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analytical essays
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Papers On Other Cultures & Issues Of Mythology
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Comparison between Heracles and Gilgamesh
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A five page paper which looks at the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and the Greek hero Heracles, in terms of the way in which their narratives fulfill similar cultural roles within their respective societies and the similarities and differences between the tasks which they undergo in their quests for enlightenment.
Filename: JLheracles.doc
Egyptian Journey to the Afterlife
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A 15 page discussion of the critical components of the ancient Egyptian's belief in an afterlife. Notes that much of our contemporary knowledge regarding ancient Egyptian culture is based on archaeological findings. Among the most interesting of these findings are those which relate to the elaborate worship rituals of the Egyptians, rituals which to a large degree were comprised of those relating to death and the afterlife. Provides an overview of Egyptian belief, preparation for the afterlife, mummification, the preparation of the body, rituals instructing the dead, the tombs, and ceremonies. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: PPegyDth.wps
Ernst Cassirer: Language & Myth (1946)
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(5 pp) Philosophers are always asking themselves
questions. What a philosopher is trying to do,
is figure out the way in which people understand
the world, or their sense and place of reality in
the world. The German philosopher, Ernst Cassirer
(1874- 1945) felt that we use mentally created
symbols to understand our current reality. It was
Cassirer's idea that scientific laws, theories of
religion and the unique qualities of a given
language were all symbols, which we as humans
create to facilitate understanding the world.
The logic of understanding then is to give some
sense of order in the chaos of the world that we
face on a daily basis.
Filename: BBcassir.doc
Fairy Tales: Now and Always
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(10pp) Since the time that someone rubbed two
sticks togetherto make fire, people have loved a
good story. It may loosely be called a legend, a
story, or a tale, Joseph Campbell links most of
them together with a thematic approach called the
"hero's adventure." We will test some current
fairy tales ("The Princess Who Stood on Her Own
Two Feet," Jeanne Desy; "Prince Amilec" Tanith
Lee; and "Petronella" by Jay Williams) to see how
they fit the traditional model. Bibliography
lists 2 sources.
Filename: BBfrytls.doc
Fantasy in Contemporary Cinema: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter
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A paper which looks at the function of fantasy in contemporary cinema, with particlar reference to myth in film, as evinced by Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars series and Harry Potter. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: JLcinfan.rtf
Here Be Dragons!
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(5 pp) No single continent or culture has an
exclusive claim on dragons or dragon lore. The
animals have survived in time and imagination.
Just as an adventurer might claim land for his
sovereign, a wise traveler would also know when
dragons would be about, and then, even whisper to
himself, "here be-- dragons." This discussion will
allow the reader to learn of these marvelous
creatures, so he too can learn to recognize them,
and the places where they live.
Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: BBdragon.doc
James Churchward and the Lost Continent of Mu
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This 8 page paper discusses James Churchward’s claims that the “lost continent of Mu” once existed in the mid-Pacific, and sank when gas filled chambers beneath it collapsed. The paper argues that Churchward’s theory is not supported by scientific evidence, but notes that people still seem to enjoy debating it. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: HVCrchwd.rtf
Jan Brunvand’s Works on Urban Legends, “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” and “The Baby Train”: Development of Changes in Format and Presentation
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This is a 5 page paper discussing the differences found in Brunvand’s “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” and “The Baby Train”. Jan Brunvand’s text “The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings” (1981) introduced a generation to contemporary American urban legends, their origins, their development, and contained detailed accounts as to the depth of research in understanding the legends. Twelve years later, Brunvand released his fifth volume of urban legends entitled “The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends” (1993). The format of his presentation in this volume changed somewhat to include shorter narratives and less accompanying explanatory statements about each legend. Instead, Brunvand focused much more on the typing and cross-referencing of the legends contained and on the international contexts many have reached. The reason for this change in format was mostly due to the fact that the field and the interest in urban legends had grown a great deal since his original text and because of this Brunvand was able to contain less explanatory text in regards to the research involved and thus avoid repeating himself and offering instead his readers a chance to see the extent of the field and the extent to which the knowledge of urban legends has reached on an international basis as well as an American one.
Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: TJBrunv1.rtf
Joseph Campbell & Michael J. Harner / Ritual Compared
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A 5 page paper comparing and contrasting the ideas of these two theorists about the function and importance of ritual. Joseph Campbell was a well-known writer in the areas of mythology and ritual, and frequently drew analogies between established religious practices and long-forerunning mythological beliefs. He maintained that ritual was an important part of any religious practice as a way of setting the practice apart from daily routine, working to keep it within the realm of something outside, yet part of, the individual. Michael Harner teaches shamanism to Westerners for incorporation into holistic healing practices. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Ritual.wps
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