"Monsters do not emerge out of a cultural void; they have a literary and cultural heritage ,"Tina Marie Boyer, (assistant professor of medieval German literature at Wake Forest University.)
This ongoing course will be for students who want to explore myths and legends as well as monsters from around the world. There is a thrill in learning about the unknown, the scary, the creepy, and the extraordinary. Throughout history cultures have shared stories of superhuman creatures and beings. They have had beliefs in vampires, zombies, and all kinds of monsters. 

In this class we will discuss the theories and legends behind these mysterious creatures and how belief in them may have arisen. This class will be told in a campfire style format with storytelling that leads through a story and utilizes me telling and framing stories and utilizing clips from videos that support or further explain and expand upon the stories. Some of these individual classes will look beyond the monster stories to deeper philosophical and cultural issues and questions. 

This class will NOT be a fit for all students. This class will be what I consider a Yellow-Red class most weeks and will be purposely crafted to be scary. It is designed for student who are thrill seekers, love scary stories, and are wanting to learn more about cryptids (Unknown creatures/animals). Students who attend my History Mystery classes will have learned about some of these monsters in that class so please check the weekly listing to decide when you'd like to attend. This class repeats on a 16 week cycle. 

September 26  Baba Yaga: There is a dangerous witch living in the woods. Should you cross her? 

 Vampires: Belief in Vampires is nothing new, in fact, once the belief that people could rise from the dead was so common that you could buy a vampire slaying kit. 
 
 Zombies: Brains. Ok, there are at least 2 types of zombies. You have Haitian zombies and Romero zombies. We will discuss both. 

 Werewolves: These humans, once bitten, lose complete control during the full moon. Where did this story come from? 

Frankenstein: While telling stories around a fire one night Mary Shelley spun a tale that would later evolve into this classic monster story with all kinds of scary and quirky variations. This story is a great launch point for the debate of nature versus nurture. Are some people born evil or born good or are the things that happen to creatures what shape them? 

 Demons: Creatures meant to torment and drag condemned souls to Hell or convince them to sign a contract that will take them there. Who would make such a deal? 

Dragons: Mythical and often beautiful creatures with often gruesome stories. 

 Sea Monsters: The ocean is a dangerous place, is it because of the monsters living within it? 

 Wendigo: A malevolent spirit which can possess a human and lead them to murder and chaos. 

 Goblins: Small, malicious, and greedy. Better watch out for these vicious creatures. 

: Norse Monsters: Giants, Trolls, the Kraken, and the World's Serpent are all creatures from Norse mythology. 

Ghosts: Sometimes dead is better. 

Condemned monsters: Monsters who were once human and turned into monsters as punishment. 

The Island of Dolls: The story says that a girl drown in the canal and began to haunt the man who lived on a nearby island. Is this place really haunted? 

Changelings: The tale goes that fairy babies are often weak and dying but an easy solution was to switch it out with a healthy human child. 

Greek Monsters: More classic tales of monsters from Greek mythology from Cerebus to Centaurs. 

: Gorgons: One glance and you could be turned into stone forever. 

 Mummies: Some things are best left undisturbed. 

Baba Yaga: There is a dangerous witch living in the woods. Should you cross her? 

Vampires: Belief in Vampires is nothing new, in fact, once the belief that people could rise from the dead was so common that you could buy a vampire slaying kit. 

: Zombies: Brains. Ok, there are at least 2 types of zombies. You have Haitian zombies and Romero zombies. We will discuss both. 

 Werewolves: These humans, once bitten, lose complete control during the full moon. Where did this story come from? 

 Frankenstein: While telling stories around a fire one night Mary Shelley spun a tale that would later evolve into this classic monster story with all kinds of scary and quirky variations. This story is a great launch point for the debate of nature versus nurture. Are some people born evil or born good or are the things that happen to creatures what shape them? 

: Demons: Creatures meant to torment and drag condemned souls to Hell or convince them to sign a contract that will take them there. Who would make such a deal? 

 Dragons: Mythical and often beautiful creatures with often gruesome stories. 

Sea Monsters: The ocean is a dangerous place, is it because of the monsters living within it? 

 Wendigo: A malevolent spirit which can possess a human and lead them to murder and chaos.