Topic: We are by now comfortable with the fact that there is no one true version of a myth, that the ancient poets felt at liberty to continually refashion the stories handed down to them. As mythmakers, the poets undertook the task of constructing a new version of the myth in order to put forward a new "truth" for their audience. For this paper, you will be asked to play the role of mythmaker, and to fashion a new version of a classical myth. Ideally, your new story will tell a new "truth", that is, the variant will have some point or purpose to it.

Choose one of the classical myths, either one from our readings or one that you happen to know. Choose a story or set of stories that has some scope to it, so that you have enough material to work with.

• Gantz = Timothy Gantz, Early Greek Myth, A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources. 1993. On reserve.
• Grimal = Pierre Grimal, Dictionary of Classical Mythology. 1951. One copy on reserve, one copy in reference section.
• Thompson = Stith Thompson, Motif Index of Folk Literature. 6 vols. In reference section, & available as a CDROM over the library network. (For the CDROM, follow RESEARCH/CDROMS for entry point from the library web page: at bottom of list. Note: works only for PC compatible machines.)

First, do a bit of research and thinking. (1) Xerox from Gantz's guide the summary of this myth (or, alternatively, from Grimal's dictionary, but Gantz is better), so as to get an overview of the variety of treatments among ancient writers. If possible, use a story which has ancient variants in the story line. From the summary try to determine which features of the myth seem more "essential" and which more "optional". (2) Think about the "optional" features of the myth. Which ones should you include? Which should you omit? Dream up some "optional" features of your own. (3) Look up promising new "optional" features in Thompson's motif index in order to get an idea of how this sort of motif plays out in other examples of storytelling. (Keep track of the numbers for the folklore motifs that you might be using.)

Now spin your tale. Make sure to incorporate what is "essential" in the myth, but also to introduce at least two significant new features. Tell the tale with pizzazz. Remember: you're a mythmaker! You need to enchant, to bind the spell about your audience.

Be sure to tell a story and not to write a history or a dictionary article. You shouldn't, for instance, try to tell the entire story of the Trojan war. Far better to pick some story that interests you (the abduction of Helen, for example), and tell that story in some detail.

Once you're finished with the tale, write a couple of paragraphs summarizing in more formal prose the following: (1) What features do you find "essential" in this myth, and why do you think this? (2) Locate the features you have added in Thompson's motif index, and cite these by the Thompson number and title. Now comment on why you chose these features. (3) Try to explain analytically what different "truth" you intend to fashion by this new variant of the tale.

Important advice: Make sure to read the paper aloud to yourself or to a friend before you submit it. You'll be surprised at the number of minor flaws you discover by doing this.

Process: (1) First finished draft, (2) response from two peers, (3) revision. All by e-mail. No printouts. See process description for details.

Length: 3 pages. (That is, aim at 3 pages, but of course every paper has a beginning, middle, and end, and papers should write themselves to their own length. In any case, make the paper no less than 2, and try not to spill too much over 4.)

Deadlines: First finished draft due Sept. 17 (Wednesday), responses due Sept. 22 (Monday), final revision due Sept. 26 (Friday).