HNRS3044: Mad Gods and Marvelous Worlds

This course surveys the realms of legend and myth in the Celtic lands of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland and in the Scandinavia of Iceland, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.  The seminar’s intent is to discover the similarities of belief systems and how they are used for social cohesion, community dynamics, and sharing between cultures.  Students will use written tales, art & illustration, film, and popular culture to arrive at an understanding of how global ethnicities and nationalities have similarities in their cultural understanding and how these myths and legends still function in today’s world. Students will also see the relationship between the Celtic and Scandinavian stories with those, for example, of Africa and the Middle East. 

• Spring 2019