MYTH AND MODERNITY “The Myths we Live By”

// March 26th, 2010 // Events, Uncategorized

Starting Saturday 26/03/10 in Belvedere House, Mullingar

What is the Project?

This is an opportunity to explore myth and it’s relevance to the modern world, looking initially at the matter of ‘leadership’ or in mythic language, ‘kingship’. The proposal offers an opportunity to work within a group context, exploring a series of the important myths of the rich and unique Irish Tradition. Specifically we will look at Irish Leadership Myths and the stories of Lugh and Balor, Cormac Mac Airt and Conaire ,mythical king of Tara, over four Saturdays. This will be done within the context of a research study within UCD Folklore Department on ‘Myth and Modernity’; the relevance of myth to the modern world, and understanding the mythic roots of modernity. Two big questions will be explored:

• What is the leadership wisdom encoded in the myths?

• How has this wisdom been in evidence in modern Ireland or not as the case may well be? Later in the year we will work with Irish Wisdom Mythology and Irish Martial Mythology

What will happen?

The Myths will be worked with in a number of ways. This will include hearing the story, looking at the story from a number of angles, hearing different commentators insights and explanations. We will learn ways of analyzing the myth/story and film and through in-depth explorations and analyses gain insight into leadership and kingship in modern society. We will look at the modern world, modern day Ireland to see what the ancient wisdom of the oral tradition might have to offer us today.

The Research Context?

The context in which this is happening is a research PhD looking at “Myth, Mentality and Modernity”. Mentality in this context is the world view of ordinary folk as embodied in an oral tradition. It can be seen as a culture’s hard wiring or to use a computer analogy, a culture’s operating system. It works in a largely unconscious way. The task is, working with these assumptions, and looking at these ‘myths’ and asking

• do they serve us? and

• what myths might we let go of or re-claim? and

• what might be a sustainable mythology to live by?

These questions and explorations are asked in a group context.

Who is running the Events?

The Events and Research will be run by Sandy Dunlop. Sandy works applying archetype and myth to brands. With a team of colleagues he helps run a summer school on the relevance of myth to the modern world. The Summer School is run every July by the Bard Myth team on Clare Island and has run successfully since 1995. Sandy will be assisted by the Bard Mythology team at the events. This is part of Sandy’s PhD research programme.

What is involved?

We plan to meet on four Saturdays which are:

March 27, April 17, May 15, June 19

The meetings will be in Belvedere House, Mullingar, and will run from 10 to 4.30.The intention is to cover costs for the room, lunch, teas/coffee etc so a fee of e50 per day will be the charge.

If interested?

Send me an e-mail to sandy@bardmythologies.com

or call Sandy on 086 2430981 to find out more.