The stories told in myths may be “true” or “false,” or contain a bit of each – Yet, myths are “strong” stories, those that have stood the test of time, and speak to truths about the human condition
General Instructions. Each option:
- Is worth 15 points;
- Is 3-4 pages/ 750-1000 words long; 1-inch margins, 12 pt. font, double-spaced.
- Will include your name, the date, the assignment number, the class and section number.
- Is an essay, with an introduction starting with a topic sentence, body, conclusion, and references.
- Involves using the textbook, which can be referenced like this:
- Stein, R. and Stein, P. 2017. The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. 4th edition. London: Routledge.
- Includes in-text citations. All sources in the References list must be cited at least once in the body of the essay in parentheses, after the citation, in the format (author, year: pages)
- Includes references: APA style preferred, Chicago and MLA styles acceptable.
- Sources may be about a particular culture or cultural tradition, which is preferred, or something more general on the topic, as long as it directly relates to what you are discussing.
- See the Purdue University Owl for format instructions:
- References must be peer-reviewed in academic journals or books. The Pollack Library and its website should have what you need.
- If a source lacks an author, date, publisher, page numbers, or substance (less than 10 pages or so), do not use it.
- Limits the use of websites. In short, information about religion on the internet is variably reliable and often superficial. Only use the websites provided or speak to me about doing an advanced assignment using critical analysis.
- Will be submitted in Word (doc) or Abode (pdf) format, with the assignment and option chosen clear in the file name (sample: Assignment 1 Option 1.doc or A1 Myth.doc would be okay).
- Assumes that as university students you know how to follow instructions. Not following the instructions provided will result in a grade no higher than a C. Use the instructions as a checklist before submitting your paper.
Please do not:
- Include abstracts or certificates.
- Use websites, unless authorized.
- Reference dictionaries, encyclopedias, reviews, or other short sources.
- Use how-to or self-help guides, religious texts, apologetics or other religious literature.
Learning Objective:
The goal of these assignments is to identify and narrow a topic, communicate effectively in an essay, locate and reference high quality sources of information on the topic.
Grading:
Once you finish your essay, proofread it and review these instructions to make sure you got it right. The grade rubric will be posted on Titanium.
Option 1. Flood Myths
Consider this: The stories told in myths may be “true” or “false,” or contain a bit of each – Yet, myths are “strong” stories, those that have stood the test of time, and speak to truths about the human condition. They are “sacred histories” that speak of the origins of human, natural, and divine events. Flood myths are a good example of this. They speak to the relationship between humans (who are usually morally lacking), the natural environment (the medium of water), and the divine (who sends the flood yet sometimes warns a hero). Myths about a deluge or flood appear in cultures throughout the world, and are especially associated with agricultural civilizations, where floods could devastate the crops that sustain complex social systems. In short, flood myths carry with them deep psychological, cultural, political, economic, moral and spiritual meanings. The stories told in myths may be “true” or “false,” or contain a bit of each – Yet, myths are “strong” stories, those that have stood the test of time, and speak to truths about the human condition
Study:
- Stein and Stein, Chapter 2
- The Anthropology of Flood Myths (PowerPoint slides on Titanium).
- The website
- Library sources.
Guidelines:
- Choose two flood myths from the website above.
- There is no need to include the text of any myth, just discuss or compare a few elements of the myth story.
- Use two unique examples. Preferably they make an interesting comparison.
- The purpose is to discover flood myths other than what you already know. Thus:
- Use two original examples. Do not use the following flood myths that are the same or similar to those discussed in the PowerPoint slide lecture: Hebrew/Christian/Muslim, Sumerian/Babylonian/Assyrian, Greek/Roman, Maya, Ojibwe.
- Do not use myths from neighboring cultures that feature the same hero (Noah, Ut-Napishtim, Deucalion, Nanabush).
- You may discuss any of these in your interpretation or conclusion, as long as they are not your main topics.
The Paper:
Title: Flood Myths: [culture 1 and culture 2], where the cultures are the ones you chose from the website above. Example: Flood Myths (Maori and Samoa). You may also add your own subtitle.
Body: each bullet should be at least a paragraph.
- Introduction: Introduce and identify 2 flood myths, including title, hero, and culture/nation.
- Comparison: Compare one or more similaritiesand one or more differences in the stories.
- Interpretation: Discuss one or more possible meaningsin the stories. These may involve the relationships between nature, the divine, and humans (or other character types such as animals). You may also use this space to discuss familiar flood myths, such as the Noah story.
- Analysis: Apply oneof these types of myth analysis mentioned in the textbook: functional, structural, or psychological. Illustrate using one or both of your myths. See the section Approaches to Myth in Ch. 2 of the textbook.
- Myth today: Powerful stories continue to be popular today, through modern media. Filmslike Evan Almighty take up the mythological theme of the Great Flood. Can you think of any other films with flood motifs (if not, do research)? Be brief.
- Conclusion: what did you learn?
References: 4 as follows are required. More are welcome.
- 1. the textbook
- 2. the flood myth website provided, with the title being the title of the myth you are using. For example, if you used the Yurok myth, your reference would look like this (you will replace Yurok with the culture you are using both after the date and after the hashtag in the url):
- Isaak, M. 2002, Sept 2. Yurok. Flood Stories from Around the World. Retrieved from . Date accessed (date you last viewed site)
- 3 and 4. Two journal articles or books from the campus library.
Option 2. Ritual Gifts
Consider this: All human affairs involve gift exchange, or reciprocity. This is true at the human level when we exchange gifts with the holidays. It is equally true in religious ritual, where a sacrifice may be exchanged from good crops, or more generally, praise of the Lord is exchanged for divine blessing. In fact, ritual might be considered religion in motion, when belief is backed by action, and at the heart of that action is reciprocity. However, this reciprocity may or may not be equal, so that the gods (or the priests and other elites in society) often assert their power and dominance of the situation. All of this is not just a matter of theology but is embedded in particular local cultural groups and the way they perform exchanges.
Study:
· Stein and Stein, Chapter 4
· Ritual and Types of Ritual (Power Point slides on Titanium).
· Library sources.
Guidelines:
- Find rituals particular to a place, indigenous culture, or subgroup of a religion, e.g. Navaho in Arizona, Moroccan Sephardic Jews in Toronto, or Pentecostal Christian snake handlers in West Virginia. Do not choose anything broad or non-specific (e.g. Christmas or Bar Mitzvahs in general are not specific).
- Choose two rituals that have some aspect of gift-giving, whether material or symbolic, or between humans or supernatural beings.
- The rituals should have something in common and be at the same scale (a 2-minute ritual should not be compared to a month-long celebration, etc.). A typical paper would compare the same type of ritual, for instance a puberty rite of passage or a harvest festival, in two different cultures.
- Do not include the full description of any ritual, just discuss or compare a few elements of the ritual action.
The Paper:
Title: Ritual Gifts: [culture 1 and culture 2]. Example: Ritual Gifts (Maori and Samoa). You may also add your own subtitle.
Body: each bullet should be at least a paragraph
- Introduction: Introduce and identify 2 rituals
- Comparison: Compare 3 similaritiesin the rituals.
- Interpretation: Discuss gift exchangeinvolved in the rituals. How does exchange reflect the social relationships among people, and how they relate to the supernatural or divine?
- Analysis: How would you classifyyour two rituals, using one of these categories?: technological, therapy, ideological, salvation, or revitalization. See Table 4.1 in the textbook (and the pages following) and the Types of Ritual document on Titanium.
- Ritual today: can you relate a personal gift exchange experience that highlights what you have written about ritual? Be brief.
- Conclusion: what did you learn?
References:
- 3 as follows are required. More are welcome.
- the textbook,
- and 3. Two journal articles or booksfrom the campus library.
Option 3. Shamanic Healing
Consider this: Shamanism may be the world’s oldest profession. Shamans have many functions in a society, as leaders, guides, weatherpersons, etc., but their most important role is as healer. Shamans heal practically, through their knowledge of medicines, and through the aid of spirits. In modern times, one finds shamans in the remaining smaller cultures (such as the Yakut), in contemporary cultures serving the need of a cultural subgroup (such as urban Korean shamans), and among modern people without a shamanic tradition who are attracted to shamanism ().
Study:
- Stein and Stein Ch. 6, section on Shamans
- Library sources
Guidelines:
- Find 2 cultures where traditional shamanism is practiced.
- By culture, be specific: for instance Native American, Amazon, or Siberia is too broad; you need a specific, named indigenous people, tribe or nation, such as Ojibwe or Hmong.
- Choose traditional shamanism in small-scale cultures, not neo-shamanism or modern variants. You will discuss this separately.
- If you use cultures discussed in the textbook chapter on shamanism, such as the Yakut and Koreans, this may not be your only source of information. The Pentecostalists mentioned in the chapter do not practice shamanism; they are used as a comparison.
The Paper:
Title: Spiritual Healing: [Culture 1] and [Culture 2]. Example: Spiritual Healing: (Ojibwe and Hmong). You may also add your own subtitle.
Body: each bullet should be at least a paragraph
- Introduction: Introduce and identify two cultures that practice shamanism.
- Comparison: Compare the cultures by discussing one or more similarities and one or more differences in what shamans do.
- Discuss shamanism, healing, or other issues related to the topic.
- Analysis: Relate your discussions to the section on Shamans in Ch. 6 of the Stein and Stein textbook in some way. Cite pages numbers in parentheses in your text.
- Shamanism today: Stein and Stein discuss neoshamanism. What does the term mean? Do you think neoshamanism is a legitimate form of shamanism?
- Conclusion: what did you learn?
References:
- 3 as follows are required. More are welcome.
- the textbook,
- and 3. Two journal articles or booksfrom the campus library.
Option 4. Fantasy and Magic
Consider this: One way that magic pervades our modern society is through literature, films, and games. Some of these media draw upon old traditions, whereas others create their own universes and sets of magical laws. Whether Arthurian legends of Merlin the Magician, Gandalf, Harry Potter, or a 120th level Mage in an online role-playing game, magic and fantasy hold our imagination, and allow us to escape to an alternate universe. One persistent theme regarding magic is its morality: is magic a force for good or evil, or simply an instrument for either?
Study:
- Stein and Stein Chapter 7, section on Magic
- Library sources
Guidelines:
- Find books, films, television series, or games in the fantasy genre where magic is used.
- Choose two sources where you can identify a fantasy world or alternate reality.
- By fantasy world we mean a fictional named cosmos, e.g. Middle Earth for Lord of the Rings or Azeroth for World of Warcraft. If no name is used, use the title of the work or the series.
- Specify which media you are covering, whether films, books, games, etc. (e.g. for Harry Potter, specify whether you are talking about the book series or the film series).
- Try to narrow to a single book, film, or game expansion in the case of larger sources and series. This is flexible if you need to include more.
The Paper:
Title: Fantasy and Magic: [World 1] and [World 2]. “World” refers to the fantasy universe or alternate reality (see below). Example: Fantasy and Magic: (Middle Earth and Westeros). You may also add your own subtitle.
Body: each bullet should be at least a paragraph
- Introduction: Introduce and identify two fantasy world.
- Comparison: Compare the worlds by discussing one or more similarities and one or more differences in how magic works.
- Interpretation: Share your thoughts on the story or the world, give it a critical review, discuss fandom, or anything else related to the stories.
- Analysis: Relate your discussions in some way to Chapter 7, Magic and Divination, in the Stein and Stein textbook. Cite pages numbers in parentheses in your text.
- Magic today: Why do you think magic and fantasy have such a strong appeal in the popular media? Has this been controversial?
- Conclusion: what did you learn?
References:
- 5 as follows are required. More are welcome.
- the textbook,
- and 3. Two journal articles or booksfrom the campus library,
- and 5. Two fiction sources, properly formatted, with these adjustments:
- For games, list: title, version, year published, and publisher.
- For film, tv and video, list: director, title, year, studio.
For books or films in a series, reference the particular work, but include the series title as well. For example, Tolkien’s Return of the King is Volume 3 of Lord of the Rin
The stories told in myths may be “true” or “false,” or contain a bit of each – Yet, myths are “strong” stories, those that have stood the test of time, and speak to truths about the human condition
