English 285-01
Spring 2013. MWF 222 AJM. 1:-2
Mythologies. Instructor: Michael Sexson Office: 2-183 Willson. Hours:
11-12; 2-3 MWF.
Text: Ovid: Metamorphoses (trans. Horace
Gregory). Online: Eliade, From Primitives to Zen. http://www.mircea-eliade.com/from-primitives-to-zen/
Myth, as it will be understood
in this class, will be thought of as “the precedent behind every action,” a
line from Roberto Calasso’s book, The
Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. So understood, myth becomes not just
cultural texts concerning the activities of gods, goddesses, and heroes, or
even “story” itself, (the meaning of the word “mythos”) but our daily seeings, sayings and doings.
That is, myth may be found as often in our routine activities as in books or
past imaginings. In order to understand how myth is to be discovered in our
daily activities, we need to imagine those activities as a landscape liberally
sprinkled with mythic “clues,” “signs,” or “signatures.” And we need to think
of ourselves as detectives whose task is to discover these clues and interpret
them. If we are successful sleuths, we will discover that myth is less a
“topic” or “subject” than a manner of being in the world. Myth is not what we
study but what we are.
To fully our abilities to
detect mythic clues, we will need the assistance of a textbook, a daily
journal, a short term paper, some tests
(mythic clues), group and individual activities, and lots of material from the
internet. The two texts for the class
range from “mythology” to “mythologies”, that is, from a single historical
instance of myth---the classical or Greco-Roman-- to world or comparative
mythologies. Ovid’s Metamorphoses fits the first, Mircea Eliade’s online anthology,
From Primitives to Zen, the second. The single required print text, The
Metamorphoses, was chosen because it is not only a good translation but because
it is small, light-weight, and cheap. Therefore, you are required to carry it
with you where ever you go this semester. You never know when you might need to
reference it. Your first assignment is to read the book--the whole thing. What
we do in class will not be a reading of this text, but a re-reading, an
essential strategy if we want to treat the text appropriately. You will have
three weeks to complete the reading of Ovid.
You will be required to keep an
electronic journal or “blog” containing (a) class notes (b) bookmarks of peer
sites (c) responses the texts, class lectures, discussions, and various themes
and issues related to our subject (d) an on-going account of your “mythic
detective activity” (e) responses to the blogs of your classmates (f) links to
websites you find important, relevant, and interesting (g) miscellaneous
assignments (h) a draft and then a final
version of your short term paper on the topic “My Life as a Mythic Detective.
You may negotiate with the instructor for another topic if you convince him
that it is important. There will be a total of 600 points in this class: Quiz
1: 100; Quiz 2: 100; Term Paper: 100; Presentation:100; Journal: 150; Final
Exam: 50. Each student will be expected to make presentations both individual
and communal. Details will be explained in class. Details concerning the
creation of an electronic blog will be discussed by those who have done them in
the past. If you wish to consult an exemplary or model journal from previous
classes go to: http://jennythornburgsmyths.wordpress.com. Note how this journal not only satisfies the
requirements but uses the resources of the internet to make the site appealing.
When you have created your blog, email it to me: michael.sexson@msu.montana.edu,
and I will forward it to everyone in the class who will then bookmark it. If
you don’t see your name listed in the blog of our two “master bloggers,” notify
me and we will make amends. The rule of thumb we will follow as to the number
of blog entries is “one for each class period.”
A more precise schedule of
events including dates for quizzes and presentations will be forthcoming after
the first few weeks of class.
The word “myth” comes
from the Greek “mythos” which means “story,” or “fable,” or “fabrication,” or
“fiction.” Therefore, prepare yourself to be immersed in stories, not only from
the most obvious source in western culture--the Greeks and Romans-----but from
all over the world, and, most importantly, from your own lives.
Between now and the first installment of the class schedule,
begin reading The Metamorphoses of Ovid.
This, as you will find out, is not an easy read, for it contains at
least 250 separate stories which are strung together on the thread of “change”
or “transformation” and it was composed two thousand years ago. The stories,
however, are among the most beloved and entertaining ever, and if you get
confused or bored with one, just wait a few minutes, for another one is coming
that will enthrall you. Also, be aware,
as you are reading, that a good discussion of these stories involves thinking
about them in many contexts, so, as you are reading, begin blogging what has
been said and thought about them, especially how they are considered by the
artists of the world.
That, and begin looking for mythic clues everywhere.
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