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APPENDIX 3:
SAMPLE COURSE MATERIALS
I am including copies of some of the materials from a sample undergraduate course and a sample graduate course. Current course materials may also be viewed at: http://faculty.virginia.edu/kononenko
SLFK 214 Ritual and Demonology was intended to teach students about:
Students were to develop their analytical skills and their writing skills and samples of writing assignments follow. Also included are samples of the midterm exam and the final exam. For both, sample exams were given to help students review. The review process is designed to help students reflect on the material learned, organize it, leading to their own insights.
There were 120 students in the course and all course evaluations cannot be included. Sample evaluations, selected to show the range of comments, follow the course materials.
SLFK 214 &endash; RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
Spring 2001
Instructors: Natalie Kononenko
Emily Shaw
Chris Hubert
Reading list:
1. Linda Ivanits, Russian Folk Belief2. Marjorie Blazer, Russian Traditional Culture
3. Mary Douglas, Natural Symbols
4. Petr Bogatyrev, Vampires in the Carpathians
5. Musya Glants and Joyce Toomre, Food in Russian History and Culture
Course web page:
http://www.virginia.edu/~slavic/Home/kononenko_folklore/home.html
Course requirements:
Exams &endash; midterm, scheduled for March 8 &endash; 15% of gradeFinal, scheduled for May 7, 2PM &endash; 35% of grade
Section &endash; written work (4 essays, 2-3 pages each) &endash; 25% of grade
Oral work (participation in class discussion) &endash; 25% of grade
You are responsible for all materials, including audio-visuals, that accompany this course. We are planning on having you work with a database of digitized images for one of your essay assignments and the database will be available for your use throughout the course. You are also responsible for all other supplementary materials used in lecture, whether or not they appear in the database or on the course web page.
Lecture: At student request, I have been posting my lecture notes on the course web page
http://www.virginia.edu/~slavic/Home/kononenko_folklore/home.html
Please be aware of the fact that these are my notes, written by me to use as I lecture. They are not written to be read and they will make no sense unless you first attend lecture. Use them if you like, or take your own notes. When I show visual materials, the images serve as cues for me and I do not write out notes. This should serve as a warning that there are no notes of any kind to go with videos and those images which are not part of the database.
Second Writing Requirement: You may use this course to fulfill the second writing requirement. If you chose this option, you will write a 20 page paper in lieu of the final exam. You will submit it first in the form of a rough draft of at least 14 pages. You will receive feedback on your draft and prepare a final version that will be due on the last day of class.
Course Syllabus:
January 18 &endash; Introduction
Place spirits and the Russian world view
Areas of folklore
Reading &endash; Ivanits, Russian Folk Belief
January 23 &endash; areas of folklore continued
Russian examples of each of the areas
Place spirits and their connection to material culture and the yearly cycle
Reading &endash; Ivanits, cont.
January 25 &endash; background information &endash; Russian and Ukrainian material culture
Layout of village, farmstead, house
House construction and personal space
Material culture as symbol
Reading &endash; Ivanits, cont.
January 30 &endash; place spirits continued
Animism and anthropomorphization
Connection to ancestor cult
Upper and lower mythology and the pre-Christian pantheon
Reading &endash; Ivanits, cont.
February 1 &endash; dual belief and saints' days
Witchcraft beliefs
"Spoiling" and healing
Reading &endash; Ivanits, cont.
February 6 &endash; understanding lower mythology through history
Another view at the pre-Christian pantheon and dual belief
Reading &endash; Balzer, Russian Traditional Culture
February 8 &endash; village life and culture
Village life and social structure
Village life and ethics
Reading &endash; Balzer, cont.
February 13 &endash; systems of belief and systems of action
Dual belief and ritual
Yearly cycle ritual and life cycle ritual
Reading &endash; Balzer, cont.
First essay due
February 15 &endash; concrete manifestations of belief
Icons, Clothing, Food
Reading &endash; Balzer, cont.
February 20 &endash; morality in the village sphere
Attitudes toward family, kin, neighbors
Reading &endash; Balzer, cont.
February 22 &endash; ritual as a manifestation of world view
Ritual and society types
Reading &endash; Douglas, Natural Symbols
February 27 &endash; attitudes toward the liminal and society types
Focus on the individual
Focus on the group
Reading &endash; Douglas, cont.
March 1- yearly cycle ritual in the context of other ritual and magical acts
Liminal points in the year
Liminal points in the life cycle
Liminal people and ritual
2nd essay due
Reading &endash; Douglas, cont
March 6 &endash; Douglas applied to witchcraft beliefs
Group-oriented societies and witchcraft accusations
Reading &endash; Douglas, cont.
March 8 &endash; Midterm
March 20 &endash; introduction to yearly cycle ritual
Ritual theory review
Liminality review
Year viewed linearly and year viewed as a circle
Reading &endash; Douglas, cont.
March 22 &endash; the yearly cycle and saints' days
ritual as magic
Influencing the future through magic acts
Reading &endash; finish Douglas
March 27 &endash; motivated and unmotivated magic acts
The steps of the yearly cycle starting with Christmas and New Years'
Reading - Bogatyrev, Vampires in the Carpathians
March 29 &endash; Christmas and New Years' from the Christian perspective
The pre-Christian view
Fortune-telling in a closed society
Water magic and fire magic
Reading &endash; Bogatyrev, cont.
April 3 &endash; the minor festivals between Christmas and New Years'
Practical aspects of yearly cycle ritual
Symbolic aspects
Reading &endash; Bogatyrev, cont.
third essay due
April 5 &endash; Maslenitsa (Shrove), the Great Lent, and Easter
Spring holidays in Christian and pre-Christian perspective
Specifically Russian views
Reading &endash; Bogatyrev, cont.
April 10 &endash; Easter-related films
Reading &endash; Bogatyrev, cont.
April 12 &endash; summer holidays and harvest magic
The role of women and the role of men
The link between the life cycle and the yearly cycle and fortune-telling
Reading &endash; Glants and Toomre, Food in Russian Culture
April 17 &endash; fall festivals and marriage
Eating and conspicuous consumption
Reading &endash; Glants and Toomre, cont.
April 19 &endash; food as symbol
Food ideas and society types
Body as symbol and society types
Reading &endash; Glants and Toomre, cont.
April 24 &endash; the Soviet system and its approach to food
Manipulating food as symbol for social control
Reading &endash; Glants and Toomre, cont.
Last essay due
April 26 &endash; the Soviet system and its approach to ritual
Manipulating ritual for social control
Reading &endash; finish Glants and Toomre
May 1 &endash; the post-Soviet situation
Reviving old rituals
Valorizing village life
Final exam &endash; May 7, 2PM
Survey 1
Are the items below based on real events?
A=yes
B=no
o1. Big foot
o2. Blue Ridge mountain attacker
o3. Achilles tendon slasher
o4. Attacker in the back seat
o5. Devil baby in Primary Care
o6. Cabell Hall rapist; Alderman rapist
o7. Neighborhood cannibal
o8. AIDS Mary (Welcome to the world of AIDS)
o9. Internet criminals/same family seducers
o10. Kidney thief
Survey 2
Give your opinion on the following topics
A=yes
B=no
oCan you make someone love you
1. by giving a gift
2. with chocolate
3. with a love potion
4. with a charm or incantation
oCan you make someone sick
5. by evil-eyeing them
6. by cursing them
7. by having bad feelings toward them
8. by being jealous of them
oCan you cure someone
9.with the egg ceremony
10. with incantations and charms
11. by the laying on of hands
12. with herbs and potions
Survey number 3: pre-Douglas
What follows is another set of opinion questions. You are to give your opinion; there are no right or wrong answers.
On a scale of 1-5, where one is not important at all and 5 is very important, how important to you is it to:
1) Have a slim body
2) Have a well-proportioned body
3) Avoid having a fat body
4) Eat on time
5) Eat with other people
6) Eat a balanced meal
7) Balance the nutritional content of your food over the span of a day
8) Avoid fat in your food
9) Avoid sugar in your food
10) Get enough vitamins and minerals
11) Eat enough fruits and vegetables
12) Avoid harmful substances in general
13) Avoid alcohol
14) Avoid tobacco
On the scale of 1-5 where 1 indicates that you do not agree at all and 5 indicates that you agree strongly, how would you rate the following statements?
15)All members of a family should eat together at least once a day
15) Families should eat at home
16) Home-cooked meals are best
17) Restaurant meals are best
18) Families should go out to a restaurant at least once a week
On a scale 1-5 where 1 indicates not willing at all and 5 indicates very willing, how willing are you to do the following:
19) Buy the groceries for the family
20) Cook for the family
21) Clean up after cooking
22) Pay for restaurant food
23) Which is more important:
a. Accommodating the schedules of all family members
b. Eating meals together as a family
24) Who is responsible for food safety:
a. The government
b. The manufacturer
c. The merchant
d. Food purchaser
e. Food preparer
25) The most important thing for getting a good job is:
a. The grades on my transcript
b. My major and the other courses I took
c. How I look when I show up for my interview
d. How I behave and how I speak during my interview
e. Who I know, the connections my parents have
26) For me, as an individual, the most important thing to get out of a college education is:
a. Good grades
b. A transcript with good courses on it
c. Personal satisfaction
d. Knowledge of a wide range of subjects
e. In-depth knowledge of one subject
f. Other
27) To attract a desirable mate, the most important trait to have is:
a. A good job
b. Good looks
c. A nice personality
d. Good connections
e. Money
28) I enjoy the TV show Survivor
a. Yes
b. No
29) I watch the TV show Survivor regularly
a. Yes
b. No
30) On the TV show Survivor, the best way to succeed is by:
a. Forming alliances
b. Being sensitive to the group and its needs
c. Keeping your own best interests in mind at all times
d. Camouflaging your true personality
e. Adapting to the situation as it changes
31) I would like to appear as a contestant on the TV show Survivor
a. Yes
b. No
32) I think I have the skills to win on the TV show Survivor
a. Yes
b. No
33) The skill most necessary to win on Survivor is:
a. Physical strength
b. Mental toughness
c. Good looks
d. Moral flexibility
e. Ability to negotiate
f. Ability to dissemble and trick people
34) The winner of the first Survivor contest is a person I admire:
a. Yes
b. No
35) Former President Clinton is a person I admire:
a. Yes
b. No
36) President Bush is a person I admire:
a. Yes
b. No
37) I find the scandals surrounding the pardons issued by President Clinton upsetting:
a. Yes
b. No
38) I find the fact that President Clinton wanted to take White House furnishing for his personal use upsetting:
a. Yes
b. No
39) I find the fact that former President Clinton is a popular speaker, able to charge $100,000 speaker fees upsetting:
a. Yes
b. No
American ritual survey
The following questions relate to Halloween:
The first set are yes or no questions where A= yes and B=no
1) Do you get dressed up in costume for Halloween?
2) Do your friends get dressed up in a costume for Halloween?
3) Do you go trick-or-treating for Halloween?
4) Do your friends go trick-or-treating for Halloween?
5) Do you attend a private party on Halloween?
6) Do you attend events such as one of the ABoo@ houses?
The next set of questions is multiple choice
7) At what age do children normally begin to go trick-or-treating?
a) 1-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-10
8) When do children normally stop going trick-or-treating?
a) 5-10
b) 10-15
c) 15-20
9) Do young people resume trick-or-treating after a period of not doing so?
a) Yes
b) No
10) You are an adult. What should you do with the candy a child receives for Halloween?
a) Let the child eat as much as he or she wants
b) Take it away so that the child does not get sick and throw it out
c) Freeze and dole it out throughout the year
d) Eat part of it yourself
11) Is it OK for an adult to eat a child=s Halloween candy?
a) No
b) Yes, but only if the child gives permission
c) Permission doesn=t matter as long as the child doesn=t know
d) Adults can eat the candy no matter what the child says
12) Are there any costumes that you would consider unacceptable or offensive?
a) Yes, people need to be sensitive holiday or no holiday
b) No, anything goes
If you can think of some unacceptable costumes, please do write me a note and tell me. You can do this on the back of the answer sheet.
13) Do costumes differ by gender or are boys= and girls= costumes pretty much the same?
a) Same
b) Different
The following questions pertain to Valentine=s Day.
14) At what age do children start celebrating Valentine=s Day?
a) Kindergarten
b) 1st grade
c) Middle school
d) They don=t do this in school anymore
15) At what age do children stop giving cards to everyone in the class?
a) 4th grade
b) 5th grade
c) 6th grade
d) they don=t give cards at any age
16) At what age do people start sending cards only to a few special someones?
a) Pre-teen
b) Teen
c) High school
d) College
17) Is it acceptable for women to send cards to men?
a) Yes
b) No
18) Is it acceptable to send cards to more than one person?
a) Yes
b) No
19) What do you do for Valentine=s Day now that you are in college?
a) Send a card
b) Give chocolate
c) Give flowers
d) Go to dinner
e) Other (this can mean more than one of the above)
20) If you are in a relationship, who takes the initiative on Valentine=s Day?
a) Man
b) Woman
21) If you are not in a relationship, who takes the initiative on Valentine=s Day
a) Man
b) Woman
22) On Valentine=s Day, is it acceptable for a woman in a relationship to take her boyfriend out to dinner
a) Yes
b) No
23) On Valentine=s Day, is it acceptable for a woman in a relationship to send her boyfriend a card
a) Yes
b) No
24) On Valentine=s Day, is it acceptable for a woman in a relationship to buy her boyfriend flowers
a) Yes
b) No
25) On Valentine=s Day, is it acceptable for a woman in a relationship to buy her boyfriend underwear
a) Yes
b) No
26) On Valentine=s Day, a woman who is not in a relationship, may send the man she is interested in flowers
a) Yes
b) No
27) On Valentine=s Day, a woman who is not in a relationship, may send the man she is interested in a card
a) Yes
b) No
28) On Valentine=s Day, a woman who is not in a relationship, may take the man she is interested in to dinner
a) Yes
b) No
29) My parents still celebrate Valentine=s Day
a) Yes
b) No
30) My grandparents still celebrate Valentine=s Day
a) Yes
b) No
31) Parents should give cards to children for Valentine=s Day
a) Yes
b) No
32) Children should give cards to parents for Valentine=s Day
a) Yes
b) No
The following questions apply to Mothers= Day and Fathers= Day. They are yes/no questions where A=Yes and B=No
33) I celebrate Mothers= Day
34) I send flowers for Mother=s Day
35) I send a card for Mothers= Day
36) I give Mom a gift on Mothers= Day
37) I/we (the family) take Mom out to dinner on Mother=s Day
38) I celebrate Father=s Day
39) I send flowers on Fathers= Day
40) I send a card on Fathers= Day
41) I send Dad a gift on Fathers= Day
42) I/we take Dad out to dinner on Fathers= Day
The next several questions are multiple choice
43) Among the items given below, the best gift to give Mom on Mothers= Day is
a) an appliance
b) a nice item of clothing
c) perfume
d) jewelry
e) chocolate or other candy
44) Among the items given below, the best gift to give Dad on Fathers= Day is
a) an appliance or a tool
b) a tie
c) a nice item of clothing other than a tie
d) aftershave or cologne
e) chocolate or other candy
The following questions apply to New Year=s Eve. The first set are yes/no questions with A=Yes and B=No.
45) I celebrate New Year=s
46) I celebrate at home (either your own or the home of a friend or relative)
47) I go out to a restaurant
48) I go out to a municipal event such as First Night Virginia
49) I make a New Year=s resolution
50) I drink champagne on New Year=s
51) I throw confetti
52) I sing Auld Lange Syne
53) I have thought about the meaning of the song Auld Lange Syne
Which of the following are good topics for New Year=s resolutions? Here A=good topic and B=not suitable for a New Year=s resolution
54) Weight loss
55) Eating habits in general
56) Exercise
57) Drinking habits
58) Smoking habits
59) Reading habits
60) Study habits
61) How long, on average, do you manage to keep your New Year=s resolutions?
a) One day
b) One week
c) One month
d) Several months
e) One year or for good
62) Which resolutions are easiest to keep? Those related to:
a) Smoking
b) Drinking
c) Eating
d) Exercise
e) Study habits
SLFK 214 &endash; RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
MIDTERM EXAM March 8, 2001
DIRECTIONS: Please read the entire exam through before you start. This will allow you to best allocate your time.
All of the essay questions on this exam are broad and could be approached and answered in several ways. I do not want you to try and guess how I would answer because, for each question, I can think of several equally valid tactics. Thus, you may use any approach you wish. In fact, innovative approaches are often especially indicative of mastery of the material. What will affect your grade is not the approach, but the effectiveness of your argument. The best way to make an argument effective is to give examples from your readings, from lecture, from your audiovisuals. An unsubstantiated argument carries little weight, but a statement with proof is convincing. Please note that you are to answer all parts of the questions you select.
Part I &endash; Long essay (60 points, 30 minutes)
Select one of the two topics below and write an essay. Don't forget to use examples and to answer all parts of the question you choose.
1. One part of your second essay was a discussion of how beliefs in witches help uphold social norms. Discuss how place spirits uphold social norms. In lecture I said that place spirits reverse what is done in the world of humans. Can reversal uphold social norms? If so, how? Give at least 2 examples of reversals and discuss. Do witches uphold social norms by reversal or is another mechanism operative when it comes to witches? If you wish, you can argue that more than one mechanism is operative when it comes to witch beliefs.
2. Characterize Russian devils. First, discuss the relationship between Satana or Satanail and cherti, the ubiquitous little devils. What is the source of each type of devil? How are devils related to place spirits? In what ways are they alike and in what ways do they differ? How are devils related to witches? Is the pact with the devil characteristic of Russian and Ukrainian witchcraft? What might this indicate about Russian and Ukrainian witchcraft beliefs?
Part II &endash; Short essay (40 points, 20 minutes)
Select one of the two topics below and write an essay. Don't forget to use examples and to answer all parts of the question you choose.
1. Examine the expulsion of Perun and the other pagan gods as ordered by Vladimir, Great Prince of Kiev. Look especially at what was done to Perun and explain the treatment he received using what you know from lecture, the film on Rasputin, and ideas about unquiet death.
2. Look at Fevronia. She acts very much like Halyna, the nice lady who performed the egg ceremony. Halyna is afraid of being accused of witchcraft; Fevronia is revered as a Christian personage. How is it possible for two similar actions to be interpreted in very different ways?
SLFK 214 &endash; RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
MIDTERM REVIEW
DIRECTIONS: Please read the entire exam through before you start. This will allow you to best allocate your time.
All of the essay questions on this exam are broad and could be approached and answered in several ways. I do not want you to try and guess how I would answer because, for each question, I can think of several equally valid tactics. Thus, you may use any approach you wish. In fact, innovative approaches are often especially indicative of mastery of the material. What will affect your grade is not the approach, but the effectiveness of your argument. The best way to make an argument effective is to give examples from your readings, from lecture, from your audiovisuals. An unsubstantiated argument carries little weight, but a statement with proof is convincing.
Please note that you are to answer all parts of the questions you select.
Part I &endash; Long essay (60 points, 30 minutes)
Select one of the two topics below and write an essay. Don't forget to use examples and to answer all parts of the question you choose.
1. Which beings does Ivanits include in the category of lower mythology? In lecture, I used a different grouping than Ivanits. According to the grouping given in lecture, which beings would belong to lower mythology and which ones would be a remnant of religion or higher mythology? Where does the ancestor cult fit into the lower mythology/higher mythology system? Which beings are associated with the ancestor cult and what does that tell us about them?
2. Discuss gender in connection with place spirits and in connection with witchcraft. Which spirits are male and which ones are female? Which male spirits have wives? Can any of the spirits have sexual relations with humans? If so, which ones? What is the difference between female witches and male manipulators of the supernatural such as sorcerers? Using all of the above, characterize Russian and Ukrainian concepts of gender.
Part II &endash; Short essay (40 points, 20 minutes)
Select one of the two topics below and write an essay. Don't forget to use examples and to answer all parts of the question you choose.
1. Russians see their land as alive and call their country Mother Russia. Discuss how the idea of a "living" land is reflected in two of the following: a) Vlasova's article in Balzer about land allotments and re-allotments, b) image of a "tree of the Russian state" discussed in the article on icons, c) the idea of sacrificing to Mother Russia in war that I presented in lecture, d) the spirits that embody the land, specifically those of the forest, field and stream?
2. What is anthropomorphization? What sorts of things were anthropomorphized in Russian and Ukrainian culture? Why, according to Douglas, might East Slavic culture have a tendency toward anthropomorphization?
SLFK 214 &endash; RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
FINAL EXAM May 7, 2001
DIRECTIONS: Please read the entire exam through before you start. This will allow you to best allocate your time.
As on the midterm, all of the essay questions on this exam are broad and could be approached and answered in several ways. I do not want you to try and guess how I would answer because, for each question, I can think of several equally valid tactics. Thus, you may use any approach you wish. In fact, innovative approaches are often especially indicative of mastery of the material. What will affect your grade is not the approach, but the effectiveness of your argument. The best way to make an argument effective is to give examples from your readings, from lecture, from your audiovisuals. An unsubstantiated argument carries little weight, but a statement with proof is convincing. Please note that you are to answer all parts of the questions you select.
Part I &endash; Video identification (20 points, 30 minutes)
You will watch 4 video clips, grouped into 2 sets of 2. Pick one set of clips. Identify the action and the yearly cycle ritual to which it belongs. State the purpose of the action, motivated and/or unmotivated. State the significance of the action in the context of the Russian and Ukrainian yearly cycle as a whole.
1) Video clips with processions
2) Video clips with the broadcasting of a magic substance
Part II &endash; Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (10 points, 15 minutes)
Write a short essay on one of the topics below:
1) Marichka could be compared to a rusalka. List the traits that Marichka shares with the rusalka and discuss how these traits advance the plot of the film.
2) Is Palagna a witch? What might make you think that she is? What might make you think that she is an ordinary person who accesses the unclean force and summons up more than she bargained for?
Part III &endash; Bogatyrev (10 points, 15 minutes)
Write a short essay on one of the topics below:
1) What, according to Bogatyrev, is the difference between positive and negative magic?
2) According to Bogatyrev, what is divination and what is an omen?
Part IV &endash; Douglas (30 points, 1 hour)
Write an essay on one of the topics below:
1) Going by Douglas' quadrants, Russian and Ukrainian society would be group strong and grid weak. What does group strong and grid weak mean? Look at the way Russians and Ukrainians celebrate yearly cycle rituals. How important is the group in the celebration of these rituals? What happens when an individual concern, such as predicting marriage, is addressed in yearly cycle rituals; what role does the group play? What happens when an individual acts alone and performs personal magic such as trying to find the flowering fern at midnight on Ivan Kupalo? Please both describe and explain the consequences of personal magic.
2) Discuss Russian and Ukrainian views of death and sacrifice. When an individual dies before his time, especially if he dies violently, this is considered bad and steps need to be taken to protect the group from the return of this unquiet dead person. Yet there are many instances of sacrifice. In modern times, these are mock, but at one point the Slavs supposedly practiced red death, of which Old Believer stolpniki are a remnant. What does untimely death and/or sacrifice mean in the ritual context? What purpose was it seen to serve? In terms of Douglas and her society types, how might the group and the potential of group benefit transform something fearful into something good? Stoplniki died for personal salvation. How did they manage to avoid becoming unquiet dead?
Part V &endash; Putting the parts together (30 points, 1 hour)
Please write an essay on one of the topics below:
1) Make up your own model of the festivals of the Russian and Ukrainian calendar year. Which are the most important festivals? When do they occur? Identify three motifs that appear in all yearly cycle festivals; describe the motifs and the variants that they assume from one festival to the next. Look at the yearly cycle in terms of spirits. In which festivals do place spirits play a role? In which festivals do ancestors or ancestral spirits play a role? In which festivals do we see a female effigy called a baba or a witch? Provide a folkloric interpretation of your model.
2) Provide your own model of the Russian and Ukrainian view of humans in their environment using food as your organizing principle. How do people use food to represent the relationship between themselves and place spirits? How do they use food to interact with place spirits? How do people use food to interact with ancestral spirits and the dead? Are ancestral spirits seen as a source of food? If so, how? Are female spirits that might be remnants of former deities related to food? If so, how? Much of yearly cycle ritual activity is aimed at insuring a good supply of food. Select three yearly cycle ritual magic acts that appear in more than one festival and describe how they are supposed stimulate crops. Is the human body or a symbolic representation of the body used in any of these acts?
SLFK 214 &endash; RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
FINAL EXAM REVIEW May 7, 2001
DIRECTIONS: Please read the entire exam through before you start. This will allow you to best allocate your time.
As on the midterm, all of the essay questions on this exam are broad and could be approached and answered in several ways. I do not want you to try and guess how I would answer because, for each question, I can think of several equally valid tactics. Thus, you may use any approach you wish. In fact, innovative approaches are often especially indicative of mastery of the material. What will affect your grade is not the approach, but the effectiveness of your argument. The best way to make an argument effective is to give examples from your readings, from lecture, from your audiovisuals. An unsubstantiated argument carries little weight, but a statement with proof is convincing. Please note that you are to answer all parts of the questions you select.
Part I &endash; Video identification (20 points, 30 minutes)
You will watch 4 video clips, grouped into 2 sets of 2. Pick one set of clips. Identify the action and the yearly cycle ritual to which it belongs. State the purpose of the action, motivated and/or unmotivated. State the significance of the action in the context of the Russian yearly cycle as a whole.
3) Video clips with casting personal items into water
Part II &endash; Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (10 points, 15 minutes)
Write a short essay on one of the topics below:
3) After Marichka dies, she reappears to Ivan on certain occasions and in certain ways. Where does Marichka appear and at what times does she appear? How does this pattern exemplify Russian and Ukrainian beliefs about the unquiet dead?
Part III &endash; Bogatyrev (10 points, 15 minutes)
Write a short essay on one of the topics below:
3) What does Bogatyrev mean by dual belief and what does he mean by double reality?
Part IV &endash; Douglas (30 points, 1 hour)
Write an essay on one of the topics below:
3) Pick an article out of the food book (you may NOT use either of the two articles you used for essay 4) and discuss it in terms of Douglas. Does the material in the article confirm the idea that Russian society is group strong and grid weak? If so, how? How is the body viewed in the article you have selected? How does body control (or lack of control) described in the article fit with body notions you might expect from the group strong/grid weak quadrant?
Part V &endash; Putting the parts together (30 points, 1 hour)
Please write an essay on one of the topics below:
3) Make up your own model of the unclean force as it relates to the yearly cycle. What yearly cycle festivals are particularly associated with the unclean force? How is the unclean force manifested in these festivals? When constructing a model of the unclean force and the calendar year, is it necessary to distinguish between place spirits, ancestral spirits and spirits based on pre-Christian deities? Do place spirits, ancestral spirits, and spirits based on pre-Christian deities appear at the same or at different festivals? What do the links between the calendar year and the unclean force tell you about the Russian and Ukrainian view of the world? Please provide a folkloric overview.
SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Essay 1
In the article on daily life and holidays in the Siberian village, Minenko says that a peasant's reputation was extremely important. According to this article, what did a peasant need to do to maintain a good reputation and what was considered an insult? Please discuss at least three features of a good reputation. Minenko discusses sorcery in the context of folk medicine. For this essay, look at witchcraft and sorcery accusations NOT the way they are treated by Minenko, but the way they were treated in lecture and in Ivanits. Show how witchcraft and sorcery accusations have served as a mechanism for preserving reputation.
Essay 2
Please describe a yearly cycle ritual. The ritual you describe should either be one in which you have participated or one which you have observed. Make sure that the ritual you select is a YEARLY CYCLE RITE and NOT a life cycle ritual. Identify at least 3 unmotivated magical acts that occurred during your ritual and explicate each one. When you explicate, you should try to identify the unconscious reasoning behind the unmotivated magical action and the system of symbols and symbolic acts to which it belongs.
Essay 3
Analyze the ritual you collected. To help you analyze, we are suggesting the questions below. You may find that the order proposed here does not work well for your ritual. If so, change the order as appropriate. Also, you do not have to answer all of these questions if you feel they are not pertinent. What we are suggesting is something that we think will yield a good analysis.
1. What is the structure of your ritual?
2. Who are the main actors?
3. Do important symbols or acts found in your ritual appear elsewhere? If so, where do they appear and what might this multiple appearance mean?
4. What social norms are reversed in your ritual?
5. Does the ritual support social norms and/or the status quo? If so, how?
6. Is this ritual Adangerous@ in any way?
Essay 4
Write an essay about food in Russian peasant culture. Chapter 4 of the Glants and Toomre book "Forced Hunger and Rational Restraint in the Russian Peasant Diet" deals with the practical side of not eating. Chapter 5 of the same book, "The Practice and Significance of Fasting in Russian Peasant Culture" deals with the symbolic side of not eating. Compare and contrast and show links between the practical and the symbolic. In order to do this, you should first summarize what is said in chapter 4 about not eating certain foods or selecting foods that a rich person or an American might find less than desirable. Then you should do the same for chapter 5. Which foods were avoided, when and why? Now link chapters 4 and 5. Are practical and symbolic considerations 2 separate universes? If so, why? Or, are practical and symbolic considerations related in some way? If so, how?
Sample E-folio exercises:
Exercise 1:
In the context of Russian witchcraft beliefs, what is "spoiling" and how is it manifested? What do spoiling beliefs reveal about Russian culture? We expect about a 2 or 3 sentence answer to the first part of this question and a paragraph answer to the second part. The whole thing should be about a half page single-spaced or a page double-spaced.
Exercise 2:
In your opinion, did the practice of giving certain select elders a "red death" actually exist at some point in the past? Present 3 pieces of evidence to support your opinion. That is, if you think the practice did exist, cite three facts that would indicate that the practice was real. Similarly, if you think the practice did not exist, cite three facts in support of your position.
Next, read your partner's response to this question. If you agree with your partner, support his or her argument with an additional example, that is fourth, piece of evidence. If you disagree, then give one piece of evidence that contradicts what your partner wrote.
Exercise 3:
Bogatyrev distinguishes motivated magical acts from unmotivated ones. Find one motivated magical act in Bogatyrev, describe and give the motivation behind the act. Find three unmotivated magical acts. For each unmotivated act: describe, then give the possible magical purpose.
SLFK 214 - RITUAL AND DEMONOLOGY
SUGGESTIONS FOR SECOND WRITING REQUIREMENT PAPER TOPICS
One very good suggestion is that you consult with one of us before you start writing, and possibly during the process of working on your paper. Students tend to pick topics that are way too large. Have one of us help you narrow things down. Consistently, students who do consult write better papers.
Your rough draft will be due the last week of March; Friday, March 30 at 2PM is the latest that you can hand your rough draft in. Rough draft should be AT LEAST 10 pages and you will have an easier time if your rough draft is longer than that. You will get your rough draft back about 2 weeks after you hand it in. The final version of the paper is due the last day of class. This means Tuesday, May 1 at 2PM.
Purpose: You are supposed to write a formal paper, in standard expository style. This means that you should deal with a theory and a body of data. You should present a thesis, such as "American beliefs in ghosts, like Russian beliefs in place spirits, serve as a means of encoding and supporting the social structure." You should test this thesis using a body of data. You should then formulate a conclusion. When you do this, you are performing the sort of work professionals do, and not only professional folklorists, but all professionals. The most interesting data to use is data you collect yourself, whether in the community, or from siblings, or from peers. You do not have to do this and may use data collected by someone else. Because collecting your own data is fun and because Russian data is difficult to come by, many of the topics suggested below are American ones which are related in some manner or other to what is covered in this course. I would love to have you use Russian or Ukrainian material. There is lots and lots and lots available. The problem for most of you, I assume, is that it is in Russian and Ukrainian, and Belarusian, and so forth. More and more things are coming out in English. You have Ivanits, Balzer, Bogatyrev, Toomre and Glants. There are also:
William Ryan, The Bathhouse at Midnight: Magic in Russia
Eklof and Frank, The World of the Russian Peasant
Ransel, Family Life in Imperial Russia
Kingston-Mann and Mixter, Peasant Economy, Culture, and Politics of European Russia
Worobec, Peasant Russia
Semenova Tian-Shanskaia, Village Life in Late Tsarist Russia
Reeder, Russian Folk Lyrics
There is my book, Ukrainian Minstrels: and the Blind Shall Sing
You can get lots of information out of these, enough for a paper, but it will take a bit of doing. You may have to use more than one book. You will likely have to arrange your material differently and view and analyze it differently than it is presented. If you are willing to use the books above in combination with the books assigned for this course and to work from several sources, then all the more power to you. We would be delighted to have your work on a Russian or Ukrainian topic.
What not to do:
Do not write a book report. Do not write a summary of this course or a related course that you have taken from someone else.
Also, I do not want a catalogue of weird practices from the world over. The paper should have a thesis that you set out to examine.
Please do not examine life cycle rites. It is true, as Van Gennep and others say, that life cycle rites have much in common with yearly cycle rites, but they are also quite different. Yearly cycles rites are rites of status reversal and life cycle ones are rites of status elevation. I am afraid you might get yourself into trouble examining something that we do not cover here and that I cover in a different course. Therefore, please avoid this topic.
PAPER FORMAT
This is a formal paper. We expect you to document according to a nationally accepted standard. You may use endnotes rather than footnotes. You may even give author and page in parentheses in the text with a full bibliography at the end. As I said, any nationally accepted standard will do. See something like the Chicago Manual of Style, or Kate Turabian's book, or the Modern Language Association guidelines. You must have both notes and a bibliography.
If you use oral sources, and we hope you will, you must credit these just as you would a printed source. Give name of the person from whom you recorded your information; date and place information collected; name of collector. If the collector is you, note this in the introduction or the first time a citation of an oral source appears. Sometimes the age, sex, race, social position of the person from whom you collected are relevant. Check with one of us if in doubt. If the material is secret or if the person interviewed does not want his or her identity divulged for some reason, state this at the beginning. Give all information as above, but omit name. You may need to give age, socioeconomic position, etc. as before. Do so if it is relevant, but does not reveal identity. Again, check with one of us.
SOME POSSIBLE TOPICS:
1. Examine American material culture. Take something that is as close to folk as possible &endash; popular culture rather than high. Something like lawn ornaments or Christmas decorations is good and see if you can find its symbolic system. Interview and ask where the objects come from. How, where, when are they used? Are they associated with the man of the house, the woman, the children, the grandparents? Do they carry any special meaning or special associations for their owners? Where else in American culture do you find the same or related symbols? If you chose this topic, it is important that you do more than just describe. You must do some analytical work and LOOK FOR A SYMBOLIC SYSTEM. You can then comment on American society and its codes, using Douglas terminology.
You are, of course, quite welcome to examine the material culture of an ethnic group of interest to you.
2. Americans do not have beliefs in place spirits, but there are beliefs in ghosts, witches, trolls, gnomes, fairies, Yetis, bogeymen and the like. When we discussed Russian place spirits, I told you how they articulate the Russian worldview and support order. Take some one set of American supernatural beings (witches only, or trolls only, etc.) or take the supernatural beings of an American ethnic group. Describe these beings, preferably using stories collected from peers, family members, community members, though you can also use printed sources such as the Sun, Enquirer, Weekly World News, and other periodicals of this type. Then discuss how these beings embody the American worldview (or that of the ethnic group of your choosing). Again, you are looking for a symbolic system.
3. To parallel Bogatyrev, you may look at American or ethnic group magic acts. Again, this is a huge topic and you should be very careful to limit it and systematize. You may collect various cures and remedies from your college friends. Try to find a system to these. Using Douglas, see if you can identify American social structure and the categories important to American students. In the same vein, you can collect pregnancy prevention "charms" and examine the system behind these. You can see what sorts of charms your college friends use in general and on what sorts of occasions (exams, dates, interviews), always looking for system and meaning.
You are quite welcome to work with a group other than college students. Check with people in the local community. See what beliefs farmers have about crops, what actions, words, are used to insure crop success.
4. As you might guess, examining some yearly cycle ritual would be a good idea. Again, you can examine American ritual or that of an ethnic group. You can interview your family, or you can several people from another culture. Choose one of two basic approaches.
a) Examine the holiday as a rite of agrarian magic, one full of vegetation fertility symbolism even though crop fertility is probably no longer a big concern of the participants. Present the system of symbols. Show its connection to vegetation fertility magic. Discuss magic acts in terms of the categories presented in Bogatyrev.
OR
b) Look at the rite as status reversal which relieves the tensions inherent in American society (or in the ethnic group you are studying). What categories important to your group does the yearly cycle rite reveal? How is status reversed? If you can, show the results of status reversal.
5. Another good way to look at a yearly cycle rite is to examine how an ethnic group adapts its rite to American culture. This can tell you something about what the group considers important in the rite and something about how the group understands American culture. You will need information on the rite as it was practiced in the old country and as it is practiced now. What has been retained? What has been altered? If you are interviewing to get this information, what feelings do your subjects have about the alterations made?
6. One more possibility is to take a single item found in a yearly cycle rites &endash; the practice of over-eating, the use of sweets, the drinking of champagne, ritual cleaning before the holidays, joining family and friends &endash; some one ritual act, and examine its appearance throughout the entire year. This means you will be taking some one item and examining its variations throughout all of the yearly cycle holidays, rather than taking one holiday and examining its various symbols and acts. Here, too, what you will be after is detecting a system of symbols and finding and discussing its relevance to American life, or the life of the ethnic or other group in question.
7. People have looked at the ritualistic aspects of regular events that are not normally considered ritual. Thus Alan Dundes in Interpreting Folklore has discussed football as a ritual of vegetation fertility magic. His article is tongue-in-cheek, but there are many serious aspects to it. You may examine a regular event in a similar manner. You may look at the traditional beach trip over spring break. Is it a ritual? Are norms reversed? How about status? Easters, a fraternity weekend once celebrated at UVa, was great for this sort of analysis. If you wish, find records of Easters (newspaper accounts, fraternity and other documents) or interview people who remember Easters and discuss it as an agrarian ritual.
OR
Easters is no more. Examine the demise of Easters. You can look up the documentation (again newspapers, perhaps records of Student Council, Office of the Dean of Students) and examine why Easters was banned. Find a system to the justifications for banning Easters. Connect to the discussion of the loss of ritual at the beginning of Douglas.
The above are just suggestions. There are lots more possibilities and you are quite welcome to be original in your choice of topics &endash; just check it with us before you proceed.
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