Project Topic Brainstorm

Machu Picchu, of the ancient Incas Source

I have already pretty much decided that I want to do my project on Lewis Spence's Mythology of Ancient Mexico and Peru, focusing only on the myths of Peru. This is because I spent two years living there, and although I did learn some myths while I was there, there were clearly many more that I needed to learn. Just a basic perusal of the chapters sparked my interest in the many rituals and sacrifices that they made to the sun god as well as their similarities to Mexican ancient rites.

Another interesting topic is that of the mythologies of ancient britain, specifically Beowulf. I loved the story of his fights with the monsters and dragons when I was younger, and his ideas about honor and leadership. It would be interesting to really reread this ancient epic with a more modern and mature outlook, which would be good fun for a project.
The myths of the Native Americans have also interested me, particularly of the Inuit of Alaska. There are many stories here about tricksters and gods, which actually is strangely reminiscent of some of the legends of Norse mythology. It would be very interesting to do some kind of comparison between the two.
Finally, I can always find something new to learn from classical Greek mythology. One of my clearest memories of childhood is going to the doctor for some problem that I had and sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like hours while my mom read me stories from Greek mythology. I loved hearing about the romances and intrigues of Mount Olympus, as well as their usually ill-fated encounters with mortals. It would be fun to do something with them again.

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My Project website is here ! A picture I took while in Peru of a tiny pueblo in the Andes

Storytelling "Hans the Hedgehog"

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