This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of mythology, with an emphasis on literary approaches. While the course deals with world mythology, there is a reading emphasis on classical and Norse myths because of their significance in Western culture and literature. This should not, however, be construed as a belief in their primacy or superiority to the myths of other cultures.
This is a survey course requiring careful reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Students are expected to engage with the course materials without recourse to research or access to materials outside of the course textbooks and content.
Humans have always told stories to explain the world in which they lived and the ways in which they should live within the world. Once written down, these stories helped define cultures and often formed the basis for complex religious systems of belief and practice.
This course is not a religious studies course although our explorations of myth will sometimes touch on religious beliefs. While the word myth is used in modern society for stories that people believe to be true but which are actually false, that is not how we will define myth in our class. Our definition of myth will go back to the origins of the word and its root meaning of story.
Myths are ancient narratives [involving the relation of humans and gods] that attempt to answer enduring and fundamental human questions, such as
Our definition of myth ignores the question of historicity. Our study of myth will not explore the literal or historical foundations of myth or attempt to evaluate myths based on their correspondence to science or history. Instead, our purpose will be to look within the myth story for the message that it conveys, and, in exploring that message, we will attempt to discover its possible meaning and relevance to the people of the myth as well as its meaning and relevance for us today.
For instance, while a course in Western civilization might examine the evidence for the existence of the heroes of the Iliad, our focus will be on the values and significance the story had for its original audience as well as for contemporary humanity. In other words, our approach to myth will be literary/metaphorical rather than literal/historical.
People tend to privilege their culture's stories over other people's stories, seeing their own stories as having some absolute truth grounded in a literal and historical reality. In this class, we will treat all stories as equal, and all stories as true, not in some absolute, literal sense but in the metaphorical sense of what the story has to say about being human. This class is not about the faith or beliefs that we as individuals may place in any stories but rather on an attempt to understand the values within those stories apart from the issues of faith and belief. In this way, we protect our own beliefs while protecting the beliefs of others. At the same time, we can learn to value the truths found in other people's stories, even if those are not our "truths."
One of the dilemmas for people studying myths from around the world is the realization that so many details are the same from myth to myth. In the early days of myth studies, the primary focus was on explaining how these similarities occurred, especially since other people's stories were so often similar to our stories. Over time, the distinction between other people's stories and our stories became less significant, and the focus shifted instead to ways of categorizing stories and the patterns within them, to examining the psychological, sociological, and literary forces that affect the telling of stories, and to exploring the function and values of myth stories for all people in all times.
One broad way of categorizing stories is to view them by genres. Cosmogonic myths are stories about the cosmos, its creation and its disasters and destruction as well as that realm beyond death, the afterlife. Our focus on cosmogonic myths will be primarily limited to a study of creation myths.
Another division of myths are those that deal with the female divine and the male divine. These stories include both fertility myths and gender myths.
Our course content materials online will focus on one of the most extensive forms of myth, the hero myth.
Another genre of myth is the trickster. Of all the stories in myth, these are the most popular and the most entertaining.
Woven through all of these stories is the concept of the sacred, that which transcends the natural world of time and space, and connects to the infinite and internal. As we read stories in various genres, we will examine the significance of the sacred on those stories.
Mythology concerns itself with all aspects of human consciousness and behavior. As a consequence, some of the material we will be reading will contain graphic sexuality or other references to bodily functions. It is important that, at all times, the class maintain a responsible, tolerant, and sensitive attitude toward these discussions. Our frank discussions of these topics must avoid coarse or crude language, any element of sexual harrassment, or other inappropriate language or behavior while, at the same time, honestly and responsibly addressing the issues and material. While some of the material in this class may make us uncomfortable, we must learn to move past that discomfort. We must also all be sensitive to how members of the class are affected while still addressing the discussions in an adult and responsible manner.
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