Kanopy Videos
On-demand streaming video for over 16,000 films including content from the BBC, PBS, and Critereon Collection. Public performance rights for educational use are included.
These videos are searchable via the Cerritos College Catalog or directly through Cerritos.kanopystreaming.com
Nature spirits take on a variety of forms in various cultures. Discover the maize myths and other stories about the origins of nature in the Americas. Learn how these stories demonstrate the way people answered questions about how the world came to be as it is.
30 mins. 2015
Hear a riveting Inuit story of Sedna, the Old Woman (or Earth Mother) who lives under the sea. You'll also encounter the Nanabushu stories and the archetype of the Trickster, who is often a cultural hero, responsible for aiding in the creation of what we know today.
31 mins. 2015
Get an introduction to the "earth-diver" creation myths, and learn how many other peoples near the Iroquois and far away tell the same kind of story. You'll also consider myths that deal with the founding of various groups--different from what we normally think of as Native American myths, since they deal not with the long-ago mythic past but rather with a more recent, historical past.
31 mins. 2015
The Southeast region of the United States was home to many different Native American cultures. Five major languages were spoken in the area, and a sign language was invented for easier inter-group communication. Learn how the constant cultural exchange resulted in an encompassing body of myths that tie the peoples together.
30 mins. 2015
Journey through the Great Plains to look at new myths involving creatures and environments that can't be duplicated in other regions. Hear the fascinating story of the Buffalo Woman, and learn the way myths not only connect different groups of people, but also serve as a beacon of individuality.
32 mins. 2015
Life on the Northwest coast did not fit our image of typical Native American civilizations. Learn about how myths helped create these societies, villages, governing systems, and even an economic hierarchy that you don't see duplicated in many other regions, but remarkably mirrors some aspects of broader society today.
33 mins. 2015
Revisit the concept of "earth-diver" and "emergence" origin stories and see how they differ in the Southwest as you explore "air-spirit people" and their intriguing fables. Gain a deeper understanding of the duality of the Trickster as he both thwarts and contributes to the cultivation of the world.
31 mins. 2015
Explore an excellent example of an emergence myth from the Zuni people, involving Awonawilona All-Father, his two boys, and the first writhing creatures of the deep. Compare this to a similar story from the Hopi, which stars Tewa the Sun Spirit, the culture hero Spider Grandmother, and Masauwu the Skeleton Man.
31 mins. 2015
Go in-depth with the Trickster archetype. Although not exclusive to Northern American tales, the Trickster is the most popular character in Native American myths. There are likely more stories about him than about anyone else.
32 mins. 2015
Travel down to South and Central America to learn about the Maya, the Aztecs, and the Incas. While there are many shared stories and common origins, these people maintain cultures and myths that are significantly different from those of their cousins to the north.
32 mins. 2015
Mesoamericans gods have several "manifestations" or "aspects," and each different manifestation has a different appearance, different powers, and is responsible for different things. Meet some of the major characters, and learn how to follow the stories in all their iterations.
34 mins. 2015
Comparing the Incas to the Roman Empire, you'll find some fascinating parallels, both in history and in mythology. Hear the Kolla creation story from the Incas, based on their understanding of their world, which can still speak to us across the years.
31 mins. 2015
Travel through space and time to access some of the greatest myths in history from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. You'll hear what makes these stories so important, distinctive, and able to withstand the test of time. You'll also discover how, despite geographical implausibilities, many myths from across the oceans share themes, morals, and archetypes. You'll hear variations of origin stories from across the globe, spanning the earth-divers of the Native Americans to the egg-emergence stories of the Asia Pacific. You'll be introduced to tales of the Trickster, who pops up in different forms and with different names in a variety of stories around the world. You'll be entertained and instructed by folklore and fables, seeing how the lessons they teach served as the groundwork for the transmission of a system of beliefs and knowledge for the entire culture.
Four esteemed professors, renowned experts in their fields, will transport you to exotic locations and ancient civilizations in this 60-lecture series. You'll become immersed in the geographies and cultures each section features, aided by stories and characters created by the indigenous people of each region, which are still reflected in our tales today. You'll come away from this course with a deeper appreciation for these remarkable cultures and the immense power of the mythologies of the world.
Supplemental Material - Great Mythologies of the World Course 5 - The Americas
(https://cerritos.kanopystreaming.com/sites/default/files/2380_greatmythologies_3.pdf)
In the Supplemental Pdf, refer to Section: "Great Mythologies of the World: The Americas" and the following Lectures:
Lecture 49 - Nature in Native American Myth
Lecture 50 - Inuit and Northern Forest Mythology
Lecture 51 - Tales and Rituals of the Iroquois League
Lecture 52 - Southeast Amerindian Origin Stories
Lecture 53 - Mythology of the Plains Peoples
Lecture 54 - Amerindian Tales from the Northwest
Lecture 55 - The Navajo Emergence Myth
Lecture 56 - Stories of the Pueblo
Lecture 57 - Native American Tricksters
Lecture 58 -The Maya and thePopol Vuh
Lecture 59 - Aztec Myth Meets Hernán Cortés
Lecture 60 - Inca Myth as Imperial Mandate
