The Age of the Samurai

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Seminar/Discussion) "Samurai" often evokes an image of a warrior entranced in the Bushido code, ready to commit harakiri upon command. This course demystifies such an aura surrounding Japan's warrior class by exploring their rise from Heian temple servants to Sengoku warlords and then their fall from Edo Japan's intellectuals and bureaucrats to the realms of the destitute. Sources include samurai autobiographies, their intellectual scholarship, and representations of samurai in contemporary popular culture. Cross-listed: EALC-3721(3) and REL-3721(3)/4721(3). Restrictions: Honours Form Required. Students may not hold credit for this course and EALC-3721 | REL-3721 | REL-4721. Requisite Courses: EALC/REL-2721 and permission of the Department Chair [prerequisite(s)].