RUSN 331 Slavic Pagan Culture: Russian Section

The worldview and beliefs of the early Slavs particularly the Eastern Slavs were a complex synthesis of influences:  Indo-European mythology Central Asian shamanism Scythian animal worship and ultimately a paganized" version of Christianity labeled by cultural historians as "dvoeverie" (double faith).  This course examines all aspects of this culture as it developed in the years 800-1600 in order to understand how these people viewed the world and how this affected their lives and the development of Slavic culture.  Communal village life legends folk genres and mythology their sources and their legacies are examined.  There is a close study of the phenomenon of the vampire following its evolution from the Iron Age into eighteenth century Serbia as a specific case study of how myths are born and persist.  The ways in which pagan beliefs were incorporated into Christianity to create the "dual-faith" of the Russian peasant are examined as well.  In addition to analytical and historical texts readings include tales of supernatural beings and phenomena as well as testimony concerning encounters with the supernatural." This section will deal with both texts in English and with texts in the original Russian.  Texts include the "Tale of Warlord Dracula," "Olga's Revenge on the Drevlians" and other early Russian stories.