World Religions, Wednesday, 2nd Period

[preacher-custer.livejournal.com]

Jesse's once again sitting with his feet up on his desk while the students file in. This time the clipboard is already waiting on one of the student desks to be passed around for sign-ins. Under the sign-in sheet is a stack of handouts. "Take one of those handouts on the clipboard when you sign in. Today we're gonna talk about a few things and you're gonna need that to keep up."

"First things first. Take a minute to read the academic meaning of the word 'mythology.'¹ I want to get this straight up front - if I talk about myth in here, I'm not giving it a higher value than if I use the word 'religion.' Some of the resources I'm gonna use are gonna talk about myth and that doesn't mean I'm saying these things are fairy tales. People around the world take their beliefs very seriously and we're gonna respect that." Jesse's personal opinions notwithstanding.

"We've got some big territory to cover today. Animism², American Indian beliefs³, and Australian Aboriginal beliefs⁴. They've got some things in common - in general all of them appreciate that there is value in nature, usually some idea of the soul in all things, or at least all living things. They've got some differences - animism isn't so much a religion as a general world view, American Indians and Australian indigenes developed their religions in widely separated places with different environments; they have different myths and rituals.

After a general introduction, he goes more in-depth to compare and contrast the three topics before giving the students their in-class work.

---

"Work alone or in groups, up to you. Pick a character, god, mythical creature, whatever you want, from American Indian or Australian mythology. Pick one you can identify with, whether it's because you've experienced something similar, it shows your own feelings, it's just something you think is cool, and explain that. If you're working in a group, I don't care how many of you get together to talk. If you're gonna go it alone, you've got to write it down for me and turn it in."

He sits back down behind his desk and grins at the students. "I hate homework. If I give y'all homework, I gotta do homework, so get this stuff done in class. Show me you're payin' attention, and that's good enough for me. We'll find out on the tests whether you were or not."

---

¹Academic views of Mythology
²Animism
³Overview of American Indian religious beliefs
⁴Aboriginal mythology

Dreamtime
Native American mythologies

Syllabus

Comments

Groups or solos

[preacher-custer.livejournal.com]

Groups of 1, 2, 3, or 4 are acceptable. Groups of 1 will have to turn in a written presentation.

Enthusiasm and exercise of that useful academic skill, baffling 'em with bullshit, will be treated favorably as long as Jesse finds it funny.

Re: Groups or solos

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

Blair was tempted to work on his own just so he could write the paper, but he looked around for a partner.

Re: Groups or solos

[nadiathesaint]

"Hey, Blair,"

Nadia figured Blair probably already knew a lot about this stuff, and would thus make a good partner.

Re: Groups or solos

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

"Hey there, Nadia." Blair grinned. "Isn't this interesting?"

Re: Groups or solos

[nadiathesaint]

"It is. I didn't know half this stuff about the Guarani."

Re: Groups or solos

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

"I knew a little bit about it." Blair said with a bounce. "But I tend to study South America mythology a lot."

Re: Groups or solos

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

Conner was going over his in-class notes, trying to pick something he was interested in and scribbling more notes in the margins.

Such as Wild Force Rangers - animists?

This kind of troubled him about the whole no-dinosaur religion thing, now.

Re: Groups or solos

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Whatcha doodling?" Cally said, scooting over to a desk nearer to Conner.

Re: Groups or solos

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

"Not doodling," Conner said quickly, even though it looked like he'd done a rough sketch of a T-Rex eating a lion. "Just taking notes."

Re: Groups or solos

[sogothcally.livejournal.com]

"Riiiight. You have any idea what to work on for the group thing, or do you not wanna work with me?"

Re: Groups or solos

[connernotconnor.livejournal.com]

"No idea," Conner said. "The aboriginal stuff is pretty new to me, though. It looks fun."

Re: Groups or solos

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn was looking for people to be in a group with.

Re: Groups or solos

[bookwormwood.livejournal.com]

Matilda approached Gwynn with a smile. "Hello. Would you mind us being a group?"

((ooc: Around almost all day with occassional slowplay for REAL classese...))

Re: Groups or solos

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn smiled back. "That would be nice."

Re: Groups or solos

[bookwormwood.livejournal.com]

"Do you have any ideas? I have a few if you don't."

Re: Groups or solos

[enginegirl.livejournal.com]

Kaylee looked around for anyone to work with.

Re: Groups or solos

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn waved at Kaylee. "Would you like to work with me and Matilda?"

Re: Groups or solos

[enginegirl.livejournal.com]

Kaylee grinned. "Sure."

[ooc: going afk in a bit, though.]

Re: Groups or solos

[notafairmaiden.livejournal.com]

Gwynn beckoned her up the thread over to her and Matilda with a happy grin.


[[OOC: That's okay, I am too, Feeling ill.]]

Re: Groups or solos

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Chad made a few more random notes in between giving a casual glance around to see if anyone might not mind letting him work with them.

Re: Groups or solos

[janet_fraiser]

Janet was doodling in her notes and generally looking kind of disdainful of the assignment. But she was glancing around occasionally, seeing if there was anyone who might be interested in working together.

Re: Groups or solos

[swerval_zero]

Zero was also looking for people to work with. Fancy that.

Re: Groups or solos

[janet_fraiser]

Janet grinned over at Zero. "Do you have any ideas on this sucker?"

Re: Groups or solos

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy reviewed the handout again while he simultaneously looked for a partner.

Re: Groups or solos

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Eventually, Billy worked on his assignment on his own, and handed in a short essay to Jesse:

I think it’s interesting, the prevalence of snake gods in Aboriginal culture. Like other deities in other cultures, there seem to be one or two snake gods that have several different names, and it seems as though there are as many benevolent Serpent Dieties as Malevolent, if not more.

The prevalence of the gods makes sense as, from my understanding, Australia does have quite a few snakes about. But the character of the gods in question speaks volumes about the way snakes must have been viewed.

The Christian creation myth vilifies the serpent, and the vast majority of people, in my experience, fear, or hate snakes. To have a culture view them as mostly beneficial is very interesting.