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Myth in the Modern World: From the Classics to Conspiracies

Module description

From ancient Babylon to classical Greece to twenty-first-century Europe, myth, legend, tradition, and folklore have been present in every culture. This is true of the present-day, where rumours, memes, ‘post-truths’, and ‘alternative facts’ are all around us. But why are humans so susceptible to mythic thinking? This module explores the seductive power of myth in human societies through the eyes of a diverse range of thinkers, scholars, and historical actors. From a range of disciplinary perspectives, we will examine how and why myth, traditions, and unprovable beliefs persist. You will examine a diverse topics such as the Enlightenment science of ‘mythography’; the rise of anthropology and the ‘human sciences’; the study of contemporary folklore and urban legend; the ‘science’ of UFOlogy and modern conspiracy theories; the reinterpretation of ancient cultures in the modern world; and the impact of myths on popular culture. We will end by asking whether digital technology has led to a new age of myth.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to give you in-depth knowledge of the intellectual and cultural history of myth and mythological thinking, and to engage you in critical reading and thinking.

You will become familiar with a range of debates and cultural theories about mythic thinking in human societies. You will critique the work of a range of scholars, past and present.

You will undertake interdisciplinary research through a range of primary source texts, including through close reading and reflection. Secondary literature will present you with ample material to develop critical and analytical skills, as well as hone your discursive and communication skills in the seminar discussions which will be a key component of this module. Lectures will provide background information, especially biographical and historical context and introduce key themes and questions for discussion.

You will have the opportunity to undertake independent research and to gain feedback about your work in a supportive environment.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an understanding of different approaches to myth in the period
• 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the major intellectual discourses of the period and the manner in which they developed
• 3. Develop the ability to identify and engage with interdisciplinary historical approaches

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Develop critical historical and intellectual vocabulary for engaging with ideas and discourses in the history of culture
• 5. Effectively deploy close reading skills and the ability to engage with primary source texts in the history and contemporary culture of myth
• 6. Develop the ability to analyse and critique cultural and historical and arguments

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Demonstrate independent critical thinking and research skills

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Introduction: searching for ‘the key to all mythologies’
• Science of religion
• Early anthropology and the Golden Bough
• The question of cultural evolution
• Language and orientalism: Rise and Fall of the Sun Gods
• Folklore and popular knowledge
• Atlantis: classics and mythic origins
• Ritualists and Rationalists: modern classics
• ‘Weird fiction’ and British mythology
• Lost cities and ‘The Quest’ – remaking myths
• Anthropology, self-fashioning, and storytelling
• New sciences: ‘UFOlogy’ and ‘Neo-antiquarianism’
• Digital mythmaking: Slenderman, Black-Eyed Children
• Conspiracy theories and the post-truth myth
• Are myths ever true?

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Indicative reading:

• Alexander, S. Taylor, B(eds), History and psyche: culture, psychoanalysis, and the past (Palgrave, 2013)
• Beard, M. The invention of Jane Harrison (Cambridge, 2000)
• Bell, K. The legend of Spring-heeled Jack: Victorian urban folklore and popular cultures (Cambridge, 2013)
• Black,T.J. McNeil, L.S. (eds), Slender Man is coming: creepypasta and contemporary legends on the internet (Utah Press, 2018)
• Dorson, R.M. Peasant customs and savage myths (1968)
• Frazer, J.G. The Golden Bough (various editions)
• Geertz, C. The interpretation of culture (various editions)
• Josephson Storm, J. The myth of disenchantment (Chicago, 2017)
• Kidd, C. The world of Mr Casaubon: Britain’s wars of mythography,1700-1870 (Cambridge, 2016)
• Levi-Strauss, C. The Savage Mind (various editions)
• Liu, A. Friending the past: the sense of history in the digital age (Chicago, 2018)
• Murphy, T.P. Fairy tale and plot structure (Palgrave, 2015)
• Newell, J. A century of weird fiction, 1832-1937 (Cardiff, 2020)
• Nicholls, A. Myth and the human sciences (Cambridge, 2010)
• Sterenberg, M. Mythic thinking in twentieth-century Britain (Palgrave, 2013)
• Stone, J.R. (ed), The essential Max Müller (Palgrave, 2002)
• Strenski, I. Four theories of myth in twentieth-century history (Macmillan, 1987)
• Riley, A. The social thought of Emile Durkheim (London, 2014)
• Varto, E. (ed), Companion to classics and early anthropology (Leiden, 2018

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE:
• “Lost in the Amazon: The Enigma of Col. Percy Fawcett” documentary film (2014)
• The stories of Algernon Blackwood: http://algernonblackwood.org/
• Nineteenth-century Newspapers
• Reddit, Youtube, etc.

Key words search

Myth; culture; tradition; folklore; urban legends; politics; conspiracies; history of ideas; cultural history; anthropology; classical reception; digital history