We have examples of myths going back over ten thousand years, with legendary characters and events surviving even the scrutiny of modern science. And by “We” I mean everyone, around the world, has one, regardless of where they come from. Still, we can find a lot of common points between these stories, however improbable. Are they all false or all true? If they are false, why are they everywhere? If they are true, why can’t we find proof for them? We will investigate what makes these stories compelling, why they held up, and even how to make some new ones. This is an anthropology course which focuses on stories involving human, or at least humanoid characters. The hairy ones, the undead ones, the fish ones. You know the ones.

• learn to use anthropological methods to understand stories • compare and contrast varieties of human experience, which goes far beyond any individual’s history. • evaluate the relevance of supernatural events and to what extent they affect the natural world. • create a work of anthropological and mythological relevance, in which students will assemble concepts learned in class, investigate them holistically, develop a picture of its meaning and formulate their own interpretation.

Daily quizzes and final project