AP/SP 2700 3.00
Myths and Legends of the Hispanic World
This course presents a panorama of legends from the Hispanic world. By illustrating the blending of cultures (Spanish, Indigenous, Mestizo, Jewish, African, Arab) in the creation of new legends, examples from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Uruguay reveal how these stories are so compelling or universal, while conveying so much about each Hispanic culture. For example, the legend of La Llorona is known throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and the versions have a different message depending on the era and region in which they were popular. The themes of legends are universal; this course examines examples from the Hispanic World with reference to the wider context of the study of legends. These stories convey information and describe events and their consequences, which encourage students to react both intellectually and affectively. Second, these stories stimulate the imagination, encouraging students to think about the possible, as well as the actual. Students also gain geographical, religious, historical and cultural knowledge transmitted in story form via the legends, which they can apply to studies in Ibero-American culture, comparative literature, world literature, history, anthropology, religious studies and literary studies.