ANTH 250 — Indigenous Mythology and Rituals (3 Credits, Varies)
This course examines the diversity of belief systems from a behavioral ecology perspective. A comparative, holistic approach will be used to examine the beginnings of symbolic behavior among our human ancestors then transition into the present, focusing on a variety of indigenous cultures. Each society will be covered as a distinct whole with particular emphasis on the mythologies and rituals that evolve as a response to ecological conditions and subsistence patterns. The course will focus on the ways in which the natural environment underscores the creation and enculturation of the supernatural and associated rituals through oral tradition, ancestor worship, animism, rites of passage, totemism, artistic expression, sacred food, shamanism, and sorcery. This course will demonstrate the continuum between ecology, mythology, and ritual with broader anthropological themes that include: economic systems, political organization, kinship and descent, gender roles, and globalization. Successful completion of ENGL 101 is recommended prior to enrollment. (3 lecture hours, 0 lab hours, 3 credits)