The following links are designed to facilitate exploration into course topics and to help students enhance their research skills by offering advice on the "tricks of the trade" used by scholars in the humanities.
conducting research l introduction and theory l archetypes & cycles l hero sagas l Gilgamesh l Plato's metaphors l Theseus l Arthur l India l Scandinavia l China l American Southwest (under construction) l other stuff
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Conducting
high-quality research
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook
This is a valuable resource on topics concerning the ancient world. See especially the introduction, and the page on studying history, which offers advice on using both primary sources and secondary works. Other topic sourcebooks that pertain to this class:
See also my critical thinking links for information on evaluating sources and tips on research techniques. Don't forget to consult the nice folks in the Kelley Library for help, either.
World Myths and Legends in Art from the Minneapolis Institute of Art includes a page on "What Is Myth?" and sections on different mythic traditions around the world as they're reflected in artworks.
Myth and Legend from Ancient Times to the Space Age. Nice introductory page and links to topics in myth and folklore.
Windows to the Universe: Mythology: myths about many aspects of human experience; for kids (primarily) but with good information.
Mythology in Western Art lists links to resources on images of particular gods and goddesses.
Mything Links is website composed primarily of annotated links to various aspects of myth. It's a bit new agey, but that may appeal to some of my students. The author is not a web designer, so the site can be awkward to use; the table of contents is way toward the bottom of the home page.
Topic Links
J. Farrell's Myth notes Joe Farrell teaches a course on mythology at Penn, and these lecture notes offer a perspective similar to mine.
Folklore, Myth, & Legend This site from the University of Calgary in Canada provides good sources for fairy tales and stories; there are lots of links here.
Myth and Metaphor is a page by a guy whose philosophical perspective is close to mine. His main page is called Mythos and Logos. Unfortunately, many of his links are dead--but he does list some that I haven't, and he has lots of good links to metaphor sites. His main page has links to numerous Jungian analyses of films, books, stories, etc.
The Perseus Digital Library provides a searchable database of images and texts from ancient Greece and Rome and related areas. Although it's a little tough to negotiate if you're not familiar with classical studies, the information you can gather is well worth the effort. Primary sources for most Greek and Roman myths can be found through Perseus.
Online Mythology Resources This is a links list generated by Joseph Farrell who teaches a course on mythology at the University of Pennsylvania. The links are mostly Classical Greek and Roman, but some other sources are listed at the end.
Myths and Legends Links are divided by country or culture; this University of New Hampshire site also includes a general information category on myths, and a number of other reference lists.
A superb effort from Penn, for a course which concentrates on the Greeks and later understandings of Greek myth: Prof. Peter Struck's Classical Studies/Comparative Literature course pages. I found about his page when Struck's course was reviewed a recent issue of the Penn Gazette (the alumni magazine).
A Guide to Understanding Cosmogonic Myths and Theoretical Science (Chapter III: Creation by Emergent Being) discusses different cultural perspectives on creation. This is from a course on the subject; go to the bottom of the page for the home link.
Specific root myths: conduct research on various kinds of myths that provide the grounding for common stories found throughout multiple cultures. Such myths include flood or deluge stories like those in Sumerian myth, creation stories, various explanatory myths (such as Prometheus's bringing of fire to humankind). Research along these lines will probably lead you into an exploration of archetypes as well (see below). The Encyclopedia Mythica offers resources on myths and folktales (etc.) from all over the world.
Greek myths: Greek and Roman mythology infuses Western culture. Try looking into the origins and various versions of any myth you find particularly compelling. We will be considering several myths and mythical figures with Greek origins: The Trojan War, Theseus and the Minotaur, Daedalus, Atlantis, the Olympian Gods.
The Celtic Mythology pages from Loggia's Mythography section include links to a number of stories and traditions.
Bulfinch's Mythology--The Age of Fable: one of the most beloved compilations of numerous stories.
Lewis Hyde on the Trickster in Myth and Art: an audio interview with one of the most capable and reliable analysts in the field of myth. Hyde's Trickster Makes This World is the best book I've ever read on any topic related to myth. The book link is to the first chapter.
Here's a helpful article about Carl Jung by Dr. George Boeree, a retired professor of personality theory and the history of psychology.
The Wikipedia pages on Carl Jung and Jungian Archetypes are both quite useful, especially their bibliographies.
The relationship between Greek and Roman epics is discussed in Vergil's Aeneid and the Epic Cycle.
I just found this terrific page from Mexico (in both English and Spanish) on Homer: tons of information and background on the stories and the texts. The approach is historical, using archaeological and textual evidence to shed light on the stories. It's not finished, but if it ever is it'll be really helpful.
In class we'll be exploring the concept of archetypes, particularly as they influence the work of modern film makers such as George Lucas and writers like J. R. R. Tolkien. But archetypes aren't simply individual figures or types of characters; they include the stories themselves, and many similar kinds of stories appear in disparate cultures. In this class we'll be focusing on the ancient Aegean; other possibilities include Arthur tales, Scandinavian stories, and various Asian sources.
Trickster tales appear in many cultures and in many guises: Odysseus and Hermes among the Greeks, Loki in Scandinavia, Raven and Coyote among Native Americans, and Anansi (who originated in West Africa and came to the United States--where we know him as Brer Rabbit--via the Caribbean) all provide rich sources for stories and new interpretations.
BBC History: Echoes of Plato's Atlantis
Atlantis No Way, No How, No Where by Kevin Christopher for CSICOP is a solid debunking of the efforts to claim validity for Plato's story. This guy is even more skeptical than I am; he thinks Plato made the whole thing up, while I think he may have used bits of history to add verisimilitude to his story.
Plato's Timaeus and Critias: the dialogues that inspired all the legends and misinterpretations that followed, especially in the nineteenth century.
Santorini (Thera): Wikipedia's article.
The Bronze Age Eruption of Thera and Lost Atlantis (PDF) This page is somewhat technical (it's from the Geology department at the University of Arizona), but interesting and well-grounded (ahem--geology . . . ground . . . sorry). The author isn't listed, but it's connected with a workshop on earthquakes and volcanoes.
See also the links to Theseus and his background.
Hero sagas of various ethnic groups
Hero: The Archetypal Hero in Literature, Religion, and Popular Culture This is a graduate project on the hero archetype, which is not only well-designed (lots of photos), but it makes connections that will be especially interesting to folks interested in popular, contemporary heroes, such as Simba in The Lion King and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. The Designer is Bryan Davis at Stephen F. Austin University. One of the links from this page is to a site at Berkeley which features a nice visual representation of the Hero Journey.
The Hero's Journey This site offers a nice synopses of elements in the "hero journey" model.
The Mythopoeic Society has information on Tolkien and his group of friends, the Inklings, and links to abundant myth sources.
An e-text of William Morris's The Roots of the Mountains, one of the books that inspired Tolkien's Middle Earth stories. Morris essentially invented the fantasy novel, and relied heavily on his knowledge of Scandinavian myths.
Myth and History
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Mesopotamia
Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature ( Oxford University): Gilgamesh (prose)
A translation of Tablets I and 4 from the epic, from a page by Kenneth Sublett.
A transcription of the tablets (in Cuneiform)
The Project Gutenberg eBook, An Old Babylonian Version of the Gilgamesh Epic, by Anonymous, Edited by Morris Jastrow, Translated by Albert T. Clay
Diane Thompson's Gilgamesh Study Guide--another of Prof. Thompson's excellent course pages.
BBC article on the finding of Gilgamesh's tomb
If you'd like to see where the historical Gilgamesh fits into the scheme of Mesopotamian history, see this Mesopotamian King List 2800-500 BC.
If you're interested in information on the role of women in Mesopotamia, see this page from the Women in World History curriculum.
Sumerian Mythology FAQ--lots of background. See also the Assyro-Babylonian Mythology FAQ.
Stephen Mitchell's new translation of Gilgamesh, with an extensive introduction, is available at local bookstores.
Interpretations
Charles Kingsley's (1819-1875) version of the story, How Theseus Slew the Minotaur
"Myth Man's" Theseus page This guy is hilarious; he's apparently a Greek restaurateur with a weird sense of design and a lot of time on his hands. His "Homework Help Center" has links and info on all kinds of Greek gods, heroes, and history. You'll have to locate the "Homework Help" page, then look for the Greek Heroes section and finally Theseus, but it'll be worth the trouble.
Heroes of the Quest, Part III, Chapter III by Padraic Colum (1881–1972): Theseus and the Minotaur Colum was a pretty good storyteller, and this is his version of the myth. Parts I through VI are the sections that tell of Theseus's life from birth through the events on Crete.
Mary Renault's book, The King Must Die, covers the same territory, but it's a terrific read and rather more modern, even though it was written in the '50s. You can probably pick up a copy at Half Price Books for a couple of bucks. This site is maintained by a fan, and has some really good links on the archaeology, mythology, and history of the period. Note: we now have a copy of this book in the Kelley Library--great read.
Historical and archaeological background
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Crete
World Civilizations: The Minoans
Related to the Theseus story (Daedalus built the Labyrinth):Myth into Reality: The Metamorphosis of Daedalus and Icarus by Marjorie Hoefmans. The quoted text is in Latin, but even if you don't feel like going out and learning it, there's some good information in here. (As of the last update, this site may no longer be available; until I know whether or not it's gone for good, I'll leave the link.)
For some background, see this Lecture on Ovid's Metamorphosis, by Ian Johnson. There's also a good bibliography at the end. The essay is long, but reads quickly and you'd be amazed at how much you can learn about ancient Roman life and how Ovid fits into the picture.
Rolphe Humphries' translation from Metamorphoses
Another translation comes from the Perseus Project, edited by Brookes More. Perseus is a hugely popular and useful (and authoratative) site, so it may load slowly.
"Myth Man's" Icarus and Daedalus page (include Thomas Bulfinch's version of the text and lots of images)
Wolhee Choe, "The Fall of Icarus and Re-imagining Technology" (a rather long but interesting essay on the metaphorical and philosophical value of the myth)
Information and resources for other mythic traditions (for primary texts and commentary, see the Texts and Readings page)
The Camelot Project is a comprehensive site on Arthur and related material.
Arthuriana is an online scholarly journal devoted to Arthur studies. The Pedagogy page has links to educational sources.
Grail lore: links to pages about the grail and grail quests.
The Quest, an Arthurian resource (some of the links don't work, but if you type the title of the page into the search box when you get the 404 message, you'll get there). Of particular interest is the page on Transformations of Celtic Myth in Arthurian Legend.
Mythical QuestThe Arthurian Legend in Literature and Art
Timeless Myths: Arthurian Legends
The Sword and the Grail: Restoring the Forgotten Archetype in Arthurian Myth, by John Adcox (2004). An interesting article by a writer (as he says, an enthusiast, not a scholar) that discusses some of the issues we're dealing with.
Myth and Cultural Identity
Exploring Ancient World Cultures: India
Sources of Indian Traditions (Prof. Frances Pritchett, Columbia University)
Legend and History of Ancient India from the Gateway to India page.
CrystalLinks page on India, with links to topics.
Ancient India Resource page: don't be put off by the fact that this page is designed for middle-schoolers. The links are useful.
Norse Mythology: an introductory page with links to information about specific texts.
Encyclopedia of Norse Mythology identifies characters and events.
Germanic Myths, Legends, and Sagas includes sources for most Scandinavian stories
The Norse Presence in Lord of the Rings lists parallels between Tolkien's characters and those of Norse myth.
Timeless Myths: Norse Mythology
Excerpts from the Prose Edda
Spirits of Chinese Religion, from Donald S. Lopez, Jr , Religions of China in Practice, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996). A long article that covers the major Chinese religions.
Encarta's article on Chinese Mythology by Don Starr.
Review of The Emperor and the Assassin that discusses its historical accuracy.
Review of Hero that discusses Zhang Yimou's take on the same story.
The Emperor's Shadow is another film (1996) set in the Qin Dynasty.
The First Emperor of Qin: Between Legend, Science, and Nationalism (PDF) by Brian Miller (Stanford Journal of Archaeology). This is a thorough essay with a good analysis of the relationships between history and legend as they apply to early dynastic China. (Click here for the html version--many fewer pages.)
Folktales from China: short retellings of stories.
Stories to Read and Tell: China links to several stories--including a variant on the Cinderella theme, and one contemporary with the Qin dynasty ("The Journey of Meng").
CrystalLinks has a good page on Ancient China, with links to myths and legends.
Singing Desert is a site devoted to rock art, that uses a variety of visual media (paintings, photography, historical images) to illustrate the relationship between cosmology and imagery among native peoples of the desert southwest.
National Park Service Museum Collections: Chaco Culture National Historical Park features wonderful old photos and solid information on the park, including a useful chronology in .pdf.
Maya
My old Humanities course page on the Maya isn't up to date, but there are some good sources linked there.
Book Arts
Another old Humanities page: Book Arts and Artist's Books. Some of the links may be out of date, but there's some great stuff here.
Theater
The link on the Schedule to Sacred Theater and Dance (from Mythlinks) is a good place to start. The linked page is itself a links page to a substantial number of resources from various traditions.
Labyrinths
Although
the labyrinth
apparently originated on Crete, the labyrinth
as a metaphor has taken on a life of its own, and shows up into the
modern day, especially in relation to Pilgrimages and the practice of
meditation.
Beauty/Beast
stories
Several to look at: The Most Pleasant and Delectable Tale of the Marriage of Cupid and Psyche. From Books IV to VI of The Golden Ass, by Lucius Apuleius [2nd Cent. A.D.], trans. by William Adlington [1566]. This old but amusing translation is from a Chaucer page, because of its relationship to "The Clerk's Tale" in Canterbury Tales; Beauty and the Beast: Variations on a theme, a site associated with a production of the ballet. It contains several versions, and is linked back to the ballet's main page, on which you can find a summary of the story; Comparing Tam Lin to Cupid and Psyche ("Tam Lin" is an English ballad--my favorite version is by the group, Fairport Convention): this site offers further information on all three stories at the end of the article. Don't forget (if you did indeed already know) that Mononoke Hime--Princess Mononoke--is one of many Japanese Beauty/Beast stories (along with the Crane Wife and others).
Creation Myths: Myths of the Creation of the World from a variety of sources.
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