MCCCD Program Description

The Irish Storytelling Tradition

Course: STO290

First Term: 2016 Spring

Lecture 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s) 3 Load
Subject Type: Academic
Load Formula: S

Description: Introduction to the history and practice of storytelling in Ireland. Overview of Irish myths, legends, folktales, and humorous tales. Great story tellers and story collectors of the past and present. Researching, developing, and crafting Irish stories for telling

MCCCD Official Course Competencies
1. Explain the importance of storytelling in Irish culture throughout history and within a range of social contexts. (I) 2. Explain the role and function of the storyteller in Irish society of the past and present. (I) 3. Describe the effects of war, literacy, and the loss of Gaelic on Irish Storytelling. (II) 4. Describe the genres of Irish Stories. (III, IV,V, VI) 5. Describe the types of Irish folktales. (V) 6. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of folklorists and story collectors to Irish storytelling. (II) 7. Demonstrate an ability to find and develop Irish stories. (III, IV, V, VI) 8. Tell Irish stories. (III, IV, V, VI) 9. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics and responsibilities associated with telling Irish stories in an American context. (VII) 10. Demonstrate a familiarity with the work of modern masters of Irish Storytelling. (VIII)
MCCCD Official Course Competencies must be coordinated with the content outline so that each major point in the outline serves one or more competencies. MCCCD faculty retains authority in determining the pedagogical approach, methodology, content sequencing, and assessment metrics for student work. Please see individual course syllabi for additional information, including specific course requirements.

MCCCD Official Course Outline
I. The History of Irish Storytelling and the Roles of the Bard and Seanachie A. The Celtic Bardic System B. The Loss of the Bardic Tradition C. Storytelling in Medieval Ireland D. Storytelling in the 19th and 20th Centuries II. Preserving the Irish story tradition A. War, Literacy, and the Loss of Gaelic B. Story Collectors of the 19th Century C. Story Collectors of the 20th Century D. The Irish Folklore Commission III. Telling stories from the Irish mythic tradition A. The Mythological, Ulster, Fenian, and Kingly Cycles B. Sources of Irish myth, major translators and compilers C. Crafting an Irish myth to tell IV. Telling Irish Legends A. Saints, heroes, wise women, and healers B. Sources of Irish legends, major translators and compilers C. Crafting an Irish legend to tell V. Telling Irish Folktales A. The types of Irish folktales B. Sources of Irish folktales, major translators and compilers C. Crafting an Irish folktale to tell VI. Telling Humorous Irish Stories A. Irish jokes and anecdotes B. Sources of Irish humorous stories C. Crafting an Irish humorous story to tell VII. The Ethics and Responsibilities of Telling Irish Stories A. Basics of Gaelic pronunciation B. Providing context for American audiences C. Seeking variants of stories and/or permissions VIII. Modern Masters of Irish Storytelling A. Profiles of modern master storytellers B. Familiarity with the work of modern masters C. The future of Irish storytelling

MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: 5/24/2005

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.