• Scope and Objective of the Course
• Required Books
• Syllabus
• Course Requirements

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In this course, students will examine, engage with, and assess different ways of interpreting myths through the application of literary, structural, functional, and psychological approaches to the study of mythological material. What are the dynamics of myths and how do they fit within a society’s conceptual, aesthetic, and semiotic systems? How do myths relate to social hierarchies, cultural patterns, and gender behaviors? These are some of the issues that have shaped and influenced different societies for thousands of years. Our inquiry will extend beyond reading to and asking critical questions about approaches and methods in the study of mythology.

The second part of the course is an exploration of the Hindu mythical universe, which constructs elaborate structures of time and space, through which gods and goddesses are envisioned acting in a divine play on a physical plane. It focuses on the various constructions of mythic typology and ideology present in Hindu scriptures, epics, and Puranic literature. We will study how tales of rivers, mountains, trees, animals, demons, heroes, and sages play a significant role in the formation of India ’s sacred geography and pilgrimage landscape. We will explore how myths and popular Hindu traditions have inspired the founding of environmental and ecological movements in modern India.

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Available for purchase at SBX.

• Cornelia Dimmitt & J.A.B. van Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology.
• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Other Peoples’ Myths.
• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Siva, The Erotic Ascetic.
• William G. Doty, Mythography, The Study of Myths and Rituals.
• Mircea Eliade, The Myth of the Eternal Return.
• Mircea Elide, The Sacred & the Profane.
• Heinrich Zimmer, Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization.

A Course Reader (available for purchase at Quartet Copies)

• Eds. John S.Hawley and Donna M. Wulff, Devi Goddesses of India.
• Ed. Vidya Dehejia, The Legend of Rama: Artistic Visions.
• Eds. Veena Das etal., Tradition, Pluralism and Identity.
• David Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses.
• Lance Nelson, Ed. Purifying the Earthly Body of God, Religion and Ecology in Hindu India.

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Week 1 (4/4) The Study of Myths in Literature and Performance

• Mythmakers, myth composers, myth narrators and myth performers
• Video: The Marriage Episode of Vishnu and Lakshmi

Week 2 (4/9) What is a myth?

• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Other Peoples’ Myths, Chapter 2.
• “Other Peoples’ Lies: The Cave of Echoes”
• W.G. Doty, Mythography, Chapter 1, The Many Dimensions of Myths and Rituals

(4/11) Myths and Society

• W.G. Doty, Mythography, Chapter 2, “The Functional Contexts and Truths of Myths and Rituals”.
• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Other Peoples’ Myths, Introduction and Chapter 1, “Other Scholars’ Myths: The Hunter and the Sage”

Week 3 (4/16) Structures and Patterns of Myths

• W.G. Doty, Mythography, Chapter 7, “Structuralism and Structural Patterns of Myths and Rituals”.
• Mircea Eliade, The Myth of the Eternal Return, Chapter 1, “Archetypes and Repetition”.

(4/18) Myths and Psychology

• W.G. Doty, Mythography, Chapter 5, “The Psychological Approaches”.
• Mircea Elide, The Sacred & the Profane, Chapter 4, “Human Existence and Sanctified Life”.

Week 4 (4/23) Hindu Mythology: Problems and Methods

1. Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Siva, The Erotic Ascetic.
2. Chapter 1 & 4, “The Interpretation of Hindu Mythology” and “Siva and Brahma: Opposition and Identity”.

(4/25) Hindu Myths: Oral and Literary Traditions

1. Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Other Peoples’ Myths, Chapter 3,
2. “Other Peoples’ Classics: Retelling the Mahabharata”
3. Dimmitt and Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology
4. “The Puranas: An Introduction”

Week 5 (4/30) Cosmogony, Eternal Time, Sacred Space

• Mircea Elide, The Sacred & the Profane, Chapters 1, 2, 3
• “Sacred Space and Making the World Sacred,” “Sacred Time and Myths,” and “The Sacredness of Nature and Cosmic Religion”
• Mircea Elide, Myth of the Return, Chapter 2.
• “The Regeneration of Time”

(5/2) Indian Creation Myths and Cyclical Time

• *The hymn of cosmic Purusa, Rgveda, X. 90
• Dimmitt and Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology, Chapter 1, “Origins”
• Heinrich Zimmer, Myths and Symbols, Chapter 1, “Eternity and Time”

Week 6 (5/7) Myths and Religion

• Dimmitt and Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology, Chapters 2-3, “Vishnu” and “ Krishna ”
• H. Zimmer, Myths and Symbols, Chapter 2, “The Mythology of Vishnu”

• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Siva, The Erotic Ascetic, Chapters 5, 6, 7: “Siva and Kama,” “Siva in the Pine Forest ,” “Siva as Ascetic and Householder”
• Dimmitt and Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology, Chapter 4, Ganesha, p. 179 Karttikeya, 185

Week 7 (5/14) Myths, Gender, Feminine Theology

• *David Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses, Chapters 2, 7, 9: “Durga,” “The Mahadevi,” and “Sri Lakshmi”.
• *Lise McKean, “Bharat Mata, Mother India and Her Militant Matriots” in Ed. J.S. Hawley, Devi: Goddesses of India

(5/16) Myths of Seers, Demons, Rivers, Animals, Plants

• Markandeya and the Cosmic Ocean, p. 253
• Sukra and Kaca, p. 262
• Indra and Vrtra, p. 303
• The Descent of the Ganges River , 322
• H. Zimmer, Myths and Symbols, Chapter 3, “The Guardians of Life”.

Week 8 (5/21) Myths and Sacred Geography

• *David Kinsley, “Learning the Story of the Land,” in Ed., Lance Nelson, Purifying the Earthly Body of God.
• *Diana L. Eck, “The Imagined Landscape: Patterns in the Construction of Hindu sacred geography” in Eds. Veena Das etal. Tradition, Pluralism and Identity.
• *David Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses, Chapter12, “Goddesses and Sacred Geography”.

(5/23) Myths and Rituals

• W.G. Doty, Mythography , Chapter 3, “Ritual: The Symbolic Intercom”.
• Wendy D. O’Flaherty, Other Peoples’ Myths, Chapter 5-6 “Other Peoples’ Rituals: Daksha, Pentheus, and Jesus”. “Other Peoples’ Myths: The Place in the Woods”.

Week 9 (5/28) The Uses of Myths and Religion in Environmental Movements

• *Bruce Sullivan, “Theology and Ecology at the Birthplace of Krsna” and *Patricia Y. Mumme, “Models and Images for a Vaisnava Environmental Theology” in Ed., Lance Nelson, Purifying the Earthly Body of God.
• *Articles from Friends of Vrinda.
  • “History of Conservation in Vrindavan”
  • “Restoring the Forests of Krishna”
  • “Hugging the Trees”

(5/30) Myths and Performing Arts

• *Linda Hess, The Ram Legend as Theatre in Ed. Vidya Dehejia, The Legend of Rama: Artistic Visions.
• Northwestern Students’ Classical Music & Dance Program.
  • Music: Vasanta Rao
    Invocation to Ganesha
    A devotional song of Krishna
  • Dance program:
    Leena Bhattacarya: The Dance of Siva: (southern Bharatanatyam)
    Shipra Mehrotra: The Incarnations of Visnu: (eastern Odisi style)
    The Manifestations of Siva: Lakshmi Tummala (southern Kuchipudi style)

Week 10 (6/4) Mythology Class Conference, Paper Presentations

Papers Due 6/10

• Hindu Mythology Class Conference : June 4, 2002
  Student Presentations :

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Course Evaluation

Course Requirements

• Class attendance is mandatory (more than 2 absences may affect your grade)
• This is a 300-level intensive seminar course, which requires reading and reflecting of course materials as well as participating in class discussions.
• 2-page thoughtful responses on weekly readings.
• Seminar paper, 12-15 pages
• Paper presentation.

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