Astrolabes and Afterworlds: Mapping Medieval Journeys

Materials Needed:

• Digital or Physical Texts:
  • From The Mabinogion: The first branch, "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed." (Available online via Project Gutenberg or in translation by Sioned Davies or Patrick K. Ford).
  • From Marie de France: The lai "Lanval." (Multiple translations are available online).
  • From Geoffrey Chaucer: "A Treatise on the Astrolabe" (specifically the Prologue and Part I). (Available online, for example, at the University of Michigan's Corpus of Middle English).
• Technology:
  • A computer or tablet with internet access.
  • An online astrolabe simulator (e.g., the one available on the Astrolabe Project website).
  • Optional: A digital mind-mapping tool (like Coggle or Miro) or a word processor.
• Creative Supplies:
  • Large sheet of paper or poster board.
  • Pens, colored pencils, or markers.
  • Optional: For a 3D model, you could use cardboard, a paper fastener (brad), and scissors.

Lesson Details

Subject: Interdisciplinary - English Literature, History, STEM (History of Science)

Grade Level: High School (Age 17)

Time Allotment: Approximately 3.5 - 4 hours (can be split over multiple days)

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Analyze the concept of the "journey" in both a literal, navigational sense (Chaucer) and a metaphorical, transformative sense (Mabinogion, Marie de France).
• Compare and contrast the rules, boundaries, and nature of the "Otherworld" as presented in early Welsh myth and 12th-century Anglo-Norman romance.
• Synthesize technical knowledge of the astrolabe with literary analysis by designing a conceptual tool that maps a character's destiny.
• Create an original, analytical diagram (the "Character Astrolabe") that visually represents a character's fixed fate, potential paths, and personal choices.

2. Lesson Activities & Instructional Strategies

Part 1: The Spark - Introduction (15 minutes)

Begin by thinking about this question: How did people find their way—physically and metaphorically—in a world without Google Maps or GPS?

Today, we're exploring three different kinds of "maps" from the medieval period:

• A Map of Myth & Magic: The Mabinogion guides us through the blurred boundaries between the human world and the Welsh Otherworld (Annwn).
• A Map of the Heart & Society: Marie de France's lais map the complex rules of love, loyalty, and honor in the courtly world.
• A Map of the Cosmos: Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe provides a literal, scientific map to locate oneself in time and space by reading the stars.

Our goal is to see how these seemingly different ways of understanding the world are all about navigating a journey.

Part 2: The Two Worlds - Exploring the Literature (60 minutes)

Activity: Comparative Mind Map

1. Read the opening of "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed," focusing on how Pwyll crosses into Annwn and the agreement he makes with its king, Arawn.
2. Read Marie de France's "Lanval," focusing on how Lanval meets his fairy lover and the rules (the geis) she places upon him.
3. On a large piece of paper or using a digital tool, create a mind map.
   • In the center, write "Journeys to the Otherworld."
   • Create two main branches: "Pwyll" and "Lanval."
   • For each character, create sub-branches to answer these questions:
     • The Trigger: What mistake, action, or state of being initiates the journey?
     • The Threshold: How does the character cross from their world into the other? Is it intentional?
     • The Rules: What specific instructions or taboos must the character follow in this new world?
     • The Transformation: How is the character changed by their experience upon returning?

This exercise helps you visually compare how two different cultures imagined the connection between the mortal and supernatural realms.

Part 3: The Celestial Compass - Understanding the Astrolabe (45 minutes)

Activity: Hands-On Exploration

1. Read the short Prologue to Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe. Notice his affectionate, instructional tone—he is writing for his 10-year-old son, Lewis. This isn't meant to be intimidating!
2. Skim Part I of the treatise. Your goal is not to memorize the parts but to understand its function. Pay attention to terms like Rete (the star map), Plates (discs for different latitudes), and the Rule (the pointer). Think of it as a celestial computer.
3. Open the online astrolabe simulator. Play with it! Try to accomplish these three simple tasks:
   • Find the current position of the sun.
   • Identify a major star (like Vega or Altair).
   • See how the sky changes when you adjust the time of day.

The key takeaway is this: An astrolabe places you, the observer, in direct relationship with the vast, predictable, moving cosmos. It helps you know where—and when—you are.

Part 4: The Synthesis - The "Character Astrolabe" Project (90 minutes)

Your Main Creative Task: Design a "Character Astrolabe"

An astrolabe works by layering the movable (the Rete, representing the ever-moving stars) over the fixed (the Plate, representing your location on Earth). This is a perfect metaphor for a character's life: a mix of destiny and free will. Your task is to design an astrolabe for either Pwyll or Lanval.

Instructions:

1. Choose Your Character: Pwyll or Lanval.
2. Design the Astrolabe: On your paper or poster board, draw a large circle. This is your astrolabe. Now, design its symbolic parts:
   • The Plate (The Fixed World): This is the character's starting reality or setting. What defines their world before the journey begins? For Lanval, it might be "The Lonely Court of Arthur." For Pwyll, it could be "The Earthly Realm of Dyfed." Label this on the base of your circle.
   • The Rete (The Map of Destiny): This is the intricate, web-like overlay. Instead of stars, its points represent the fixed, unchangeable elements or forces in the character's story. These could be prophecies, personality traits, or social duties. For example, for Lanval, points on his Rete could be "Foreigner," "Unappreciated," "Bound by Chivalry."
   • The Rule (The Pointer of Choice): This is the moving pointer. It represents the key choices the character makes that turn the plot. Draw a line for the Rule and label it with the character's most important decision. For Pwyll, it's the choice to "Swap Places with Arawn." For Lanval, it's the choice to "Keep or Break his Promise."
3. Write Your "Treatise": On the side of your drawing or on a separate sheet, write a short "treatise" (2-3 paragraphs) explaining how to use your Character Astrolabe. Explain what the Plate, Rete, and Rule represent for your chosen character. Describe how aligning the "Rule" (choice) with a point on the "Rete" (destiny) leads to a specific outcome in the story.

3. Assessment (Self-Evaluation)

Review your "Character Astrolabe" project using these questions:

• Conceptual Integration: Did I successfully use the functions of the astrolabe (Plate, Rete, Rule) as metaphors for the elements of my character's story?
• Literary Analysis: Does my design and explanation show a deep understanding of the character's journey, motivations, and the story's themes?
• Creativity and Clarity: Is my design original and easy to understand? Is my "treatise" clear, concise, and insightful?

4. Extension & Deeper Thinking (Optional)

• Write a New Lai: Write a short story (a lai) in the style of Marie de France about a character who finds a magical astrolabe that doesn't show stars, but paths of destiny. What choices do they make?
• Historical Context: Chaucer wrote his treatise in English, not Latin, to make science accessible. Marie de France wrote in the Anglo-Norman French of the English court, popularizing Breton tales. The Mabinogion was a preservation of ancient Welsh oral tradition. Research one of these contexts and write a brief reflection on why the language of a text is as important as its content.

5. Closure & Reflection (15 minutes)

Conclude the lesson by pondering these big-picture questions:

• In what ways is telling a story like mapping the stars?
• All three of these works are trying to create order—Chaucer out of the cosmos, Marie de France out of courtly emotions, and the Mabinogion out of mythic history. What does this tell us about the human need to map our world?
• If you were to design a simple astrolabe for your own life, what one unchangeable "star" would be on your Rete, and what major "choice" would your Rule be pointing to right now?