A HISTORY OF GODDESSES WITH JASMINE ELMER
A FOUR-WEEK ONLINE COURSE
Start date: 7pm, Wed 8 January 2025
Course overview: Step into a historical journey like no other, where we examine the world through the eyes of 4 ancient goddesses. We will uncover their truths, rebellions, and freedoms. We will examine the cultures from which they came; their symbolism; their worship and their historical significance. Most of all, we will understand the messages that these goddesses have for us today. This will be a chance to experience Jasmine’s style of history, in which we take a heart-based approach to the subject, she calls this – History with Soul. Based on Jasmine’s debut book, Goddess with a Thousand Faces.
Delivery: The course will be delivered by a series of 4 video lectures, and separate group Q&As with the course tutor via a video conferencing platform. Participants will also receive a reading list, course literature and activities. Links and details will be sent to participants a few days before the course begins. Lectures will be released at 7pm each Wednesday and will be available to view for a month and half.
Accessibility: All lectures will have closed captions. The live Q&As will be recorded and fully captioned within 48 hours of their first being streamed. If you have any additional access requirements, please get in touch via enquiries@histfest.org
Lecture 1: Inanna: We will explore the rich mythical and cultural significance of one of the oldest goddesses we know, the Sumerian deity Inanna. This lecture will include an exploration of Sumerian culture, her role within it and an examination of the possible fluidity of notion towards gender identity within this culture.
Lecture 2: Artemis: We will deep dive into the myth of Artemis and Actaeon and discover the facets of this goddess that have often been overlooked- including her boiling rage. After some discovery about her widespread worship in ancient Greece, we will discuss her legacy and what she might have to say to us today about women’s control over their own bodies.
Lecture 3: Rangda: In this lecture we will travel to Bali to consider the so called ‘witch’, Rangda. She is a goddess capable of many an evil deed, but is that all she has to offer us? We will uncover fascinating truths about Balinese culture and discuss the wider role of magic, healing, and the need for balance.
Lecture 4: Sedna: Sedna is the Inuit goddess of the sea. Her story is one of great betrayal and tragedy and encapsulates a journey of self-discovery into our own emotional pain. We will also explore the fascinating Inuit people and their cultural traditions.
Your tutor: Jasmine Elmer is a media personality working in the field of Classics. She is the host of the podcast ‘Legit Classics’ with Hat trick Productions, and recently appeared in Channel 4’s ‘Lost treasures of Rome’. She has spent much of her academic career studying the mythical significance of monsters, with previous work on both the Chimera and the relationship between monsters and volcanic activity. Improving accessibility to Classics remains at the heart of everything she does, as she aims to ‘take classics to where the people are’ by reframing how we look at the ancient world.