The culminating project for HUM 108 will be an inquiry project that you will design and complete based on your own line of inquiry into a mythology-related topic. Details about this project and its deliverables are below, and we will spend the last 2 weeks of the quarter shaping and conducting your inquiries. While your research will be conducted independently, you will also be able to share resources and progress over the next couple of weeks. The purpose of this assignment is to reveal how steeped in story and myth our world is and to sharpen your own observation and analysis skills as you identify mythological influences that infuse global culture. Please choose a topic that you have not researched before.
Some Possible Research/Inquiry Topics
- Investigate the mythological origins or a current superhero as portrayed in film and/or comic books published by Marvel or CD Comics: some suggestions include Thor, Loki, Wonder Woman, Superman, Black Panther, Shang-Ri
- Investigate the mythological origins of a video game or contemporary board game. Suggestions include Ra, Odin's Ravens, Cyclades, OKAMI
- Investigate the mythological influences embedded within a popular fictional series that your have read or will read for this project. Some suggestions include series built around Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Percy Jackson books.
- Investigate the mythological epistemologies of a particular culture around death and the afterlife. Some suggestions of rich mythological cultures to investigate: ancient belief systems within Egyptian, Indian, Mayan, Aztec, Chinese, and Norse cultures.
- Investigate the ways that culturally specific mythology influences a culture's popular culture. Suggestions include Indian mythology and Bollywood films, Japanese mythology and anime
- Investigate the ways a monomyth paradigm illuminates a mythological figure’s journey as portrayed in an ancient epic or classic text. Suggestions include Beowulf, King Arthur, or Gilgamesh
- Investigate the mythological origins of several culturally specific annual festivals. Suggestions include Diwali, Hai Ba Trung Day, Dia de los Muertos, Beltane/Solstice/Midsummer festivals
Investigate the ways a monomyth paradigm and/or mythological influences illuminate the central figure’s journey as portrayed in a contemporary film or tv series (you will need to invest time to watch these entire story arcs for this choice). Suggestions include:
Anne with an E: Anne
His Dark Materials (HBO): Lyra
Sweet Tooth: Gus
Maid: Alex
The Queen’s Gambit: Beth