History Extended Essay: Exploring the historicity of a mythological legend?

[Noelani]

Hi, 

I am planning to do my extended essay in History. I wish to explore the historicity of a 'mythological' legend by presenting evidences and statistics. Ramayana is one of the greatest stories in Indian history. Most historians believe that Ramayana is just another mythological story. Others consider it as history. My Extended Essay will basically analyze evidences that prove the existence of Ramayana and conclude its historical authenticity. Most exemplars focus on historical events that have definite evidences. However, I wish to explore the thin line between history and mythology. (I know it's a gamble) 

Will a topic like this be acceptable by IB? Or should I just drop the idea and choose a more realistic topic? 

 

 

 

[alefal]

Hey there,

There are two things you should think through properly before you decide on this topic.

1) The framing of the essay. Thus far, it seems like your research question would be 'Is Ramayana a real historical figure or merely a myth?' Although this is an interesting question, it is a very one-dimensional one - and thus not very applicable for IB. To ask 'to what extent was Ramayana real?' doesn't really make sense, because either he was real or he was not. 

2) Because IB can be a real pain at times, I advise you to consider other alternatives that are better rooted in history. I can quite easily see someone making an argument that this is either A) Not a valid topic because the analysis fits better in other subjects such as World Religions, or B) Not a valid topic because it's a mixture between other subjects (World Religions) and history. I do agree to these potential claims to a certain degree, because - although your topic is indeed suggesting an analysis of history, it is also rooted in mythology. For that reason, I do suggest you look at some other things better suited for IB History. 

How you frame the essay can, at least to a certain extent, negate my second point, though. If you treat mythology as a contributing factor to an event or decision, or a consequence of something else, then it'd more certainly count as a valid history topic. 

 

Good luck!