добро пожаловать! Fáilte!
Faculty: Sean Williams, Patricia Krafcik, Tatiana Bužeková
This program explores the folklore of the Slavic and Celtic peoples from epic times to the present in a cross-cultural study of two of Europe’s oldest ethnic groups. Both groups are dispersed over an enormous territory: the Slavic region across eastern and Southeastern Europe and into Eurasia to the Pacific Ocean, and the Celtic regions across the islands and peninsulas of Western Europe. Both are renowned for their abundant folklore traditions which have deep roots in a remote past and have served as a valuable source of inspiration for writers, composers, and dramatists from the 19th century through the present. What characteristics do both traditions share? What distinguishes the two cultural traditions? What essential historical, linguistic, and spiritual elements permeate the hearts and minds of local people in these regions? What do their folklore practices reveal?
We begin the quarter with regional epic narratives and explore the histories and belief systems of the two regions. We follow this foundational work with an exploration of folklore practices (customs, rituals, beliefs), examine 19th-century cultural nationalist movements in music and literature, and conclude with how this all plays out in contemporary life, both rural and urban. Each week includes lectures, films, seminars, and workshops, collaborative presentations, and possible guest performers or presenters. Students will write short essays and complete an essay at the end of the quarter that examines the role, use, and appropriation of folklore materials in a particular Slavic or Celtic region. Drawing on their research, students will digitally create professional posters which will be printed at the end of the quarter for a poster exhibit during the last week. All readings are to be completed and brought to Monday’s seminars for discussion.
This quarter we are privileged to have teaching with us Tatiana Bužeková, a Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence. Tania teaches at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, in the Department of Ethnology and Museology. She will contribute to our understanding of Slavic folklore, with a special focus on Slovak folklore and folk life. We welcome her to our teaching team and to our campus!