Foundations of Comparative Mythology: Archetypes, Narratives, and the Study of Myth

Myths are among the oldest forms of human meaning-making, and their remarkable cross-cultural recurrences — flood stories, dying-and-rising gods, hero journeys, creation narratives — have fascinated scholars, poets, and psychologists for centuries. The academic study of comparative mythology asks not just what myths say, but why similar stories appear across cultures that had no documented contact, and what that tells us about the human mind, social structure, and the universal challenges of being alive. By the end of this course you will be able to describe the major schools of comparative mythology (structuralism, Jungian/archetypal, functionalism, and cognitive approaches), apply these analytical frameworks to specific myths, identify the major recurring narrative patterns across world mythology, and engage critically with the opportunities and risks of comparative mythological analysis. What you will learn: - The history of comparative mythology as a scholarly discipline: from Max Müller's solar mythology through Frazer's Golden Bough to Lévi-Strauss, Eliade, and Campbell - Structuralist analysis: how to identify binary oppositions and deep structures in mythic narratives using Lévi-Strauss's method - The Jungian/archetypal approach: Jung's concept of the collective unconscious, the major archetypes (shadow, anima, hero, trickster), and their appearance in myth - Joseph Campbell's monomyth: the hero's journey as a cross-cultural narrative template, its analytical strengths, and its significant scholarly critiques - Creation myths: a comparative survey of cosmogonic narratives from Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, South Asia, and West Africa - Flood myths: the Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Hindu, and Mesoamerican flood traditions compared — shared elements and contextual differences - Trickster figures: Loki, Coyote, Anansi, and Hermes as culturally specific expressions of a recurring mythic role - The risks of over-comparison: when structural similarities obscure culturally specific meaning — a critical examination of methodological limits The course proceeds through theoretical readings, illustrated myth summaries, and structured comparative analysis exercises. Worked examples show how each analytical method applies to specific mythological texts. This course is designed for students who are new to comparative mythology as an academic discipline. No prior background in religion, anthropology, or literary studies is required. You will leave with a solid foundation in the major theories and methods and a rich sense of the mythological landscape.