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[*Folklore and Mythology 90d. African Women Storytellers]
Catalog Number: 8479 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Deborah D. Foster
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Reading (in translation) transcribed oral narratives, praise poems, autobiographies, plays and songs, in conjunction with historical and ethnographic sources, in this seminar we will attempt to understand the way in which (some) African women have shaped and been shaped by their societies, nations and families, how they envision their lives in relation to these social groupings, and how they express their experiences through these various performances.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. Preference given to Folklore and Mythology and African and African American Studies Concentrators, and students pursuing a Secondary Field in Folklore and Mythology.
[Folklore and Mythology 90f. The Moonbat Monologues: Tinfoil Hats, Conspiracies, and Popular Culture]
Catalog Number: 6106
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Reviews American popular culture at the extremes in light of theories about ’scapegoats’, rumor (or moral) panics, and Internet hoaxes. Probable case studies include conspiracies about 9/11, "blood for oil", the CBS National Guard hoax, the Kennedy assassination, the Apollo 11 moon landing, Area 51, SRA, and ZOG.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
[Folklore and Mythology 90g. Saga and Legend] - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6086
Joseph C. Harris
Half course (spring term).
Hours to be arranged.
The Icelandic family sagas are rooted in history and legend. The course will attempt to introduce the relevant history and especially to study the concept of legend. The literary history of the sagas is a famous unsolved problem that is usually viewed in terms of an oral-literary binary; I propose to throw a different light on the problem by studying the sagas through the folkloristic lens of legend.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
*Folklore and Mythology 91r. Supervised Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 2425
Deborah D. Foster and members of the Committee
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term).
Hours to be arranged.
Instruction and direction of reading on material not treated in regular courses of instruction; special work on topics in folklore, mythology, and oral literature. Normally available only to concentrators in Folklore and Mythology.
Note: Applicants must consult the Chairman of the Committee or the Head Tutor. The signature of the Chairman or the Head Tutor is required.
*Folklore and Mythology 97 (formerly *Folklore and Mythology 97a). Fieldwork and Ethnography in Folklore
Catalog Number: 3789 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Deborah D. Foster
Half course (spring term). Th., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Introduces concentrators to the study of traditions - their performance, collection, representation and interpretation. Both ethnographic and theoretical readings serve as the material for class discussion and the foundation for experimental fieldwork projects.
Note: Required of all, and limited to, concentrators.
*Folklore and Mythology 98a (formerly *Folklore and Mythology 97b). Oral Literature and the History of Folkloristics
Catalog Number: 5039 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Joseph C. Harris
Half course (fall term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Considers the implications of orality, literacy, performance, and transmission from ethnographic, literary and historical points of view. Examples and case-studies typically drawn from the Balkans, the American Southwest, Africa, and medieval Europe. Tutorial readings include works by Parry, Lord, Nagy, Ong, Foley, Zumthor, and Bauman.
Note: Required of all, and limited to, concentrators.
*Folklore and Mythology 98b (formerly *Folklore and Mythology 98). Tutorial — Junior Year
Catalog Number: 3685
Deborah D. Foster and members of the Committee
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of all concentrators. The signature of the Head Tutor or Chairman of the Committee on Degrees in Folklore and Mythology required. Normally taken in the second term of the junior year.
*Folklore and Mythology 99. Tutorial — Senior Year
Catalog Number: 3886
Deborah D. Foster and members of the Committee
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Note: Required of all concentrators. The signature of the Head Tutor or Chairman of the Committee on Degrees in Folklore and Mythology required. Graded Sat/Unsat.
(About the Senior Tutorial)
Culture and Belief 16 (formerly Folklore and Mythology 100). Performance, Tradition and Cultural Studies: An Introduction to Folklore and Mythology - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6753
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines major forms of folklore (e.g., myths, legends, epics, beliefs, rituals, festivals) and the theoretical approaches used in their study. Analyzes how folklore shapes national, regional, and ethnic identities, as well as daily life; considers the function of folklore within the groups that perform and use it, employing materials drawn from a wide range of areas (e.g., South Slavic oral epics, American occupational lore, Northern European ballads, witchcraft in Africa and America, Cajun Mardi Gras).
Note: Required of Concentrators and for the Secondary Field in Folklore & Mythology.
[Folklore and Mythology 106. Witchcraft and Charm Magic]
Catalog Number: 8749
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Reviews witchcraft and magic in medieval and early modern Europe (ca. 400–1700), focusing on such topics as pagan survivals in post-Conversion Europe; the construction of witchcraft in Church doctrine; charm magic and its performance in folk tradition; the witch-hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries; folk beliefs; the portrayal of witchcraft in film, fiction and folklore; and the historical roots of neo-paganism.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
Folklore and Mythology 114. Embodied Expression/Expressive Body: Dance in Cultural Context
Catalog Number: 7982 Enrollment: Limited to 16.
Deborah D. Foster
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 2–3:30. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
An examination of the ways in which the dancing body internalizes and communicates cultural knowledge to both dancer and observer. By participating in dance workshops, watching dance performances (live and on film), and reading ethnographic and theoretical texts, we attempt to understand the emergent meaning of dance performances from multiple perspectives.
Folklore and Mythology 126. Continuing Oral Tradition in Native American Literature
Catalog Number: 9787
Lisa T. Brooks
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Rather than textual artifacts of a cultural past, Native American oral literatures are living traditions in particular landscapes, activities in which communities are engaged. Features trips to local Native places and close readings of recorded communal tellings and literary texts. Explores the role of oral traditions in Native American literature, emphasizing the intertextual and interdependent relationship between the oral and the written.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for Culture and Belief.
[Folklore and Mythology 127. Motherland: Gender, Indigeneity, and the American Environment]
Catalog Number: 4794
Lisa T. Brooks
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Seminar focused on contemporary Native American literature that explores the representation and conceptualization of a feminine, and ecologically potent, American land. Readings may include Cheryl Savageau’s Mother/land (poetry), Leslie Marmon Silko’s Gardens in the Dunes, Marilou Awiakta’s Selu, Linda Hogan’s Power, Deborah Miranda’s Indian Cartography (poetry), as well as parallel comparative texts such as Susan Orleans’ The Orchid Thief, Alice Walker’s "In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens," and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
Folklore and Mythology 163. Modern Scandinavian Folklore - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5233
Lena Elisabeth Norrman (University of Minnesota)
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
The course examines Nordic expressive culture in its narrative (e.g. ballads, folktales, legends) and non-narrative (e.g. superstitions, folk beliefs, folk art) forms since the 19th century; in addition, we will consider the study of ’folk-liv’ and ethnology in Scandinavia and its important contribution to international folkloristics.
Folklore and Mythology 170. Folk Art in the Modern World - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 1278
Felicity A. Lufkin
Half course (spring term). W., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 7, 8
Folk art is a world-wide phenomenon, with a lasting importance to modern culture and to national identities. But what are the commonalities and variations in how folk art is defined,what types are prized, and how is it studied, perpetuated, and preserved?
Folklore and Mythology 171. Chinese New Year Pictures: Folk Art and Visual Culture - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 0485
Felicity A. Lufkin
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 3
The colorful woodcut prints now commonly known as New Year pictures or nianhua are one of China’s best known folk arts, thriving into the 20th c. We will look at how these prints were made and distributed, the roles they played in everyday life, and what they can tell us about the interactions of high and low, rural and urban, and tradition and modernity within Chinese culture and art.
*Folklore and Mythology 191r. Supervised Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 3255
Deborah D. Foster and members of the Committee
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Advanced reading in topics not covered in regular courses.
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CORE CURRICULUM
Foreign Cultures 46. Caribbean Societies: Socioeconomic Change and Cultural Adaptations
Catalog Number: 6357
Orlando Patterson
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Caribbean societies are largely the economic and political creations of Western imperial powers. Though in the West, they are only partly of it, and their popular cultures are highly original blends of African and European forms. The course examines the area as a system emerging from a situation of great social and cultural diversity to the present tendency toward socio-economic and cultural convergence. Patterns of underdevelopment are explored through case studies of Latin and Afro-Caribbean states, as are cultural adaptations through studies of Afro-Caribbean religions, folkways, and music.
Foreign Cultures 74. Cultures of Southern Europe
Catalog Number: 0603
Michael Herzfeld
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
This is a survey of the modern cultures of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Spain. Southern Europe has been viewed as both the fount of “Western civilization” and as a poor and crime-ridden backwater; it has been home to imperial powers and humiliated client-states alike. Through the reading of anthropological field studies (urban and rural), literary and historical portrayals, and artistic representations (including film and opera), this course focuses on what such contradictions mean for people in those countries at the level of everyday life, and provides an account of differences as well as similarities among the countries discussed.
Literature and Arts A-11. Arthurian Literature: Epic versus Romance
Catalog Number: 0995
James Simpson
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12
A permanent fault-line runs throughout Western literature, between epic and romance. Epic contests territory, while romance discovers the self. Epic focuses on charismatic leaders, represents the rise and fall of societies, and depicts war across a realistic geography. Romance focuses on the energetic young, represents trials of sexual desire ending either in marriage or adultery, and has a symbolic geography. Epic and romance critique each other, without resolving this inevitable conflict. This course focuses on brilliant examples of literature about King Arthur’s court, written between the 12th and the 15th centuries, with some reference to 19th-century English and American texts.
Literature and Arts A-17. Childhood: Its History, Philosophy, and Literature
Catalog Number: 4852 Enrollment: Limited to 200.
Maria Tatar
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 1, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15
With the so-called discovery or invention of childhood in the 16th and 17th centuries came a newfound emotional attachment, imaginative investment, and philosophical interest in the child. We explore literature for the child (Alice in Wonderland) as well as literature about the child (Lolita) and investigate how childhood has been constructed, investigated, and represented. Analysis of works by Locke, Rousseau, and Freud, as well as Dickens, J. M. Barrie, Henry James, and Roald Dahl.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10.
Literature and Arts A-47. The Perfect Tale: The Art of Storytelling in Medieval France
Catalog Number: 6627
Virginie Greene
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 14
The goal of this course is to present students with medieval literature as creative writing. It focuses on 12th- and 13th-century Old French narratives that influenced greatly the development of European literature and are still a source of inspiration for writers and screenwriters. Our reading of Arthurian romances, epics, chronicles, and short stories explores the innovative techniques that master story-tellers such as Chrétien de Troyes and Marie de France developed to start and end a story, build a character, delineate a plot, entertain and educate their readers.
Note: No knowledge of French required.
[Literature and Arts A-53. “Athens and Jerusalem”: Self and Other in Classical Greek and Hebrew Literature]
Catalog Number: 8681
Peter Machinist and Bennett Simon (Medical School)
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
Examines the representation of “self” and “other” in two literatures foundational to Western culture, Classical Greek and Biblical Hebrew. The premise is the necessity of an “other” in order to define the “self.” Starts with “Athens” and “Jerusalem” as emblematic of the self/other polarity that the West drew out of these literatures. Then explores in them other manifestations of self and other: group identity and group origins, woman and deity as other, the development of heroic selfhood, and the emergence of self-knowledge. Emphasizes throughout how poetic and narrative forms both shape and are shaped by visions of self and other.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
Literature and Arts A-67. Poetry and Power: The Celtic Bard
Catalog Number: 0631
Catherine McKenna
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 13
The Celtic word “bard” comes from languages now spoken by relatively few. Once, bards were powerful: they could destroy weak, unjust, or greedy kings with their invective, or make good kings prosperous, victorious and fertile. Over time, poets found new ways to use their powers–in love, in politics, in lament. When their languages began to retreat before the advancing tide of English, bards found themselves making poems about language and about poetry itself. We read (in translation, but with glimpses of the originals) poetry of Celtic bards from the Middle Ages to the present, tracing the transformations of power that it undergoes.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10.
Literature and Arts B-78. Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World
Catalog Number: 2093
Kay Kaufman Shelemay
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Many musical traditions at the turn of the 21st century cross geographic boundaries. Nowhere are diverse music traditions more prominently represented in public performance and maintained in private practice than in North America, where centuries of immigration and an increasingly multiethnic population have given rise to a complex musical environment. “Soundscapes” explores a cross-section of the different musical styles that coexist and interact in today’s society, examining their relationship to their historical homelands and to their present-day settings.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10.
Literature and Arts C-14. Concepts of the Hero in Greek Civilization
Catalog Number: 3915
Gregory Nagy
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
The true “hero” of this course is the logos or “word” of logical reasoning, as activated by Socratic dialogue. The logos of dialogue requires careful thinking, realized in close reading and reflective writing. The last “word” in the course will come from Plato’s memories of Socrates’ last days. These memories depend on a thorough understanding of heroic concepts in all their historical varieties throughout Greek civilization. This course leads to such an understanding through dialogues, guiding the attentive reader through many ancient Greek Classics, including works by Homer, Hesiod, Sappho, Alcman, Pindar, Theognis, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Herodotus, and Plato.
[Literature and Arts C-18. Hindu Myth, Image, and Pilgrimage]
Catalog Number: 7384
Diana L. Eck
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 13
An exploration of the religious worlds and gods of Hindu India–Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, and Devi–through readings in the classical Puranas, the Ramayana, and devotional poetry. Studies the visual images through which the gods are envisioned and embodied and the meaning of such a repertoire of images. Tracks the relationship of these gods to the living landscape of temples and pilgrimage sites in India today.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. For students under the Core requirement, counts as either Literature and Arts C or Foreign Cultures, but not both.
[Literature and Arts C-20. The Hero of Irish Myth and Saga]
Catalog Number: 7817
Tomás Ó Cathasaigh
Half course (spring term). M., W., at 12, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 5
A study of the ways in which the hero is represented in early Irish sources, especially in the saga literature. The texts reflect the ideology and concerns of a society which had been converted to Christianity, but continued to draw on its Indo-European and Celtic heritage. The biographies of the Ulster hero, Cú Chulainn, of his divine father, Lug, and of certain king-heroes are studied in depth. The wisdom literature, and archaeological and historical evidence will be taken into account.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
[Literature and Arts C-28. Icon-Ritual-Text: Reading the Culture of Medieval Rus’]
Catalog Number: 2798
Michael S. Flier
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
An introduction to the culture of the medieval East Slavs, precursors of the Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. The course examines icon and fresco painting, architecture, ritual, music, folklore, and literature in historical and social context for clues to the evolution of an apocalyptic worldview, extending from the Christianization of Rus’ in the 10th century, through the reign of Ivan the Terrible, to the advent of Peter the Great at the end of the 17th century.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. All readings in English.
GEN ED
Culture and Belief 15. The Presence of the Past - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7544
Julie A. Buckler
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 11, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 4
Explores how material artifacts and physical markers of the past help create contemporary cultural landscapes and how societies variously construct and employ "a usable past." Examples from United States, post-Soviet sphere, Europe and postcolonial states illustrate the workings of cultural politics, collective memory, museums, monuments, memorials, souvenirs, memorabilia, and commemorative practices. Literary texts, artworks, and film suggest diverse cultural meanings of the past as presence.
Culture and Belief 16 (formerly Folklore and Mythology 100). Performance, Tradition and Cultural Studies: An Introduction to Folklore and Mythology - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 6753
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines major forms of folklore (e.g., myths, legends, epics, beliefs, rituals, festivals) and the theoretical approaches used in their study. Analyzes how folklore shapes national, regional, and ethnic identities, as well as daily life; considers the function of folklore within the groups that perform and use it, employing materials drawn from a wide range of areas (e.g., South Slavic oral epics, American occupational lore, Northern European ballads, witchcraft in Africa and America, Cajun Mardi Gras).
Note: Required of Concentrators and for the Secondary Field in Folklore & Mythology.
COURSES
African and African American Studies 187. African Religions
Catalog Number: 0094
Jacob Olupona
Half course (fall term). Th., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 18
This course is a basic introduction to the history and phenomenology of traditional religions of the African peoples. Using diverse methodological and theoretical approaches, the course will explore various forms of experiences and practices that provide a deep understanding and appreciation of the sacred meaning of African existence: myth, ritual arts, and symbols selected from West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3690.
Anthropology 1630. Other People’s Beliefs: The Anthropology of Religion
Catalog Number: 9598
Smita Lahiri
Half course (fall term). M., W., at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
From its inception as a discipline addressing non-Western cultures, anthropology has examined the religious beliefs and practices of people who are “not us.” Yet the cross-cultural study of phenomena such as “ritual,” “sacrifice,” and the “sacred” also renders absolute distinctions between “us” and “them” untenable. At a time when religion is in resurgence from the Americas to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, we survey the contribution of anthropology to understanding its complexity and resilience.
Anthropology 1640. Language and Culture
Catalog Number: 5844
Steven C. Caton
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 10. EXAM GROUP: 12
Examines the ways forms of speaking can constitute cultural life and vice versa. A comprehensive overview of linguistic theories of structuralism and their criticism will form the basis on which to proceed to an ethnography of speaking in different societies. Topics will include: the structuralism of Ferdinand de Saussure, the Sapir-Whorf Relativity Hypothesis and its modern evocations, pragmatics, performativity, Bakhtinian dialogicality, and poetry and poetics.
Note: No previous knowledge of linguistics or of anthropology is required.
[Anthropology 1870. Island Southeast Asia: Circulating Cultures]
Catalog Number: 5149
Mary M. Steedly
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
An introduction to island Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei) emphasizing circulations of people, goods, ideas, beliefs, wealth, power, and images. Island Southeast Asia has a long history of involvement in global networks of economic distribution, exchange and appropriation. We will focus on cultural dimensions of such circulations, with topics to include urban gridlock, gay slang, terrorism, theme parks, female labor, political crisis, new media, democratization, and the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. Expected to be given in 2009-10. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core requirement for Foreign Cultures.
[Armenian Studies 100. Armenian Epic]
Catalog Number: 2576
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Reading in translation of The Wild Men of Sasun, with analysis of native historical and mythological sources, and thematic comparison to epic poetry of the neighboring Iranians (Ossetic Narts, Persian Shah-nameh, Kurdish epic songs), Turks (Dede Korkut), and Greeks (Digenes Akrites).
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
[Armenian 120. Armenian Magical Texts]
Catalog Number: 7221
James R. Russell
Half course (fall term). Th., 3–6. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Armenian magical texts include codices, scrolls, and separately-printed saints’ lives used for good or ill, containing magic squares and symbols, the latter mostly deriving from Islamic magic. The course will consider literary sources of magic texts (e.g., the prayer Havatov khostovanim, the meditations of Narek), parallel traditions (esp. Christian Ethiopia), and the consideration of the paintings in Armenian magical manuscripts from the standpoint of the genre of Outsider Art.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
Celtic 137. Celtic Mythology
Catalog Number: 1300
Tomás Ó Cathasaigh
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A survey of the sources for the study of Celtic mythology, with special attention to selected texts from early Ireland and Wales.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10. All texts are read in English translation.
[Celtic 138. Narrative Traditions of Medieval Wales]
Catalog Number: 6480
Catherine McKenna
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
An exploration of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, Welsh Arthurian romances and tales, and the bardic lore associated with them, in the context of the literary culture of Wales in the twelfth through fourteenth centuries.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. All texts are read in English translation.
[Celtic 151. The Literature of Medieval Celtic Christianity]
Catalog Number: 5560
Catherine McKenna
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
A study of selected texts representative of early and medieval Christianity in Ireland and Wales, including monastic rules and penitentials, saints’ lives, voyage and vision narratives, and lyric and bardic poetry.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. All texts are read in English translation.
Celtic 166. The Folklore of Women
Catalog Number: 0509
Barbara L. Hillers
Half course (spring term). M., W., (F.), at 3. EXAM GROUP: 8
Investigates women’s songs and stories collected from Irish, Scottish, and Breton oral tradition. Reading (and, whenever possible, listening to) ballads, work songs, wonder tales, fairy legends, and humorous anecdotes traditionally performed by women, we explore the way women have used oral literature to enhance, underscore, sidestep, subvert, and transcend the gender roles allocated to them within their rural patriarchal communities.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10. All texts are read in English translation.
Celtic 184. The Táin
Catalog Number: 2150
Tomás Ó Cathasaigh
Half course (fall term). M., W., (F.), at 12. EXAM GROUP: 5
A study of the exuberant Irish prose epic Táin Bó Cuailnge (‘Cattle-Raid of Cooley’).
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2009–10. Text read in English translation.
Chinese Literature 132. Chinatowns
Catalog Number: 8316
Eileen Cheng-yin Chow
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Explores ways that “Chinatown” has circulated as ‘memory, fantasy, narrative, myth’ in the dominant cultural imagination the last century and a half, and how realities of overseas communities, Asian American history, and conceptions of ‘Chineseness’ have engaged with real and phantom Chinatowns. Though emphasis is on cultural and theoretical issues rather than socio-historical study of the “Chinatown” phenomenon, participants are encouraged to pursue multi-disciplinary approaches, such as studies in urban history, economics, or creative projects.
Note: Primarily for undergraduates; graduate students may enroll with permission of instructor.
Chinese Literature 150. China’s Greatest Folktales: Old Tales in New Media - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7777
Wilt L. Idema and David Der-Wei Wang
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
This class will look at China’s most famous traditional tales, such as Mulan, Meng Jiangnü, The White Snake and Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. We will study both the richness and variety of these tales in premodern times, and the way in which modern and contemporary artists and intellectuals have reflected on these tales in their essays and novels, and adapted them for the stage and the screen in their search conituity between the Chinese past and the Chinese present.
Note: This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core requirement for Foreign Cultures.
Classical Studies 154. The Ancient Novel - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 7862
David F. Elmer
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 1. EXAM GROUP: 15
The ancient novels, with their sensational tales of kidnappings, battles, human sacrifice, and above all romance, were immensely popular in antiquity and exercised a strong influence on the early development of the modern novel. We will explore the conventions and contexts of this rich tradition by reading the five surviving Greek novels, the Golden Ass of the Romanized African Apuleius, and selected Near Eastern texts.
Note: Non-concentrators are welcome.
Dramatic Arts 127. Rite of Spring at the Nexus of Art and Ritual - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 9660
Christine Dakin
Half course (spring term). Tu., 3–6. EXAM GROUP: 17, 18
Explore the universal appeal of the Rite of Spring, the quintessential music/dance/theater embodiment of the artist’s transformation of ritual to art and art to ritual. Christine Dakin, principal dancer, Artistic Director Laureate of the Martha Graham Dance Company will lead an examination of the original Stravinsky/Nijinsky and four later Rites: German-Pina Bausch, Mexican-Jaime Blanc and American-Martha Graham and Stephen Petronio. Laboratory work develops elements of a contemporary ritual.
Note: No prior dance, music, or theatre experience necessary.
East Asian Studies 180. Korea Wave
Catalog Number: 9177
David McCann
Half course (spring term). Tu., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 15, 16
Cinema, music, television, dance, food, clothing, currency, and language: the present-day "waves" that seem one after another to sweep across East Asia’s borders and boundaries also have historical counterparts. The course will examine the seismic events and media, practices, and circulation systems that constitute the contemporary Korean culture scene, and then how these are linked to or disassociated from the past.
English 187. Native American Literary Traditions
Catalog Number: 3570
Lisa T. Brooks
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., at 11. EXAM GROUP: 13
Introduction to the Native literatures of North America, focusing on the interpretation of oral traditions, political prose, fiction and poetry through indigenous cultural and historical frameworks. Includes a wide range of readings, from the Mayan Popol Vuh and the Haudenosaunee Great Law to the contemporary fiction of Erdrich, Silko, and Alexie. Features an interactive component, offering students the opportunity to learn through speakers and events that locate texts in particular social and geographic landscapes.
*History and Literature 90o. Native American Literature: Narrations of Nationhood - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 3040 Enrollment: Limited to 15.
Lisa T. Brooks
Half course (fall term). Th., 1–3.
How have Native American authors written the native nation? How has writing contributed to the process of imagining the space of the nation in the wake of colonization? Reaching across temporal boundaries from indigenous oral traditions, to the texts of the encounter and protest writing, to contemporary poetry, fiction, and political prose, this interactive course provides substantial grounding in the literature and the history of Native America and fosters critical discussion of contemporary issues.
[Indian Studies 207a. Understanding Indian Ritual]
Catalog Number: 1214
Michael Witzel
Half course (fall term). Th., at 5:30. EXAM GROUP: 18
Investigates the indigenous theory and practice of Indian ritual, from its beginnings in the second millennium BCE (Rgveda) to present time. Stress on the development of the Agnihotra and Homa and Puja rituals, with materials from Vedic, Puranic, Tantric, and Buddhist sources, including their use in Bali, Tibet and Japan, and audio-vidual materials. Recent theories of ritual will also be discussed. Sanskrit texts are used in translation, while read in original in the tandem course, Sanskrit 214.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Indian Studies 207b. Understanding Indian Ritual]
Catalog Number: 8416
Michael Witzel
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Continuation of Indian Studies 207a.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
[Italian 141. Renaissance Epic]
Catalog Number: 5328
Francesco Erspamer
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
The literary masterpieces of the golden century of Italian civilization were two narrative poems, Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, both celebrating the chivalric spirit of a bygone era. The course analyzes their relation with the epic tradition and their significance in the making of the modern conception of the world.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. Conducted in English.
[Japanese History 125. Japanese Religious Traditions: Spirituality and Popular Culture]
Catalog Number: 0725
Ryuichi Abe
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2–3:30.
An introductory course designed for students to understand some central values in Japanese religious culture. It first observes popular religious ceremonies, festivals, and rituals and studies their historical transformation; then investigates the interaction between Buddhism and native Japanese religion; and finally studies the permeating influence of religion on traditional Japanese art and literature. The concluding section considers wide-ranging contemporary and traditional religious issues in Japanese popular culture.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10.
Japanese History 126. Shinto: Conference Course
Catalog Number: 3097
Helen Hardacre
Half course (spring term). W., 4–6. EXAM GROUP: 9
An examination of Shinto, emphasizing its concepts of deity (kami), patterns of ritual and festival, shrines as religious and social institutions, political culture and interactions with party politics, and its contribution to contemporary youth culture.
Note: General knowledge of Japanese history and religion is helpful. Japanese language is not required, but several meetings will be held for students able to use Japanese-language sources. Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3960.
Jewish Studies 104. Introduction to Yiddish Culture
Catalog Number: 8611
Yuri Vedenyapin
Half course (spring term). W., 3–5. EXAM GROUP: 8, 9
Exploration of a thousand years of Jewish culture, from the earliest settlements in Germany and Poland to the present. Examination of its geographical, intellectual, and artistic breadth through the history of the Yiddish language, selections of Yiddish literature, the press, film, theater, and klezmer music. Analysis of Jewish mysticism and superstitions; food and dress; rituals and beliefs; gender, family, and sexuality. Particular attention given to the relevance of Yiddish culture today and its influence on the arts and politics in the U.S., Israel, Eastern Europe, and around the world.
Note: All course readings and lectures will be in English. No knowledge of Yiddish is required. May be taken Pass/Fail.
Literature 162 (formerly *Comparative Literature 207). Theory and Methods in Comparative Oral Traditions: Seminar
Catalog Number: 7426
Gregory Nagy
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
Genres, forms, and themes of oral traditions in poetry and prose. Theories of performance and composition. Comparative metrical and formulaic analysis.
Note: Knowledge of Greek not required.
Medieval Latin 120. Wisdom and Learning
Catalog Number: 4019
Jan Ziolkowski
Half course (fall term). Tu., 2–4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
Examines literature in which earthly wisdom and book learning are contrasted or conflated. Explores interaction among biblical, classical, and native (especially Germanic and Celtic) traditions of wisdom. Works include Solomon and Marcolf, mirrors for princes, proverbs, and question-and-answer dialogues.
Note: No prior experience with Medieval Latin necessary.
[Modern Greek 145 (formerly Comparative Literature 145). Dreams and Literature]
Catalog Number: 8412
Panagiotis Roilos
Half course (fall term). Tu., 1–3.
Against the dual background of ancient and medieval commentaries on the one hand, and modern psychoanalytic and ethnographic studies on the other, diverse literary texts will be explored. The major focus will be on Greek literature, but examples from other European literatures will also be considered (including film). Major topics: typology of dreams; dreams as narratives; dreaming and writing; religious dimensions. Theoretical readings to include: Aristotle, Aelius Aristides, Artemidorus, Synesius of Cyrene; Freud, Jung, Levi-Strauss, Foucault, Lyotard.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. Students who have previously taken Comparative Literature 145, Dreams and Literature, may not take this course for credit.
[Music 208r. Ethnomusicology: Seminar]
Catalog Number: 2232
Kay Kaufman Shelemay
Half course (fall term).
Hours to be arranged.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.
Music 209r. Ethnomusicology: Seminar
Catalog Number: 4022
Ingrid Monson
Half course (spring term). M., 1–3.
Music and Cultural Theory. Since the 1980’s, the fields of musicology and ethnomusicology have seen an influx of new thinking that draws on interdisciplinary trends in the humanities and the social sciences with emphasis on anthropology and poststructural criticism.
Note: Open to undergraduates with permission of instructor.
Religion 17. Myth in History: An Introduction to Religion and to the Study of Religion - (New Course)
Catalog Number: 5462
Charles Hallisey
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 11:30-12:30, and a weekly section to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
W. C. Smith said, "the mythical can be seen as what has made human history human." Taking up this idea, this course considers myth as a basic religious phenomena; introduces four religious complexes (Ancient Greek, Christian, Islamic, and Hindu) by looking at the place of myth in each; traces the role that the category of myth has played in the academic study of religion; explores the place of myth in modern critical thinking.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3841.
[Religion 1001. Religion and Ethnography]
Catalog Number: 9270
Marla F. Frederick
Half course (fall term). M., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
This course explores the use of ethnographic methods by anthropologists and scholars of religion as a means of interpreting the lived religious experiences of everyday people. Students will read contemporary ethnographies and conduct their own ethnographic research in order to discover how participant observation, interviews and other qualitative methods allow scholars to make sense of the very real religious sensibilities of worshipers, while simultaneously bringing to bear their own issues of subjectivity as ethnographers.
Note: Expected to be given in 2010–11.
Religion 1011. The Tree at the Center of the World
Catalog Number: 9064 Enrollment: Limited to 25.
Application at the first meeting.
Kimberley C. Patton (Divinity School)
Half course (fall term). W., 1–3. EXAM GROUP: 6, 7
This comparative conference course will examine historical and contemporary traditions of primordial, cosmic, and sacred trees in religion, folklore, mythology, and ritual, including the ways in which the special natural characteristics of trees have been interpreted metaphorically and metaphysically. We will consider primary iconographic and textual evidence as well as secondary sources. Individual research projects in particular traditions will be featured.
Note: Offered jointly with the Divinity School as 3823.
Scandinavian 150 (formerly Scandinavian 80). The Vikings and the Nordic Heroic Tradition
Catalog Number: 3974
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., at 1, and an additional hour to be arranged. EXAM GROUP: 15
Examines the heroic legacy resulting from the historical events in northern Europe A.D. 800 to A.D. 1100, concentrating on medieval Icelandic poetry and sagas. The course focuses on how these texts present their heroes as warriors, kings, poets, outlaws and adventurers, and reviews how the viking image is received and shaped in later periods. Pre-Christian mythology, the viking raids and the Norse experience in “Vinland” carefully considered.
Note: All readings and discussions in English. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the Core area requirement for Literature and Arts A.
[Scandinavian 160a. Old Norse Language, Literature, and Culture: The Viking Legacy]
Catalog Number: 1139 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (fall term).
Hours to be arranged.
Introduction to the language and literary culture of medieval Scandinavia, emphasizing works treating the Viking Age and their valorization of an heroic ideal. In addition to basic language skills, students acquire familiarity with key critical tools of the field. Readings include scaldic poetry, selections from Egils saga and the Vinland sagas, and various runic monuments.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. May be counted toward the Folklore and Mythology 90 requirement.
[Scandinavian 160br (formerly Scandinavian 160b). Old Norse Language, Literature, and Culture: Mythology]
Catalog Number: 7588 Enrollment: Limited to 12.
Stephen A. Mitchell
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Builds on Scandinavian 160a, continuing the language study and cultural survey of the first term, but now considers mythological texts relating to Viking religious life, mainly selections from the prose and poetic Eddas. Special attention is paid to scholarly tools and debates concerned with the interpretation of these cultural monuments.
Note: Expected to be given in 2009–10. May be counted toward the Folklore and Mythology 90 requirement.
Prerequisite: Scandinavian 160a or equivalent.
*Visual and Environmental Studies 153ar. Intermediate Animation--Making an Animated Film: Studio Course
Catalog Number: 5211 Enrollment: Limited to 10.
Simon Pummell
Half course (fall term). W., 1–5, and weekly film screenings F., 1–3.
Each student will design and produce a single short animation project based on an original idea, or a literary, mythic, or folkloric source of their choice. We will explore the possibilities and problems matching form and content in animated films, and develop conceptual tools each student can employ in the creation of individual project work. This course will accept both introduction level and intermediate level students.
can be counted for concentration credit. |