THE TRIP OF A DEATH-TIME

TRIP OF A DEATH-TIME

a) Bring Completed or In-Process Brochures to Class for Discussion

b) Hand in the Brochures with your Second-Half Portfolio

GRADING AND RECOMMENDED LENGTH

This project counts as 60% of the Second-Half Portfolio. You should complete three separate travel brochures. The writing for each should add up to approximately 1 1/2 to 2 double-spaced pages.

THE PURPOSE

To engage in comparative mythology through the analysis of different groups' representations of the Underworld.

THE PROCEDURE

Pick three different Underworlds from the list below. Use the internet and/or other library resources to research your chosen topics. What are the physical characteristics of each Hell? Where is it located? What does it look like? Smell like? Sound like? Is it sub-divided into different regions? Are there any buildings or other structures? Who are the gods, people and creatures that inhabit the land? What do they look like? Act like? Can they talk? If so, what do they say? What do they do? How do individuals get in and out of the particular Underworld?

Perhaps most importantly, what can you learn about each mythological tradition from the way in which people in that culture envision Hell? What do they consider to be good, bad or unforgivable? What is valued? Who is important and who is not important? What role does the Underworld seem to play in each society?

Put together three separate attractive travel brochures that advertise trips to the Hells that you researched. Be imaginative as you try to integrate interesting information you have learned from your preliminary research into the brochures.

Here are a few questions that may help you to decide what your happy tourists need to know before they go on their trip.

Where will we be going?

How long is the trip?

What will be the various stages of the journey?

How long has this tour been available?

Who is eligible to take advantage of this travel opportunity?

What is the mode of transportation?

What should be packed for the trip and why?

What should first-time visitors be on the alert for?

How would you describe the weather this time of year?

What are the places of interest that every traveler would not want to miss?

What are the most impressive sites?

What entertainment is to be offered as a part of the package?

Are they any special individuals travelers may happen to meet?

What type of cuisine will be on offer?

If punishment and torture are to be part of the vacation experience, what forms are they liable to take?

Is everyone who makes the trip likely to have the same experiences?

How will one know then the trip is over?

What is to be the cost of the trip?

Will there be a chance to come back and visit?

What are people likely to learn from this trip?

THE UNDERWORLDS

Find below a list of different mythological traditions and their underworlds. In certain instances, I have listed alternate names. It will be a challenge to find sufficient information about some of these topics using the internet. If you find this to be the case for any of your terms, consider a library visit or a substitute Underworld.

Aztec Underworld (Mictlan)
Australian Aboriginal Underworld (Beralku)
Celtic Irish (Mag Mell)
Celtic Welsh (Annwfn)
Chinese Hell (Feng Du)
Christian Hell
Egyptian Underworld (Duat: Key characters include Osiris and Anubis)
Finnish Hell (Tuonela)
Greek Underworld (Hades [Tartarus, Elysium])
Hindu Hell (Naraka)
Incan Underworld (Uku Pacha, Uca Pacha)
Inuit Underworld (Adlivun)
Islamic Hell (Jahannam)
Japanese Hell (Jigoku, Soku-no-Kumi, Yomi)
Jewish Hell
Maori Underworld
Mayan Underworld (Xibalba, Mitnal)
Norse Hell (Hel, Niflheim)
Polynesian Underworld (Nabangatai)
Pueblo Underworld (Shipap)
Sumerian/ Mesopotamian Netherworld (Kur, Ersetu, Irkalla, Land of No Return: Key characters include Ereshkigal)
Tibetan Hell
Vodun Underworld (Guinee)
Yanomamo Underworld (Shobari Waka)
Zoroastrian Hell (Druj)
Other Culture/s

POSSIBLE SOURCES

The following is a very preliminary list derived from a few hours of my own internet research. It is designed to help you get started rather than as a comprehensive resource base. It should not be considered as a substitute for your own intensive research efforts.

Many of the Underworlds named above will present research challenges. You may want to check the North Island and Courtenay libraries rather than relying upon internet research alone. For the latter, be imaginative with your search terms, typing in, for example, not just "Mictlan" but also "Aztec" and "Underworld," "Aztec" and "Hell," and the names of specific deities as you find these. Remember also the Academic Search Index of the North Island College Library data base.

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