The Science of Animal Folklore

COLL-C103 — Fall 2018 — Themester

Course Description

Folklore teems with animals. Foxes are sly, cats have nine lives, the tortoise truly can outrun the hare, and alligators—sometimes—live in the sewers. But, how important is animal folklore in the totality of all things Animal/Human? From trickster coyotes and devilish snakes to mundane folk ideas like a dog is man’s best friend and cows are good for tipping, this course examines the ways that our folklore about animals affects humans’ interactions with animals more generally.

Instructor: Brandon Barker