Myth and History

Description

The myths we create are part of the fabric that make up our past and how we understand it. When we look into the past to find to find out what really happened, we not only face the problem of sifting myth from fact but we also face the danger of inventing new myths and traditions to go with it. This course will look at how history and myth interact and the problems that this interaction presents to the historian. Students will be introduced to tribal myths and how these stories assimilate 'historical events'. Students will then be introduced to a range of theories and methods historians and indigenous scholars use to manage the obvious tensions within.