Folk Epics
Examines the oral nature, structure, performance traditions, and ideology of folk epics from various world areas, applying oral-formulaic theory to analyze their cultural functions.
Summary
Past student reviews · Scott Mellor
A past student described the grading as extremely relaxed, noting that late submissions were accepted if the instructor saw genuine effort to understand the material.
What you’ll be able to do
Analyze epic narratives to interpret how they reflect national anxieties, cultural identity, and historical transformation across different societies.
Apply major theories and approaches - especially oral-formulaic theory - to evaluate the structure, transmission, and cultural function of epic traditions.
Engage in collaborative research and discussion, while applying ethical considerations related to cultural, religious, ethnic, gender, and economic diversity in the study of epic traditions.
Conduct research using primary and secondary sources and communicate their findings effectively through written essays, oral presentations, and group discussion.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapJunior standing
- Junior standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Junior standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
SCOTT MELLOR is recorded teaching in Fall 2011, Fall 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Scott Mellor
Scott Mellor taught this course with clear, passionate lectures that explained material effectively and made the subject matter engaging.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2014: 3.75 GPA, 85.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Spring 2016: 3.81 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=8 letter grades); Spring 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Scott Mellor
A past student described the grading as extremely relaxed, noting that late submissions were accepted if the instructor saw genuine effort to understand the material.
Past student reviews · Scott Mellor
Students found Mellor easy to approach for questions or clarification, and his care for students contributed to a positive learning environment.
Topics
- Oral nature, structure, performance traditions, and epic ideology from various world areas.
- Oral-formulaic theory and its application to epic structure, transmission, and cultural function.
- Epic narratives as reflections of national anxieties, cultural identity, and historical transformation.
- Ethical considerations regarding cultural, religious, ethnic, gender, and economic diversity in epic studies.
Skills
- Analyze epic narratives to interpret national anxieties, cultural identity, and historical transformation.
- Apply oral-formulaic theory to evaluate the structure, transmission, and cultural function of epics.
- Engage in collaborative research with ethical considerations for diverse cultural contexts.
- Conduct research using primary and secondary sources and communicate findings via essays and presentations.
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2025
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "0b24863dab08fcfa01101b9b5eb13a7669b7bf2400fd984dd78f01eeeffe5cd4",
"requirements_status": "valid",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}