*Folklore and Mythology 164 Maledicta: Ritualized Verbal Abuse

Investigates international traditions of vituperation and cursing in their folkloristic, historical and sociological settings, focusing on competitive exchanges of invectives and other abusive language duels as social drama. Performance practices to be studied include Turkish verbal duels, Old Norse senna, Scottish flyting, Anlo-Ewe halo, and African-American ‘dozens’.