Required textbooks may include: World Mythology, Mythology, and/or Myths and Meaning
Course Overview:
This course offers students the study of stories of early Greece and Rome which tell of creation, heroes, war and warriors, and famous events. Myths from other countries and cultures may also be examined which may include literature from seven major cultural groups: Greece/Rome, Middle East, Northern Europe, Britain, Far East, Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Americas. Mythology is not just about the stories that are told, but also reveals much about the culture and time periods in which they developed. Each myth represents a cultural belief or beliefs. We will examine how these stories served the cultures in which they were written and how they may speak to us and apply to us today. In addition to the following selections, we may read urban legends, folktales, and fairy tales. Students may complete a project in which they find and research a myth, write a paper about it, and present it to the class.
Reading selections may also include:
The Iliad
The Odyssey
Medea
Sigurd the Volsung
Beowulf
King Arthur
Gilgmesh
The Ramayana
Essential Questions:
What is a myth?
What is mythology?
What are/were the purposes of myths?
How do myths reflect the beliefs of various cultures?
How has mythology influenced literature and pop culture?