RELG320

(A Garland of Tantric Goddesses: Tales of the Feminine Divine) This seminar examines in depth one particular subject area in religious studies. Topics vary from year to year. A Garland of Tantric Goddesses: Tales of the Feminine Divine in South Asia uses a seminar format to examine goddess worship in Hindu and other Tantric (esoteric) traditions. We learn about the diversity of Hindu goddesses’ mythology by studying captivating and largely overlooked stories from different regions. Delving into goddess narratives in translation, we read a range of sources from ancient folk tales to modern lore. We also dive deeper into a scholarly case study of Tripurasundari (the Beauty of Three Cities), as we examine how the worship of this goddess was developed and reimagined in the early second millennium. Students work extensively with primary sources in translation as well as works of modern scholarship on tradition formation.