REL 3110 - Myth and Ritual

Eric Dardel, an anthropologist, has written: “Myth says with utmost seriousness something that is of essential importance.” In this course an attempt will be made to discover just what this important something is and how it is actualized in certain rituals. Myths and rituals will be taken from a variety of historical traditions in order to reflect the cultural milieu of the communities whose lives are governed by them. Special problems to be considered will be the relationship between myth and cult, the problem of time and myth, the logic of mythic forms, etc.

Credits: 4 hours