C LIT 424 A: The Epic Tradition

In this course you will encounter some very old tales: the traditional, heroic epics that for centuries served, and still serve, as a way for people to create a legendary past for themselves, to define themselves, transmit values that are important to them, and to connect the past to present and future. We will focus on traditional tales passed down orally from one generation to the next and visit many times and places, from the ancient Near East, Greece, and India, to medieval Central Asia and Europe. We will read, in whole or in part, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Tain Bo Cualnge. We will also take a brief look at epic tales from Turkic and Slavic traditions (brief because there is no suitable English translation available to read them fully). The goal is to get a sense of what these epics are and how much more there is to explore.

Although it is listed as an upper-level, this course is very much open to students at all levels, including freshmen, and of all majors. No previous familiarity with the epics we’ll read is assumed or required.  But: you will learn a lot even if you have read some of these poems before! Please be prepared for a substantial amount of reading.

TEXTS:

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh, by Andrew George. Penguin Classics; Reissue edition(April 29, 2003).
2. The A New Translation. By Caroline Alexander. Ecco 2016.
3. The Odyssey, Homer. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald, introduction by Carne-Ross. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Pub. 1998. OR: Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson. Norton 2017.
4. The Mahabharata: a shortened modern version of the Indian Epic. Translated by R.K. Narayan, foreword by W. Doniger.
5. Ramayana, Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. Translated by R. K. Narayan. Penguin Books 2006.
6. The Tain: Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge by Thomas Kinsella. Oxford University Press 2002.

Note: I generally allow the use of other translations in class but there are exceptions, so please run it by me first.