part II of the English Tripos)

Welsh language and literature from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages are studied. There will be set texts in Old and Middle Welsh. Candidates will be required to translate and comment on extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages from Middle Welsh. There will be a further group of set texts, in medieval Breton and Cornish. Candidates will be required to translate and comment on extracts from these set texts. They will also be required to write essays on selected topics in medieval Welsh, Breton, and Cornish language and literature.

Paper 8. Advanced medieval Irish language and literature (also serves as Paper 29b of Part II of the English Tripos)

Irish language and literature from the beginnings to the end of the Middle Ages are studied. There will be set texts in the original language. Candidates will be required to translate extracts from these set texts and to translate unseen passages, and also to write essays on selected topics in medieval Irish language and literature.

Paper 9. A subject in Insular Latin literature specified by the Faculty Board of English

The work of an author or a group of authors, or a group of texts, or a literary topic or genre within the field of Insular Latin literature, will be prescribed for special study. Candidates will be required to use primary sources in the original language.

Paper 10. Textual criticism

An introduction to the processes by which extant sources written in the languages studied for Papers 5–9 have been transmitted, and of the scholarly methods by which these sources are converted into a usable form. The various editorial and diplomatic approaches and techniques are studied. Candidates will be required to answer a compulsory practical question and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 11. Germanic philology (also serves as Paper 31 of the Linguistics Tripos)

The history and grammar of the Germanic languages will be studied in relation to one another and to their Indo-European background. Candidates will be required to comment on passages and to write essays on selected topics.

Paper 12. Celtic philology (also serves as Paper 27 of the Linguistics Tripos)

The history and grammar of the Celtic languages will be studied in relation to one another and to their Indo-European background. Candidates will be required to comment on passages and to write essays on selected topics.

Footnotes

  1. 3. See also the regulations for Affiliated Students (p. 166).a
  2. 4. This paper is also available to candidates for Part II of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos; see p. 385.a b c d e f g h i j k
  3. 5. This paper is suspended until further notice.a
  4. 6. This paper will be suspended in 2017–18 and in each alternate year thereafter.a
  5. 7. This paper will be suspended in 2016–17 and in each alternate year thereafter.a