Mythology 101 with Joseph Campbell

[alanajoli]

Thanks to slwhitman, I'm now aware of the reading list that Joseph Campbell used for his mythology classes at Sarah Lawrence. (He taught at Sarah Lawrence? Who knew?)

What's incredibly interesting to me is that fairy tales by the Grimm brothers are on this list. That's right: fairy tales in a mythology course. I have an ongoing dialogue with Mark Vecchio, my mythology prof from college (who is a great friend and mentor as well), about fairy tales vs. mythology, so it will be lovely to pull this information out in our next conversation. It's nifty to see the Levy-Bruhl on there, which Mark's current students referred to in Greece and Turkey, but I haven't read.

It's an extremely diverse list--though it neglects to include the Graves Greek Mythology, which I've been informed is the best collection of Greek myths out there, in favor of the Golden Bough, which is assorted myths, and was probably used to cover Greek, Norse, and possibly Celtic. I'll have to look at it on the shelf today at the library.

Things I'd add to this list based on my recent mythology classes (that may or may not have been available to Campbell):

The White Goddess by Robert Graves
Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio De Santillana and Hertha Von Dechend
The Sacred and the Profane by Mircea Eliade
Saving the Appearances by Owen Barfield
"On Fairy Tales" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Do Kamo: Person and Myth in the Melanesian World by Maurice Leenhardt
Mythology of the British Isles by Geoffrey Ashe
Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by C. G. Jung

Hrm. I feel like I may be missing a few. There's one on sacred landscapes that I'm not finding on my bookshelves at the moment.

Thanks to slwhitman for today's prompt. The distinction between mythology and fairy tales is something I was planning to investigate at the library today (as time allows), as they're separated in the Dewey Decimal System. I'd like to know how the distinction is made.

Edit: Is "dialogue" archaic? I've always spelled it that way, but the lj spell checker doesn't like it. Must turn to my new-book-smell Webster's and look it up.

Comments

[eclectic-writer.livejournal.com]

I personally hate the "dialog" spelling, it just doesn't seem right somehow. I've always used "dialogue" when spelling it and probably always will, and dang what the dictionaries and English teachers say. ;)

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Hurrah, I have support! I shall band together with you and continue to use the proper spelling. ;)

[eclectic-writer.livejournal.com]

Yay for banding! And archaic forms of words! And, spelling in general!!

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Oooo! I must come up to visit! He's on campus this semester, ne?

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Is he not going to school for a particular reason? (Nevermind; I'll just ask when I come up. I'll make it a facebook announcement!)

Graves

[exoder27.livejournal.com]

Hey, I actually have that Graves Greek Mythology book, though I don't really know if I've ever touched it.

Just felt cool for a second, so I figured I'd mention that.

Re: Graves

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

You are two steps ahead of me. I've got several Greek mythology books, but still don't have a copy of the Graves. (I haven't read it, either.)

And you only felt cool for a second? You're a rock star, dude. You should feel cool all the time.