| CODE | ARC2010 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Mythology | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will focus on the gods and goddesses, heroes and villains from Egypt and the ancient Near East, including Mesopotamia and Ugarit. Among the themes explored will be the creation of the cosmos, the search for immortality, the relationship between the human and the divine, and hero myths in which men confront monsters. The Levantine myths reflecting the rites of fertility will also be considered. Study-unit Aims The aims of this study-unit are to discuss: 1. the main approaches taken in the study of mythology; 2. the Egyptian and ancient Near Eastern society through the narratives that emerged from the lands of the Nile, Mesopotamia and their neighbours; 3. the iconography associated with key protagonists of ancient mythological narratives. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Define mythology, with special reference to the ancient Near East; 2. Grasp how even mythological narratives can reflect the customs of ancient societies and indeed how they can even - at times - echo historical events; 3. Appreciate how there can be different versions (which at times seem contradictory and which baffle the western mind) of Egyptian and ancient Near Eastern myths; 4.Understand other societies which are wholly different to ours. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Read closely texts whilst learning how to unravel and account for what seem to be at first sight contradictory accounts; 2. Deal more efficiently and efficaciously with characters and customs from other times and other groups. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings Coogan, Michael D., and Smith, Mark S., 2012. Stories from Ancient Canaan, 2nd edition, Louisville: Westminister John Knox Press. Hart, George, 2005. The Routledge Dictionary Of Egyptian Gods And Goddesses, NewYork/London: Routledge. Pritchard, J. B. (ed.) 1969. Ancient Near Eastern Texts relating to the Old Testament. 3rd edition with supplement. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Gibson, J. C. L. (ed.) 1978. Canaanite Myths and Legends. 2nd edition. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. Gwendolyn, L. 1991. A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology. London: Routledge. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Omar N'Shea Nicholas Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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