Week 1: Overview for Indian Epics!

Now is the time when we begin to delve deep into the world and mythology of India!  But first...an exploration into why I am taking this course in the first place.

For one thing, with my schedule there were very few courses that I could fit this semester that work towards both my letters major and my non-Western civilizations gen-ed.  But beyond that, I have always been interested in mythology and folklore, in the commonalities between various religions and belief systems, and the unique perceptions of the world and creation.  Last spring, I took a course on American religion in the margins, in which we explored briefly the adaptations Hinduism made in order to assimilate into the western world, and the fleeting glimpse left me intrigued and grasping for more.  And so I enrolled in this course, an online course that is flexible enough to fit into my schedule, works well at incorporating into the course requirements I have yet to take, and allows me to explore the fascinating mythology of India.

Of course, I have only a cursory knowledge of the Hindu tradition, and very little background on the history of India.  However as I take this course, I hope to find points on which I may branch off on my own to explore and discover the historical, cultural and religious context of these stories.  My lack of knowledge only works to pique my interest and foster a hunger for more!

That being said, I am curious about many, many things pertaining to Indian culture and religion.  First off, what historical context are these stories set in, how does this affect the content contained in these stories, and through what tradition were these epics recorded?  How does the social and historical context of the time in which these epics were first written down affect the content within?

More generally, what roles do the Hindu deities play not only in the epics, but in the lives of the various strata of Indian peoples?  How would the deities' roles in the stories resonate with the people?  What aspects of the deities are disputed, both within the epics and outside in the general religious context?  What about these epics specifically resounds so strongly that they have remained as prominent examples of Indian literature even til today?

So, as you can see, I have more than enough questions, some of which will probably never be answered, or will at the very least be much disputed.  But that's the fun of reading great works of literature--there are always aspects that will be open to interpretation or at least open to debate.  And the fact that so many versions of these works remain is proof of that fact!!


P.S.   I went into this assignment planning on watching only about 5 minutes of Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues"...But, before I realized it, I was half an hour in and engrossed by the mix of old and new elements, drawn in by the various unique animation styles, and amused by the various viewpoints and perspectives on the Ramayana given by the three different voices.  While I have not finished the movie yet, no doubt I will have watched the entire film by the end of tonight, satisfying--for the mean time--some of my thirst for knowledge and insight into Indian mythology!!