Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Major Mythic Stories and Archetypal Themes

Satisfactory Essays
703 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Major Mythic Stories and Archetypal Themes
EN294: Mythology Summer 1
Instructor: John Kivari Contact information: RM 4108a; kivari@ecc.edu ; Ph: 270-5964; Office Hours: By appt.
Course Description: A study of the major mythic stories and archetypal themes which continually reappear in literature as subject matter, symbols and allusions.
Course Objectives:
Students will understand the following by the end of the course:
Myth is a shared heritage of ancestral memories, related consciously from generation to generation.
Myth is a telling of events that happened before written history and that myth is the thread that links together past, present, and future.
Myth’s unique use of language.
Myth is the basis of identity for societies.
The origins of our moral conduct are found in myth and religion.
Myth is a pattern of beliefs that give meaning to life.

Some questions we will be asking:
What is and what is not myth?
What are the purposes and functions of myth?
How did myths originate and form?
Why and what ways do people believe in myths of their culture or group?
How have myths been analyzed and interpreted over centuries?
What are the connections between oral and written narratives and the visual expression of a culture or group?
Texts: Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Parallel Myths by J.F. Bierlein
These will be the primary texts used throughout the semester. The reading list will, at times, be augmented with supplemental reading material that will be provided to you in print or online.

Grading
Quizzes: 30%
Class Participation: 15%
Oral Presentation: 15%
Exams: 40%
Quizzes will be mainly based on the week-to-week reading. You should expect a quiz on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. For the most part, they will not be interpretive or analytical type questions, but questions based more on plot, characters, and other elements found in the myths.
Class participation is an essential part of this class. You need to come to class prepared and ready to engage in discussion. Attendance will be a factor in formulating this grade, but also how actively involved you are on a day-to-day basis.
An Oral Presentation is required for each student. Presentations will involve researching particular gods or goddesses, myths, archetypes or any combination of the three and presenting a report to class. Topics will be presented to you in class and chosen by you on a first come basis.
Exams will be given at midterm and at the end of the semester. They will be written and you will be given approximately one week to complete before submitting on the required due date. The two exams given will consist mainly of essay questions based on our study of mythology up to and including the date of assignment.
Grading will be calculated as such: A= 94-100 A-= 91-93 B+= 87-90 B= 84-86 B-= 80-83 C+= 77-79 C= 74-76 C-= 70-73 D+= 67-69 D= 60-66 F= below 60
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken every class day and used toward your class participation grade. Missing one class can affect your grade. If you need to miss class for any reason, contact me as soon as possible. Assignments are still due on due date regardless of attendance and quizzes cannot be made up due to absence for any reason. For online classes, log ons will be monitored in lieu of attendance and counted towards class participation.
Late policy:
Late assignments will only be accepted up to three days after due date. For each day an assignment is late a letter grade will be dropped from the total grade for the assignment.
Blackboard: This class will function using Blackboard for web-assisted and online versions. Most of the course materials can be accessed by clicking on Content. Please view the Blackboard tutorials available to you for assistance.
This class will mainly consist of reading, writing about, discussing, and viewing stories that have helped define our civilization. My main concern and interest in teaching this class is the study of mythology as a way to help explain how we live today. Myths signal something from our unconscious minds—something that we all share as human beings. Through our study of the actual myths, along with viewing various interpretations through film, it is my hope that we will find some answers and ultimately raise our level consciousness.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Career Plan

    • 2578 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Because this course is intended to benefit your career development, you will be required to play an active role in class. Much of the learning takes place during class time; thus, regular attendance, punctuality, and participation are essential and will be…

    • 2578 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Myths In Education

    • 1541 Words
    • 7 Pages

    A myth is an idea that people presume to be correct however it is not.…

    • 1541 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Paden asserts, myth is not purely “about” something. Often myth can be found in performed rituals and human behavior. Myth is reenacted and applied in ceremonies and other sacred events. (Paden, 1994, p. 73).…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Myth Vs Greek Mythology

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages

    According to Barthes (2015), a myth is identified as a classification of stories in narrative form that seek to explain the foundation of values and beliefs adopted by different cultures. Myths often present such stories in an imaginative format as they are based on the supernatural aspect as an attempt to explain natural phenomena and humanity. Therefore, a statement like ‘it’s a myth’ may imply that the subject in question is founded on unjustifiable basis and often adopting an imaginary angle to the story, as an attempt to explain the phenomenon in question.…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Myth is a traditional story, specifically one concerning early history of a people group explaining some natural phenomenon or social occurrence typically involving the supernatural. It comes from the Latin word mythus which means speech, thought, story, or anything delivered by word of mouth. Mythology is simply an attempt to answer the unknown. It implemented a sense of security to the ancients who could not explain the aspects of the universe with science or reason as we can today. These stories transformed ancient Greek and Roman cultures, creating literature, architecture and social laws. As society grew and new ideas were formed, mythology became exceedingly irrelevant. Soon Western cultures stopped worshiping a plethora of gods and replaced the fear of the unexplained with curiosity. Though the spiritual importance of mythology is irrelevant today, mythology has created the building blocks of modern society; through literature,…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hum 105 WORLD MYTHOLOGY

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How is the word myth used popularly? For example, what does the statement, “It’s a myth” mean? In contrast, how is the word myth used in the academic context? After considering the definition in your textbooks and course materials, write a definition in your own words.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mythology Short Answers

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The academic definition of a myth” is discovering a way of making meaning that has been part of every human society.” I believe myths are stories that are told from generation to generation. Depending on our culture, religion, beliefs and so on would determine the moral meaning behind the story. Some myths are legends. For example,” the cross of Jesus” is determined to be a legend and a myth. Depending on how the story is interpreted by the person listening to it. Myth is used to relate and have a reason for things that we do, as a society we need a logical meaning for the purpose for things we need and believe, with this we turn to myths.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A. A myth is usually, a locally or globally popularized story or belief. Which mostly isn’t true. It is mostly used in sentenced describing a legend or a story with questionable authenticity. I went to Dictionary.com, which defines myth as a traditional or legendary story the word, myth is used…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Myths are traditional stories, one concerning the early history of people or explaining some social or natural phenomenon. It typically involves supernatural beings or events.…

    • 2149 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Foundations of Mythology

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Instinctively, the word myth brings to mind fantastical stories of good and evil and the inevitable triumph of good. Reading the recommended materials for this class however, has brought me to a new, yet not formed direction of thinking.…

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    A myth is a story that is told by people from an earlier time period. They explain what they think to be happening or how they view the world at that point in time. Many of them focus on gods, goddesses, or a mythical creature in order to explain the events that define their culture. The most common myths are within Greek mythology that help to explain culture and gave the world around them a meaning. These were an important part of their everyday life and help to explain religious practices and help influence art and literature years after its…

    • 101 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Foundations of Mythology

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “Myths are ancient narratives that attempt to answer the enduring and fundamental human questions” ((Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 1). Myths are stories from every culture, country, and period of time. Myths from different cultures around the world address similar themes because to most individuals these are the things that matter despite his or her background. There are similarities between beliefs, knowledge, mythology, and religion. Both myths and religions help individuals cope with death, suffering, and loss, as well as coping to change. Many of the poets and artists from Ancient times to Present times have embodied mythology. In doing so, they have discovered the contemporary significance to the mythological stories.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For thousands of years, vast cultures from around the world have told themselves stories. These stories, often to feed their curiosity of the world’s origins, are called myths. Many myths are similar in the fact that most of them are connected to each other. Either by what they say about the world, how it came to be, the people who live in it, their religious rituals or their traditions. Myths often comfort people in giving them a sense of identity.…

    • 561 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    CLAS 104 Notes 2

    • 11540 Words
    • 40 Pages

    Myth is a many-faceted personal and cultural phenomenon created to provide a reality and unity to what is transitory and fragmented in the world we experience…

    • 11540 Words
    • 40 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    acct550

    • 2057 Words
    • 9 Pages

    This study guide is intended to assist in reviewing the reading materials for the first four weeks of class. I assume that each student has completed all the assigned readings, participated in the threaded discussions, and generally knowledgeable about the material.…

    • 2057 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays