Rus 252 Course Schedule (Subject to change)
| DATE | TOPIC | READINGS |
| Jan. 9 | Introduction Slavic Paganism | Recommended reading: historical synopsis in Bailey and Ivanova, pp. xvii-xx |
| Jan. 14 | Slavic Paganism | Handbook, pp. 139-142 Russian Primary Chronicle, excerpts [L] The Nikonian Chronicle, excepts [L] Máchal, “Slavic Mythology” [Blackboard] |
| Jan. 16 | Slavic Paganism (Skomorokhi) | Ivanits, pp. 3-18 Funk and Wagnall’s, pp. 1025-28 Bailey and Ivanova, Section VI “The Igor Tale” in Rzhevsky or in Zenkovsky [L]. Haney #58 Afanas’ev, “The Jester,” pp. 151-55 |
| Jan. 21 | The Byliny (Kievan Cycle) | Bailey and Ivanova, Sections I-II Handbook, pp. 66-70 (“Bylina”) |
| Jan. 23 | The Byliny (Kievan Cycle) | Bailey and Ivanova, Section II; Alexander, pp. 256-71 |
| Jan. 28 | The Byliny (Novgorod Cycle) | Bailey and Ivanova, Section III; Alexander, pp. 284-301 Maikov, “Elisei” in Segel. [L] |
| Jan. 30 | The Byliny (Religious Epics) Transitional Fairy Tales 1st Essay due on the Byliny | Bailey and Ivanova, Section IV Afanas’ev, pp. 67-71, 90-96, 255-61, 284-87, 569-75 Afanas’ev, #308, #309, #311, #314 [Blackboard] |
| Feb. 4 | Historical Songs Folk Ballads | Bailey and Ivanova, Section V; Alexander, pp. 303-20 Chadwick, pp. 216-17, 224-25. Bailey and Ivanova, Section VII; Alexander, pp. 321-340 Lermontov, “Song about Tsar Ivan … and the Merchant Kalashnikov” in A Lermontov Reader. [L] “Misery-Luckless Plight” in Zenkovsky. [L] |
| Feb. 6 | Fairy Tales (Everyday life) 2nd Essay due on Historical Songs and/or Ballads | Afanas’ev, pp. 37-39, 58-61, 327-331, 415-18, 423-25, 631-51. Handbook, pp. 147-48 (“Folktales”). |
| Feb. 11 | Fairy Tales (Family Life) | Afanas’ev, pp. 56-57, 141, 146-50, 161-62, 182-83 226-27, 278-80, 308, 321-24, 366-70, 528-32. Pushkin, “A Tale about a Fisherman and a Fish” in Chandler. [L] |
| Feb. 13 | Exam #1 | |
| Feb. 18 | Fairy Tales (Animal Tales) | Afanas’ev, pp.15-19, 25-29, 54-55, 61-62, 66, 72-76, 86-88, 171-72, 188-94, 196-99, 249-51, 275-76, 283-84, 288-89, 309-10, 312-13, 371-75, 437-38, 447-55, 498-500, 528-41, 612. |
| Feb. 20 | Fairy Tales (Baba Yaga) | Afanas’ev, pp. 49-53, 76-79, 146-50, 194-95, 229-34, 340-41 351-56, 363-65, 393-98, 439-47, 475-82, 504-20. Haney, #93, #98 Kuprin, “Olesya” [L] Teffi, “Baba Yaga” in Chandler. [L] Khudyakov, “The Stepdaughter and the Stepmother’s Daughter” in Chandler. [L] |
| Feb. 25 | Fairy Tales (Firebird/Vasilisa/Koshchei) Fairy Tales (simpleton tales) 3rd Essay due on Baba Yaga | Afanas’ev, pp. 131-33, 427-37, 485-94, 494-97, 553-62, 612-24 Afanas’ev #156, #157, #169, #170 [Blackboard] Afanas’ev, 46-48, 62-65, 118-19, 142-45, 334-36, 455-56, 521-28 Teffi, “A Little Fairy Tale” in Chandler. [L] Platonov stories in Chandler. [L] |
| Feb. 27 | Fairy Tales (Magical) | Afanas’ev, pp. 13-15, 31-37, 110-14, 164-68, 211-13, 262-68, 349-51, 399-404, 425-27, 567-68 Haney, #44 Pushkin, “Tsar Saltan” in Collected Narrative and Lyrical Poetry. [L] Ershov, “The Little Humped-back Horse” [L] |
| Mar. 4 | Fairy Tales (Princes & Princesses/dragons) 4th Essay due on Koshchei and/or Dragons. | Afanas’ev, pp. 79-86, 269-73, 292-94, 299-302, 304-07, 310-11, 314-20, 356-63, 375-87, 457-75, 482-84, 600-11 Pushkin, “Ruslan and Liudmila” in Collected Narrative and Lyrical Poetry. [L] Bogdanovich, “Dushenka” in Segel. [L] “Peter and Fevronia” in Zenkovsky [L] |
| Mar. 6 | Fairy Tales (Riddles) Fairy Tales (miscellaneous) Anecdotes | Afanas’ev, pp. 29-30, 97-109, 115-18, 208-10, 234-49, 252-55, 289-91, 332, 578-80, 625-27 Afanas’ev, pp. 20-24, 39-46, 119-30, 134-40, 151-60, 173-79, 200-02, 213-26, 294-99, 410-14, 419-23, 501-04, 541-52, 563-67, 580-93 Afanas’ev, pp. 184, 280-82 Anecdotes in Haney |
| Mar. 18 | Exam #2 | |
| Mar. 20 | Movie Day (time permitting) | Afanas’ev, pp. 180-82, 202-08, 221-23, 576-77 Afanas’ev, #373 [Blackboard] Ivanits, pp. 38-50,154-68 Haney, #48, 56, 63, 96 and 97 Pushkin, “The Devils” [L] |
| Mar. 25 | Devils 5th Essay due on Devils and their depiction in literary works | Gogol, “Christmas Eve,” “The Lost Letter,” “The Sorochintsy Fair,” “A Bewitched Place.” [L] |
| Mar. 27 | Folk Christian Belief | Ivanits, pp. 19-37, 130-53 Alexander, pp. 341-50, 365 |
| Apr. 1 | Domestic Spirits | Ivanits, pp. 51-63, 169-77 |
| Apr. 3 | Nature Spirits | Ivanits, pp. 64-82, 178-89; Haney, # 57, 94 Afanas’ev, #374 [Blackboard] Turgenev, “Bezhin Meadow” in Proffer. [L] Korabelnikov, “Tower of Birds” [L] |
| Apr. 8 | Nature Spirits | Gippius, “Sacred Blood” in Langen and Weir. [L] Pushkin, “Rusalka” in Boris Godunov and Other Dramatic Works. [L] Pushkin, “Rusalka” (poem) [L] Gogol, “A Night in May, or the Drowned Maiden” [L] Lermontov, “The Mermaid” in Major Poetical Works. [L] Somov, “Rusalka” [L] Somov, “Kupalo Eve” [L] |
| Apr. 10 | Sorcerers/Witches 6th Essay due on the Rusalki or witches and their depiction in literature | Ivanits, pp. 83-124, 190-205 Afanas’ev, #365-69 [Blackboard] Haney, #17 Somov, “The Witches of Kiev” [L] Gogol, “Vii” [L] Gogol, “St. John’s Eve” [L] |
| Apr. 15 | Vampires/Werewolves 7th Essay due on Vampires/Werewolves and their depiction in literature | Afanas’ev, pp. 333-34, 593-99 Somov, “The Werewolf” [L] Tolstoy, “The Vampire” [L] Tolstoy, “The Family of the Vurdalak” [L] Pelevin, “A Werewolf Problem in Central Russia.” [L] |
| Apr. 17 | Superstitions Rituals | Alexander, pp. 25-118, 367-88 Sinyavsky, “The Tenants” in 50 Writers. [L] Pushkin, Eugene Onegin (extracts). [L] Zhukovsky, “Svetlana” [L] Tolstoy, War and Peace (extract) [L] |
| Apr. 22 | Songs Chastushki | Handbook, “Folk Song,” pp. 143-47 Reeder, pp. 84-166. Alexander, pp. 389-98 Handbook, “Chastushka,” pp. 77-79 Blok, “The Twelve” [L] |
| Apr. 24 | Proverbs/Sayings | Alexander, pp. 119-25. Handbook, “Pogovorka,” p. 347, “Proverb,” p. 355. Selected Proverbs [Blackboard] |
| Apr. 29 | FINAL EXAMINATION |