HUM 115 100 World Mythology - Syllabus Professor Catlyn Keenan 303.678.3817 catlyn.keenan@frontrange.

e.edu Syllabus subject to change Course Description Introduces students to the mythologies of various cultures with a special emphasis on Greece, Asia and North America. Common themes are illustrated and some artistic reactions are used as examples. One important aspect of studying religion is remembering to respect other cultures. Many of the myths, legends, and ideologies may be foreign to many and it is vital to keep an open mind. The material presented in this class is based on educated scholarship and is not intended to encourage an ideology or religion. Intolerance will not be tolerated. Required Texts Myth & Knowing: An Introduction to World Mythology by Scott Leonard and Michael McClure Classical Myth by Barry B. Powell CCCS Competencies View Demonstrate knowledge of mythological heritage: study how myths form, why the form, and how they influence culture. Psychological implications: what do myths mean? How do they affect people? Historical contexts: Gain an understanding of the cultures out of which myths arise. Demonstrate knowledge of mythological motifs and characters in fiction and art. Discuss ancient and modern mythology in daily living and thought. Course Requirements: 1. Participation: this class is set up as a seminar and discussion will be a main component. You are expected to contribute and be prepared. A total of 80 points will be assigned for attendance, preparation and participation. Tardiness will impact participation grade. An additional 20 points will be allocated for entries in the Blackboard discussions. You must contribute a total of 12 entries to receive full credit in response to either the questions I pose each week or in response to another students post. Online Discussions: This gives students the opportunity to discuss what they are learning with their peers. A topic will be posted each week and students are required both to respond to the topic and to one another. Students may ask questions in addition to commenting on the topic. This is a less formal conversation and will involve topics that relate myth to modern life. 2. Assigned readings must be completed before class. If you don't read, your participation grade will suffer. Short written responses will demonstrate close reading of material, evidencing critical engagement with the information.

2 3. Paper: There is one 5 page research paper due this semester. You may choose one myth of your choice to focus your paper. Using the text, choose a methodology (Jung, Freud, Eliade, Campbell, etc.) and analyze the myth using the methodology you have chosen. Start by identifying all of the important symbolism and then, using your method, analyze what those symbols might mean. Include as much detail as possible and remember to adhere to the critical thinking standards of depth, clarity, breadth, accuracy, fairness, precision, relevance and logic. (Each of these intellectual standards is outlined in detail in the Writing Guidelines.) a. You are expected to use at least three sources in addition to the textbook(s). You may use articles, books, or internet sources as long as the sources are of academic quality, peer reviewed and written by an author in the field of mythology or religious studies. For specific guidelines see Attachment A. b. In addition to the paper, you are expected to provide online written responses, a Museum Visit report, and written responses on take home exams. This means that 66% of your grade is determined be critical writing that you will have the opportunity to polish and perfect. 4. Exams: There are two take-home exams. 30% of the exam will be defining terms and concepts. 40% of the exam will be a critical response to questions about the study of myth, and 30% will be a critical analysis of the a myth or a comparison of two or more myths. This means that 70% of the exams are writing responses that should evidence polish (no spelling or grammatical errors) and critical thinking. For a sample exam, see Attachment B. Presentation Projects: You will be responsible for working in teams of two and presenting on one of the assigned readings. In addition, you will need to research your topic and bring additional information to class. Be prepared to hand in lecture notes or talking points of your presentation. Presentation: Students will work in teams of two in the formation of a 20 minute presentation on one of the topics listed in the syllabus (see below). The presentation rubric is attached as Attachment C. As always, students will be graded on the degree of critical thinking evidenced in their presentation. 5. You will select topic during the second week of class. a. Be creative in your presentations! Consider using PowerPoint for images that illustrate your topic. Search YouTube for videos. Bring in an additional myth to examine. Ask provocative questions for discussion. b. See the Presentation Rubric for additional information. Museum Visit: We will visit the Denver Art Museum during the term. More information will be forthcoming. In the meantime, check out their website: www.denverartmuseum.org. This assignment is designed to expose students to mythic representations students are asked to identify at least three motifs, myths, or metaphors contained in the art and discuss how those themes are depicted visually. Museum Visit: Myth is often contained in artistic representation and studying these depictions is a crucial element of understanding myth. In class, we will study images that contain mythic metaphors the museum trip is a change to put what youve learned into practice. With the help of your tour guide, identify at least three mythic images and record the title of the piece and every mythic symbol you can find in the image. Speculate as to the meaning of the imagery, supporting your insights with the text book.

3 6. Check Blackboard online regularly for updates and to see your grades. Writing assignment rubrics and study guides are contained online. Students are expected to engage in online discussions in response to weekly topics concerning myth and mythology. Grading: All grades will be held to the standards of critical engagement: depth of insight, clarity of articulation, awareness of other positions and fairness when addressing different positions, use of credible sources, creativity of presentation, analysis of information and engagement with the subject.1 See Attachment A. Grades: Paper: 100 points Participation: 80 points/20 points for Online discussion Museum Visit: 50 points Presentation: 50 points Exams: 2@100 = 200 Points Total: 500 Points Each class will consist of lecture and focused discussion. Often, though not always, films will be shown. Please note: these films are not available for your personal use - you must be present in class to receive credit. 1/23 Welcome to world mythology! 1/28 Leonard & McClure, chapter 1, Purposes and Definitions 1/30 Powell, chapter 1, The Nature of Myth 2/4 Powell, chapter 23, Theories of Myth Interpretation 2/6 Powell, chapter 2, The Cultural Context of Classical Myth
Last day to drop with refund: 2/6/.

2/11 Powell, chapter 3, The Development of Classical Myth 2/13 Leonard & McClure, chapter 2, Creation Myths 2/18 Powell, chapter 5, Myths of Creation Presentation: Hindu Creation Myths: two Hindu creation myths will be chosen and compared for similarities and differences. Presenters will analyze the sociopolitical context out of which the myth arose and will summarize the myths use in modern Indian culture. 2/20 Powell, chapter 4, Myths of Creation: The Rise of Zeus Take Home Exam One Due
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Critical Thinking criteria provided by The Foundation for Critical Thinking.

2/25 Leonard & McClure, chapter 3, The Female Divine 2/27 Powell, chapter 9, Myths of Fertility: Demeter Presentation: examine the similarities and differences between representations of the female from around the world, using four examples. Students may choose to analyze the artistic representation of icons and discuss possible meanings and interpretations of the symbolism, or they may choose myths and analyze the female characters of the myth in order to ascertain the status and position of women within the cultures. 3/3 Research Day: Go to the Library and establish a thesis topic. Find at least three resources: be prepared to hand them in on 3/5 in MLA format with your thesis. 3/5 Leonard & McClure, chapter 4, The Male Divine 3/8 Museum Day! Meet at the Denver Art Museum, North Entrance, at 12:45PM. 3/10 Presentation: Celtic and Norse myth, tying the myths to the Germanic and Irish histories and cultures. Presenters should compare and contrast the myths and analyze the similarities and differences before suggesting possible causes for the points of contrast. 3/12 Powell, chapter 7, Myths of the Olympians: The Male Deities 3/17 Powell, chapter 10, Myths of Fertility: Dionysus 3/19 Leonard & McClure, chapter 5, Trickster Myths Presentation: presenters will provide at least two examples of the trickster, focusing on the meaning of this mythic character and what social purpose he serves. Students are expected to provide relevant points of contrast between at least three myths and analyze the meanings with as much depth and clarity as possible. 3/24 3/30 Spring Break! No Class. 4/2 Powell, chapter 11, Myths of Death: Encounters with the Underworld Presentation: presenters will analyze at least twounderworld/afterlife myths from different cultures for common features and differences. Students are expected to speculate with logic and precision the eschatological ideology suggested by each myth. 4/7 Powell, chapter 13, Perseus and Myths of the Argive Plain Presentation: Students will apply the mythological abilities they have learned in choosing two different types (creation, destruction, hero, trickster) of myth from the Greek culture. Presenters will identify all of the symbolic elements in each myth and then identify the mythic meanings of the metaphors they have identified. 4/9 Powell, chapter 15, Theseus and the Myths of Athens

5 Presentation: Presenters will choose one of the Greek hero myths and then identify a hero figure from the myth of another culture. This will allow students to compare and contrast the two myths by identifying relevant points of similarity and difference. 4/14 Powell, chapter 16, The Myths of Crete 4/16 Powell, chapter 17, Oedipus and the Myths of Thebes 4/21 Powell, chapter 19, The Trojan War
Last day to drop with W recorded on transcript: 4/21.

4/23 Powell, chapter 20, The Fall of Troy 4/28 Powell, chapter 21, The Return of Odysseus 4/30 Powell, chapter 22, Roman Myth 5/5 Biblical Myth, readings TBA 5/7 Leonard & McClure, chapter 6, Sacred Places Extra Credit Due & All Assignments Due 5/12 Wrap Up Film: TBA Exams Due by 9PM
Research Paper Due by 9PM via BlackBoard

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Attachment A Writing Guidelines World Mythology

A students job while attending a university is to learn the importance of, and how to create, an informed opinion. (This is part of thinking critically, too!) There are two steps to creating an informed opinion. 1.) Learn what experts think. An expert is someone with formal training in the field who is subject to peer review. 2.) Consider the opposing viewpoint. 3.) State your opinion using the experts to back you up. This will demonstrate that you have a wide variety of sources and have considered multiple, educated opinions in formulating your own thoughts. Keep in mind, you do not have to advocate an opinion to which you are personally committed! I am not interested in what you believe, only whether or not you can take a position and explain it eloquently. The point of writing a college level paper is to analyze, not report. Consider writing papers to: Analyze an event or phenomena o Why is it important? What details are necessary to facilitate understanding? How have scholars understood/explained it? How do you understand it? Explore a theory or method o Who has used it? What are its strengths and weaknesses? To what has it been applied and how? What do the scholars have to say about it? Why is this exploration important? Compare two or more ideas, ideologies, cultures, practices, etc. o Why are these worthy of comparison? How are they different? Have other scholars compared the two? If so, why? What can be learned from the comparative project? When writing a scholarly paper there are a number of things to keep in mind. First of all, transitions between sentences and paragraphs should be smooth: each one should follow logically from the one before. For example:
In the following essay I will compare and contrast Dawkins, Descartes, and Locke. Dawkins explains the theory of natural selection, Descartes examines reality, and Locke addresses functions of the mind. We begin with Richard Dawkins.

For those who do not have a lot of experience writing there is a simple format you can follow. Begin with a strong thesis statement: "I believe Kant and Locke differed in opinion because they came from different eras." Then list two or three reasons you think this to be so, using sources to back up your positions. Each following paragraph should address one of your points. A conclusion will briefly reiterate your points and restate the thesis. Quotes will be done in the following manner. If the quote is a sentence or less in length it should be included within a sentence. For example:

Augustine said, "Dear God, please give me celibacy, but not yet" (source #).

Note the use of punctuation in the above example. If the quote is two or more sentences long it should be set inside its own area within the body of text. For example:
That all our knowledge begins with experience there can be no doubt. For how is it possible that the faculty of cognition should be awakened into exercise otherwise by mean of objects which affect our senses.... (Kant 163)2

Know the difference between quoting and paraphrasing. Both must be cited. Any phrase longer than three words that you take from a reading must be in quotes. If it is not, this is plagiarism and is subject to disciplinary action. When citing Internet sources you must include website address, authors name and authors credentials. For example: www.harvard.edu, Diana Eck, PhD - Religious Studies, Harvard. If you cannot find this information do not use the website. The use of Wikipedia is not allowed. All papers should be double spaced in size 10 or 12 script. A traditional font should be used. I usually write in 12 and put inserts in 10. Papers for this class should be at least five pages in length. Bibliographical information should be in MLA format. You must include at least three sources from outside class but more is better. A few other things to keep in mind: Do not use report covers when handing in hard copies. A staple in the left corner will suffice. Never write in the second person! Do not include background info on the authors you are analyzing unless the info is directly relevant to your thesis. Words in a foreign language must be italicized. The exception is proper names. How will my paper be graded? 3

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Footnotes may also be used.

Adapted from White, E.M. (1998). Teaching and Assessing Writing: Recent Advances in Understanding, Evaluating and Improving Student Performance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers and The Foundation for Critical Thinkings Universal Intellectual Standards.

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Exact point allocation will be determined by the degree of excellence within the specified grade area. For example, a paper awarded 98 points may have one or two minor punctuation errors but be perfect in regard to the Critical Thinking Goals, while a 91 may have one or two minor grammatical errors but be quite good with regard to the Goals. Universal Intellectual Standards :

Relevance: Thesis and subsequent must be directly related to the content of the class. Breadth: Topic should indicate awareness of the implications and ramifications of the topic being addressed. Depth: Choose a focused topic that allows you to get into some real detail on the subject. Clarity: The main points of the paper/presentation should be clear and direct, as opposed to vague and unfocused. Logic: Each point should be directly related to the thesis topic and support one another. All points raised must relate to one another and support the thesis of the paper/presentation. Accuracy: Cited sources must be academically valid and cited correctly. Citations and information must be correct. Precision: Details must be as specific as necessary to support the points being made. Fairness: Topic and text should be respectful of diversity and tactful in approach. No diatribes, hate speech, or abusive positions. Incorporate awareness of opposing positions into your paper.
A (90-100 points): OUTSTANDING: A paper with an A rating completes the task set by the assignment and is excellent in nearly all respects. It is well organized with a clear and relevant thesis or statement of position stated or implied. It is well developed with content that is logical, accurate, and precise in addition to being interesting, and appropriate to the class material. It demonstrates the writer's ability to produce and synthesize complex ideas. Logical transitions contribute to its fluent style. It is virtually free from errors in mechanics, usage and sentence structure, and shows evidence of excellent control of language. B (80-89 points): VERY GOOD: A paper with a B rating shares most of the characteristics of the A paper, and shows no serious errors in logic. There may be minor weaknesses in paragraphing, grammar, and syntax, but the content is effectively organized into coherent units. The paper is well written and is largely free from errors in mechanics, usage and sentence structure. The paper will be accurate, precise, fair, and logical, but may not have strong transitions between ideas and may lack depth and/or clarity. C (70-79 points: SATISFACTORY: A paper with a C rating is generally competent. It may accomplish the assignment less completely than the A or B paper, but it does come to terms with the basic task of the assignment. Compared to a B paper, it may have a weaker thesis and less effective or complete development. A C paper will lack breadth, depth, clarity, and/or fairness. It may insufficiently develop minor points, but it does give the evidence of the writer's ability to support key ideas. It is organized well enough to allow the reader to move with relative ease through the discourse. The C paper may contain some awkward or ineffective sentences and may show some problems with mechanics and usage, but these errors are not serious or frequent enough to consistently distract the reader from the content.

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D (60-69): MINIMALLY SATISFACTORY: A paper with a D rating may show difficulty managing the task of the assignment. Thesis may be vague or too obvious to be developed with depth and breadth. It may lack adequate support for the thesis. There may be distinct weaknesses in paragraphing and organization, but the total effect is not chaotic. Errors in mechanics, usage and sentence structure interfere with readability, and overall organization will be lacking. F (less than 59 points): POOR: A paper with a 2 rating fails to come to terms with the assignment. The primary task is ignored, misconstrued, badly mishandled, or redefined to accommodate what the writer wants to say or is able to say, lacking in fairness and clarity. There may be a combination of the following defects: serious errors in reasoning, little or no development of ideas, or no clear progression from one part of the essay to the next. The F paper may have ungrammatical or poorly constructed sentences, and serious, frequent errors in mechanics and usage which impede understanding.

An F grade may also be used for the paper that is obviously "off-topic," regardless of the writing quality. In this case, the paper does not deal with the topic assigned and, therefore, does not fulfill the assignment. Paper Topics When choosing a paper topic, pick something that fascinates you! Be sure to select a narrow topic; the most common mistake undergraduates make when writing a paper is writing on a vague, broad topic like Hinduism. Instead, narrow your topic and be as specific as possible. Check the Learning Center for Writing Lab opportunities and get help from a professional writing professor! They can help with organization, grammar and spelling. Remember: paper grade will drop 1/3 of a letter grade for each day that it is late, not to exceed two letter grades. Check the syllabus for due dates. Papers are due by 9PM on the due date. Topic Suggestions: Examine a specific myth and place it in its cultural context by exploring what the myth suggests about the society from which it arose. Be sure to take specific examples from the myth and link them directly to social and cultural mores in existence in the time youre examining. Using one of the archetypes from Myth & Knowing (father, judge, mother, maiden, etc.) analyze a myth from a modern world religion. For example, how does the Eve of the Christian Bible exemplify characteristics of a mother goddess? Or how can Hinduisms Shiva be understood as a trickster? Make your examples clear and logical, being sure to analyze to a deep and precise degree. Compare myths from different cultures and explore similarities and differences. What could account for these similarities and differences? Critically analyze your positions, illustrating each point with appropreaite examples. Using the methods we have learned, analyze a myth that we do not discuss in class. (There are a TON of American Indian myths.) Be sure to choose a methology that is appropreaite to the myhth and the position youre taking and be clear and precise in your position(s).

10 Attachment B

HUM 115 Exam One 100 Points Possible Professor Catlyn Keenan

Exam one is due on Wednesday, February 20th. You may hand it in during class or email it as an attachment by 9PM. (Email attachments MUST be Word documents; failure to provide a word document format will result in a late penalty.) Late exams will lose three points for each day they are not received, not to exceed 21 points. Please type your exam: you may single space or double space. Be sure to put your name on your work and staple the pages together.

Section A: Definitions. Provide an explanation of the following terms in one or two

complete sentences. Define the term and then provide an example from the text or lecture. 3 points each, 30 points possible points awarded for accuracy of information, clarity of wording, and relevance of the example provided. 1. Platos Rational Myth (Leonard and McClure, Ch. 1): 2. The Comparative Method (Leonard and McClure, Ch. 1): 3. The Nature School (Leonard and McClure, Ch. 1): 4. Ethnology (Leonard and McClure, Ch. 1): 5. Structuralism (Leonard and McClure, Ch. 1): 6. Etiological Myth (Powell, Ch. 1): 7. Legend (or Saga) (Powell, Ch 1): 8. Motif (Powell, Ch. 1): 9. Eschatological Myths (Powell, Ch. 24): 10. Cosmogony ((Leonard and McClure, Ch. 2): Section B: Short Answer. Provide a concise paragraph of at least 150 words in response to the following. 5 points each, 30 points possible points will be awarded for completeness of the response, the accuracy of the information, the logic of the wording, and the precision of detail. 1. Who were the Semites? How did they influence the development of Greek culture and myth?

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2. What is unique about the myths attributed to Homer? Provide at least two examples of Homeric myth that illustrate your observations. 3. What is unique about the myths attributed to Hesiod? Provide at least two examples of Hesiods myths that illustrate your point. 4. Why did Greek men and women occupy different social spheres do you think? Provide a mythic example about how the genders were viewed to illustrate your point. 5. Outline Eliades theory about scared and secular space. 6. In many creation myths, water represents chaos. In the in-class Jungian myth making exercise, water represents sexuality. Are these different uses of the metaphor? Or are the two understandings of water compatible? Elaborate upon your opinion. Section C: Application of Knowledge. Choose one etiological myth from Leonard and McClure, Chapter 2. Identify all of the symbolism utilized in the myth and speculate on what each thing means. Categorize the events/aspects of the myth according to the nine types of creation myth. Your answer should be at least 400 words long and include as many relevant details as possible. 40 points possible points will be awarded for the accuracy of the information, the depth of analysis in the response, the clarity of thought and wording, and accuracy of points and examples.

12 Attachment C Presentation Rubric Your presentation should take about ten minutes per presenter. You may PowerPoint your presentation or provide handouts (I can copy documents for you in advance) but you do not need to do this. Post a discussion on Blackboard at least 24 hours in advance. 10 Points o Each member of your team does not need to post a question; one question will suffice. The question should be well thought out, relevant to the reading, and artfully articulated, and thought provoking. Provide a synopsis of the main points of the chapter. 10 points o Do not feel as though you need to summarize the entire chapter. Choose specific points you find interesting/relevant and explain them in as much detail as possible. Plan to have three to four items and delve into the complexities of each to as deep a degree as possible. Choose one element and do some additional research for inclusion in your presentation. 10 points o Suggestions: Research the culture the myth is from and provide interesting details. Elaborate on the larger work the myth is taken from. See if any of the characters are used in psychoanalytic analysis and explain how they are used. Show a picture or pictures of the deities and discuss the symbolism used in the image. Be sure to provide fair, logical, relevant information and synthesize the points you make with the mythological methodology we are learning. Explain the major symbols of the myth: the characters and their archetypes, numbers, significant events/items/places. 10 points o Use Campbells theory on myth or compare/contrast your myth with another. Analyze possible meanings of the symbols and place the myth(s) you choose into a historic context with as much breadth as possible. Pose at least one question per presenter (NOT the same one from Blackboard) for follow up discussion. 5 points o Questions should allow the class to analyze the material you present in order to formulate new ideas and opinions concerning the material. Be clear, direct, accurate, and relevant with your questions. Hand in a synopsis of your presentation with your name on it. This can be your entire speech, an outline, or talking points. 5 points