<p>Lecture, three hours. Exploration of Nordic legend traditions and folk beliefs, as represented in oral narratives collected by folklorists in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as more recent urban legends, in their cultural and historical contexts, with readings of primary legend texts as well as secondary scholarship. P/NP or letter grading.</p>

Scandinavian

College of Letters and Science

European Languages and Transcultural Studies

SCAND 172B - Nordic Legend and Folk Belief

Nordic Legend and Folk Belief

Develop critical thinking and close textual analysis skills through analysis of primary texts and study of secondary scholarship.

Gain knowledge of the histories, geographies, and cultures of the Nordic region.

Reflect on how legend traditions function to establish group identity, leading to insight into processes of inclusion and exclusion.

Consider how different modes of communication affect style, content, reception, and meaning: orality vs. print vs. electronic media

Gain perspective on one’s own implicit beliefs and social norms through comparison with those from other cultures, places, and times.

Consider worldviews, experiences, and narrative art underrepresented in historical and literary scholarship yet fundamental to understanding national and regional cultures: that of the rural, the uneducated, and the poor.

Deepen understanding of our society’s most pervasive traditional narrative genre, developing a more critical relationship to the kind of stories most of us encounter regularly in our daily lives.

Become familiar with theoretical concepts and methodologies used in the analysis of folk narrative and belief, and practice applying these concepts and methodologies to primary source material.

Grapple with epistemological and ontological questions raised within legend traditions.

Gain greater experience, confidence, and skill in articulating and supporting a position through in-class discussions with fellow students.

General Catalog

Nordic Legend and Folk Belief

SCAND 172B

4 units