This month, CHS Kosmos Society members are focusing on readings from Albert Bates Lord: Epic Singers and Oral Tradition, which is available online for free at CHS. The discussion starts and continues in the Kosmos Society forum (here), and the Google+ Hangout will be on Tuesday, October 31 at 11 a.m. EDT.

All will read the following chapter:

1. Words Heard and Words Seen

In addition, you may read any other chapter of your choosing to bring to the discussion.

Of particular interest for those who are familiar with Homeric epic may be:

2. Homer’s Originality: Oral Dictated Texts
5. Homer as an Oral-Traditional Poet (note that there are several passages in Greek—they are translated, but for those who don’t read Greek characters, the relevant passages are transliterated in the attached PDF, which may help when reading the analysis of alliteration: Transliteration of Greek for Chapter 5)

while for those who read Beowulf with the Book Club a couple of years ago, you may be interested in these chapters:

7. Beowulf and Odysseus
8. Interlocking Mythic Patterns in Beowulf

Happy readings!