HIS 104 - Samurai: History & Myth (4 Cr.)

(GCR Humanities and Interdisciplinary area)

“Samurai”. The word conjures up images of a bygone age, of battle, of a strict code of behavior, of honor and integrity above all. But where do these images – these myths – come from, and do they match historical reality? In this course, we will examine the historical realities of the samurai, how they came into existence as a social class, and how they emerged as the rulers of Japan for seven centuries through a period in which they tore the country apart with their warfare as well a final era of peace and prosperity, during which their martial ethos was largely beside the point. We will then examine how myths surrounding the samurai were created in the late 19th and early 20th century, mostly after they had ceased to exist in reality, and how those myths have reemerged in Japan and around the world since the mid-twentieth century. In short, we will examine the gaps between history as it occurred and history as it is remembered. This course is primarily intended for first or second year students. Spring semester in alternating years. Dawley.