MS 502: European Sacred Traditions  


Mythological Studies Program EI, GI                                                                                            
Spring Quarter 2010                                                                                                                      
Instructor: Mikita Brottman, Ph.D  
Email: mbrottman@pacifica.edu
Phone: 805-649-8851
Office Hours: By Appointment


C O U R S E   S Y L L A B U S

A.      Course Description

    In this course, we will analyze, explore, question, and reconsider the changing faces of the mythologies associated with the Arthurian Romances in representative Medieval, Victorian, and Modern texts. What was the primary focus of the myths in each of these periods? How and why does it change from one period to the next? How does it reflect the changing spiritual, psychological, and social issues of these periods? How has criticism and scholarship changed in recent years? What ultimately is the meaning of the Grail? We will also focus on what Joseph Campbell called the four functions of mythology: religious, cosmological, psychological, and political. We will also consider the aesthetic function, which has to do with the fundamental patterns of literary form exemplified by the texts. Finally, we will address the syncretic aspect of the Grail Quest, which typically brings together motifs from a wide range of mythologies and spiritual traditions.

B.    Learning Objectives

1. To learn a range of Arthurian myths, from the Middle Ages to Modernism, along with a general understanding of the historical and intellectual context in which they originated.

2. To recognize the archetypal images frequently catalyzed by the myths, such as the journey to the otherworld, the great goddess, and creation stories.

3. To develop an intuitive sensibility in the response to mythological symbolism, and to develop an awareness and understanding of the various schools of myth criticism.

4. To address issues of poetic form (rhyme, meter, syntax, stanzaic patterns, etc.) in as much as they illuminate the mythic resonance of the text.


C.    Course Schedule and Reading

Session I: April 12 (E-Track); April 19 (G-Track).
The Medieval Period
Required Reading: “The Noble Tale of the Sankgreal,” from Sir Thomas Malory’s
    Le Morte d’Arthur, pp. 496-587.
    Jessie L. Weston, From Ritual to Romance. Introduction (p1-11) and Chapter 2,
    “The Task of the Hero” (p12-24).

Session II: May 17 (E-Track); May 24 (G-Track)
The Victorian Revival
Required Reading: Tennyson, Lord Alfred. The Idylls of the King. “The Coming of
    Arthur” (p5-20), “Lancelot and Elaine” (p152-190), “The Holy Grail” (p190-215),
    “The Passing of Arthur” (p272-285).
    Jessie L. Weston, From Ritual to Romance, Chapter 10, “The Secret of the Grail”
     (p149-163).

Session III: June 14 (E-Track); June 21 (G-Track);
Contemporary
Required Reading: Malamud, Bernard, The Natural, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1952.
    Jessie L. Weston, From Ritual to Romance, Chapter 9, “The Fisher King” (p113-
    136).

D.       Course Requirements

   Each student will write a traditional graduate paper (or two shorter papers), combining analysis of selected texts and research based on the secondary criticism of those texts (i.e., books, articles, and reputable internet databases). The paper should be 10 pages in length (or two 5-page papers), in MLA format. The final grade will be based primarily on this paper. Papers should be rooted in the detailed analysis of selected texts, with a focus on a central theme or group of themes. Research and secondary reading should be relevant to and supportive of that theme, although the student may wish to compile a more extensive bibliography of works consulted if not cited. By research I mean books, articles from scholarly journals, and items from the Internet (primarily reputable databases in the field).

E.    Required Reading  

    Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, ed. Stephen H.A. Shepherd, New York: Norton     Critical Edition, 2004, pp. 496-587. ISBN 0393974642 (Other editions are acceptable).

Jessie L. Weston, From Ritual to Romance, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993.
ISBN 0691021074 (Other editions are acceptable).

Tennyson, Lord Alfred. The Idylls of the King and a New Selection of Poems, ed. Glenn Everett, New York, Signet Classics Edition, 2003. 0451528751 (Other editions are acceptable).

Malamud, Bernard, The Natural, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1952.  ISBN 0374502005

F.      Suggested Reading

        Jung, Emma and Marie-Louise von Franz.  The Grail Legend.  New York: G.P. Putnam’s  Sons, 1970. ISBN 0691002371

        Kilber, William.  “Introduction.”  Lancelot, or The Knight of the Cart.  Chrétien de Troyes. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1984.             ISBN 0300071213

    Lacy, Norris J. and Geoffrey Ashe.  The Arthurian Handbook.  New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1988 ISBN 0815320817

G.      Assessment

Grading Criteria for Paper(s):

•    Quality of thinking and strength of argument
•    Organization of essay
•    Quality of writing
•    Knowledge of material (including cultural and historical particularity)
•    Adherence to the requirements of the assignment

Paper or Request for Incomplete Form is due postmarked on or before Thursday, July 8, 2010 for E Track Students, and Thursday, July 15, 2010 for G Track. Students and should be addressed to mbrottman@pacifica.edu (pdf preferred), or mailed to Mikita Brottman, 2265 Burnham Road, Ojai, CA 93023.  Please be sure to include the course number and group on both the title page and the envelope.   No credit will be given for late papers.

Incompletes:  Students are allowed four incompletes per academic year. Students must submit a request for an incomplete on or before the assignment due date. Incomplete work for this class is due postmarked on or before July 14, 2010 for E Track students, July 21, 2010 for G Track Students.

When you complete the paper send it directly to the faculty and include a Grade Change Form.

Honesty and Plagiarism Policy:  Pacifica expects all students to complete assignments in accordance with the Honesty Policy published in the Student Handbook.  Plagiarism from any source (i.e., book, internet, fellow student, newspaper, etc.) is a serious breach of academic honesty, subject to dismissal from Pacifica Graduate Institute.  It is assumed that students will do separate written work for each course.  If you wish to use similar material for different courses, you must first obtain explicit permission from your instructors.