I was thinking that maybe I should compile a list of people online at different universities around the world who seem to have some kind of prominence in either religious studies departments or comparative mythology ones. And then just start emailing them (spamming them, that is) for advice on what the best programs are in these subject matters. I’m not totally convinced that I do want to go the whole school route again, but maybe I’ll turn up some interesting information and a possible network of contacts in the field if nothing else. I’ll have to put together a concise snappy description that captures the sort of spirit which I’m looking for.

I’m gonna try and hit any and everybody I can find online with websites & emails who are in this area.

1. Here’s the first guy I just wrote to: Jerome Bauer of Washington University (in St. Louis).
2. I just found a listing of Higher Education programs in Folklore from the American Folklife Center. Not a lot of places seem to have undergraduate degrees in this area, for whatever reason.

Here is the schools they list as having BA’s in folklore:

1. Folklore & Mythology at Harvard
2. Folklore & Ethnomusicology at Indiana University
3. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Folklore
4. Folklore at UPenn
5. Folklore studies at Western Kentucky University

Looksmart also seems to have a listing for Folklore Academic Programs. And here is their Religious Studies programs listings.