Comparing and Contrasting Zeus and Odin:
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This 7 page paper compares and contrasts the Greek God Zeus to his Norse counterpart Odin. This paper argues that the striking similarities between these two mythological gods illustrates how influenced the Norse culture was by the Greek culture. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: GSGreekg.rtf

Egyptian Journey to the Afterlife
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A 15 page discussion of the critical components of the ancient Egyptian's belief in an afterlife. Notes that much of our contemporary knowledge regarding ancient Egyptian culture is based on archaeological findings. Among the most interesting of these findings are those which relate to the elaborate worship rituals of the Egyptians, rituals which to a large degree were comprised of those relating to death and the afterlife. Provides an overview of Egyptian belief, preparation for the afterlife, mummification, the preparation of the body, rituals instructing the dead, the tombs, and ceremonies. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: PPegyDth.wps

Ernst Cassirer: Language & Myth (1946)
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(5 pp) Philosophers are always asking themselves questions. What a philosopher is trying to do, is figure out the way in which people understand the world, or their sense and place of reality in the world. The German philosopher, Ernst Cassirer (1874- 1945) felt that we use mentally created symbols to understand our current reality. It was Cassirer's idea that scientific laws, theories of religion and the unique qualities of a given language were all symbols, which we as humans create to facilitate understanding the world. The logic of understanding then is to give some sense of order in the chaos of the world that we face on a daily basis.
Filename: BBcassir.doc

Fairy Tales: Now and Always
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(10pp) Since the time that someone rubbed two sticks togetherto make fire, people have loved a good story. It may loosely be called a legend, a story, or a tale, Joseph Campbell links most of them together with a thematic approach called the "hero's adventure." We will test some current fairy tales ("The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet," Jeanne Desy; "Prince Amilec" Tanith Lee; and "Petronella" by Jay Williams) to see how they fit the traditional model. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: BBfrytls.doc

Fantasy in Contemporary Cinema: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter
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A paper which looks at the function of fantasy in contemporary cinema, with particlar reference to myth in film, as evinced by Lord of the Rings, the Star Wars series and Harry Potter. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: JLcinfan.rtf

Here Be Dragons!
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(5 pp) No single continent or culture has an exclusive claim on dragons or dragon lore. The animals have survived in time and imagination. Just as an adventurer might claim land for his sovereign, a wise traveler would also know when dragons would be about, and then, even whisper to himself, "here be-- dragons." This discussion will allow the reader to learn of these marvelous creatures, so he too can learn to recognize them, and the places where they live. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: BBdragon.doc

James Churchward and the Lost Continent of Mu
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This 8 page paper discusses James Churchward’s claims that the “lost continent of Mu” once existed in the mid-Pacific, and sank when gas filled chambers beneath it collapsed. The paper argues that Churchward’s theory is not supported by scientific evidence, but notes that people still seem to enjoy debating it. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: HVCrchwd.rtf

Jan Brunvand’s Works on Urban Legends, “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” and “The Baby Train”: Development of Changes in Format and Presentation
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This is a 5 page paper discussing the differences found in Brunvand’s “The Vanishing Hitchhiker” and “The Baby Train”. Jan Brunvand’s text “The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings” (1981) introduced a generation to contemporary American urban legends, their origins, their development, and contained detailed accounts as to the depth of research in understanding the legends. Twelve years later, Brunvand released his fifth volume of urban legends entitled “The Baby Train and Other Lusty Urban Legends” (1993). The format of his presentation in this volume changed somewhat to include shorter narratives and less accompanying explanatory statements about each legend. Instead, Brunvand focused much more on the typing and cross-referencing of the legends contained and on the international contexts many have reached. The reason for this change in format was mostly due to the fact that the field and the interest in urban legends had grown a great deal since his original text and because of this Brunvand was able to contain less explanatory text in regards to the research involved and thus avoid repeating himself and offering instead his readers a chance to see the extent of the field and the extent to which the knowledge of urban legends has reached on an international basis as well as an American one. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: TJBrunv1.rtf

Joseph Campbell & Michael J. Harner / Ritual Compared
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A 5 page paper comparing and contrasting the ideas of these two theorists about the function and importance of ritual. Joseph Campbell was a well-known writer in the areas of mythology and ritual, and frequently drew analogies between established religious practices and long-forerunning mythological beliefs. He maintained that ritual was an important part of any religious practice as a way of setting the practice apart from daily routine, working to keep it within the realm of something outside, yet part of, the individual. Michael Harner teaches shamanism to Westerners for incorporation into holistic healing practices. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Ritual.wps