BA Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University

Folklore and Mythology is a liberal education in and of itself. The program encourages the study of any given community through its language and culture, offering an array of choices for drawing on a variety of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. To focus on the folklore and mythology of a community (at local, regional, national, or even trans-national levels) is to understand how that group or society defines itself through stories, music, food, folktales, legends, dramas, dance, rituals, beliefs, proverbs, epics, myths, customs, law codes, festival celebrations, “wisdom literature,” and many other forms of expressive culture and artistic communication.

Faculty: Harvard College: Arts and Humanities  |  Department: Folklore and Mythology  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Cambridge, MA, United States

What you will study

Concentrators conduct independent research on the material, oral, written, or performed forms of folklore and mythology in their areas of specialization, which range greatly across time and space. Our students develop and practice folkloristic methods — deep listening, observant participation, cross-cultural comparison, historical contextualization, collaborative interpretation, cultural documentation, empathetic engagement, and good storytelling — in relationship to whichever communities most interest and enthrall them. Gateway courses include GENED 1079: Tradition, Performance, and Culture GENED 1196: The Artfulness of Everyday Life (fall) FOLKMYTH 106: The History of Witchcraft and Charm Magic FOLKMYTH 111: Folklore of Food FOLKMYTH 130: The Folklore of Emergency: Change, Continuity, and Communal.

Official programme page