Join us February 5 at 6pm to explore "The Hero's Journey" presented by Dr. Priscilla Homola
Dr. Priscilla Homola was a college English instructor for fifty years—thirty-three of those years at Alpena Community College. One of her favorite courses to teach was the Introduction to Mythology, which she taught for the last twenty-five years of her tenure.
Although her major for her Ph.D. was English, she originally studied German, and after her Bachelor’s degree studied Medieval German Literature in Vienna, Austria, which led to study of German and Norwegian folktales and fairy tales at several National Endowment for Humanities Summer Seminars over the years. Later she received two year-long Fulbright Teaching Fellowships—one in Norway, and the second one in Bulgaria. These teaching experiences led her to the study of Native American folklore in a Summer Seminar in Chicago, which led to teaching at ACC.
It's lucky she loves to travel! In her retirement she has joined the Alpena Lions Club, two church-related study groups, and a Building Up mission to a hospital in a village in Uganda. She is planning her third trip there this year in June. Aside from reading and study, she is a passionate knitter for charity and has knit hundreds of comfort toys for African kids.
Thank you Priscilla for sharing your passion for storytelling with us!
Dr. Homola will give a brief overview of Joseph Campbell’s famous “Hero’s Journey.” This model forms the basis for all the works highlighted in this museum series—not to mention countless movies and novels.
Next, she will review parts of three works of the Ancient World which feature a katabasis or descent to a death realm: the Sumerian Gilgamesh (ca. 2000 BCE), our most ancient epic; Homer’s Odyssey (ca. 800 BCE), Greek; and Virgil’s Aeneid (60 AD) Latin.
The settings for each of these works vary, and the motives and/or tasks of each hero also differ. Each, however, meets a guide who explains the lay-out and organization of this special world, and the latter two heroes each meet a parent, battle comrades, and famous mythological heroes who have died before them. Gilgamesh is given a special gift (Campbell calls it a “boon”) by the Wise Man of the Death Realm, which he promptly loses. Odysseus beats a hasty retreat to the ordinary world, and Aeneas also hastens to his ships after his tour of the Underworld.
Each of these tales gives us a fascinating glimpse at the world-views of the ancient world. It is hoped that studying these works will help clarify the study of the Dante’s medieval works and Dali’s works set in the modern world.
About Dr. Priscilla Homola
Dr. Priscilla Homola