Great Mythologies of the World

Epic battles between titanic gods. The creation, re-creation, and repair of the world. Perilous quests for lost treasures and the comfort of home. Magical items imbued with the power to protect - and destroy. Mythology has provided fascinating and thrilling stories that are central to our lives, even today. The deep-seated origins and wide-reaching lessons of ancient myths built the foundation for our modern legacies. Serving as entertainment, a means to bond, a way to pass along history, and as vessels for important lessons, morals, and rules, myths are prevalent in every civilization worldwide. Travel through space and time to access some of the greatest myths in history from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. You'll hear what makes these stories so important, distinctive, and able to withstand the test of time. You'll also discover how, despite geographical implausibilities, many myths from across the oceans share themes, morals, and archetypes. You'll hear variations of origin stories from across the globe, spanning the earth-divers of the Native Americans to the egg-emergence stories of the Asia Pacific. You'll be introduced to tales of the Trickster, who pops up in different forms and with different names in a variety of stories around the world. You'll be entertained and instructed by folklore and fables, seeing how the lessons they teach served as the groundwork for the transmission of a system of beliefs and knowledge for the entire culture. Four esteemed professors, renowned experts in their fields, will transport you to exotic locations and ancient civilizations in this 60-lecture series. You'll become immersed in the geographies and cultures each section features, aided by stories and characters created by the indigenous people of each region, which are still reflected in our tales today. You'll come away from this course with a deeper appreciation for these remarkable cultures and the immense power of the mythologies of the world.