RUSN 333 Eastern European Myth and Folklore
There are two fundamental philosophical positions that try to describe our relation to others. The one posits that I am different from you. The other assumes the fundamental unity of human and other beings. Both of these positions lead to serious difficulties. If I am fundamentally different from you, I run the risk of alienation, and confront the impossibility of knowledge. If I begin with the assumption of oneness, I encounter the difficulty of distinguishing myself from you, and the impossibility of agency.
Is there a third way that avoids both of these extremes? Could we re-imagine relationships between humans and nature in a way that preserves a sense of selfhood within a community of other beings? Eastern European folklore and mythology might help us in this task.
In the course of the semester we will focus on the myths and folk tales from Eastern Europe. We will ground our discussion in the historical context of Scythian female warrior culture and some pre-Indo-European beliefs and practices. These cultural phenomena survive in the myths and epics of the Slavs. We will analyze representations and adaptations of these myths and practices in contemporary literature, film, and art from former Yugoslavia, Romania, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries.
This course meets the Core Program Regional Focus (CPRF) Requirement.
This course meets the Core Program Pre-1800s Requirement.
Second-stage writing requirement: Students may satisfy the Second-Stage Writing Requirement by submitting a substantial (12-15 page) writing assignment that addresses a subset of the primary texts studied in this course. Students satisfy the Second Stage Writing Requirement by obtaining a grade of "C" or higher on this paper.
Prerequisite
RUSN 202 or by instructor permission