This course explores mythical figures through an anthropological lens, examining how narratives of the “monstrous” shape cultural understandings of danger, morality, and social order. Students will investigate the historical specificity and cultural meanings of myths, focusing on their role in constructing ideas about health, illness, and the body. From plague demons and vampires as metaphors for contagion to zombie narratives in pandemic discourse, the class emphasizes how myths intersect with medicine and public health, revealing deep-seated anxieties about purity, contamination, and vulnerability. We will also study contemporary issues such as gun violence in the United States and analyze how notions of monstrosity inform public perceptions of danger. Historical processes will be explored through figures like the kharisiri/pishtako in the Andes, whose mythologies reflect colonial and extractive anxieties. Readings will include Monstrilio and selections from Serpent, Siren, Maelstrom and Myth, alongside ethnographic and theoretical texts that illuminate the enduring power of myth in shaping social realities.
This class has no prerequisites—all students are welcome, regardless of background. Students should be prepared to read approximately 30 pages per week and actively engage in class discussions. We will meet once a week for a combined lecture and brief activities designed to assess learning. Grading will be based on class participation, reading annotations, and a final paper on a topic of the student’s choice.
The Basilisk is a feared creature in the island of Chiloe (Chile) said to hatch from the egg of an old rooster. With the body of a bird and the tail of a reptile, it hides in granaries, where it drains the life force of people and animals nearby, leaving a trail of desolation. Stories say that to destroy the Basilisk, one must burn its nest and purify the area with fire, a ritual reinforcing the belief in protecting domestic and rural spaces from malevolent forces.