Norse Review Questions

1. Why do the gods care when Idunn is kidnapped?
Idunn is the keeper of the golden apples, which give the gods eternal youth. Without these apples, unlike Greek gods, the Norse gods will age. It is imperative that the apples be recovered so the gods can stay alive and youthful.
2. From reading the myths of Northern Europe, what do we learn about their culture and values. Be specific. Support your claims with examples.
Based on reading their myths, we can see that the Norse held some dark and dreary beliefs. For example, they believe that in Ragnarok, or doomsday, good is doomed to fail. They value bravery in warriors, as evidenced by their belief in Valhalla, the golden place where the bravest warriors get to go after death.
3. Who is more like Prometheus, Loki or Odin? Support your decision.
Loki is more like Prometheus, because he is punished against his will, whereas Odin chooses to forfeit his sight for knowledge. Loki's punishment, like Prometheus', is perpetual.
4. Identify three other ways in which Norse mythology is like other myths that we have studied so far. Be specific.
The Norse pantheon is similar to the other pantheons we have studied. Odin is like Zeus, Frigg is like Hera, etc. The Norse also include tricksters in their myths. Loki is similar to Coyote in Native American myths. Additionally, the Norse believe in different realms, Asgard and Midgard, like the Greek Mt. Olympus and Earth.
5. Provide three reasons that Loki is such a popular figure?
Loki provides a certain element of humor. He is clever, and he brings balance to the mythology. The Norse probably valued this dichotomy of chaos and control. He is also a character that provides lessons for moral myths.

"Idun." Oil Painting. Norse Gods and Goddesses: Idun (Idunn, Ydun) 1 December 2008. http://altreligion.about.com/library/graphics/bl_idun.htm

Norse Myth Vocabulary

1.Vikings were people of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and other northern European countries whose 8th century societies were pre-Christian and centered on sea culture.
2.Ginnungagap was the Norse name for the dark void before anything was created.
3.Nifleheim was the Norse land of fog and ice.
4.Muspellheim was the Norse land of fire ruled by a giant named Surt.
5.Yggdrasil was the world ash tree. According to the Norse, the nine realms were connected by a large tree.
6.Asgard was the title for the home of the gods.
7.Midgard, or middle-earth, was the name of the home of the humans.
8.Hel was the name of the home of the dead, and also of the goddess who ruled it.
9.Bifrost Bridge (a rainbow) was the means of access between Asgard and Midgard.
10.Ymir was a wild, fierce, and evil giant who was killed and whose body parts were assembled to make the sky and earth.
11.Odin was the greatest of all Norse gods. He was the god of gods, humans, wisdom, war, witchcraft, and poetry. He was a shape-shifter as well as a shaman. He is comparable to Zeus and Jupiter.
12.Frigg was Odin’s wife, the most powerful Norse goddess. She ruled over the domains of love, destiny, and marriage. She is comparable to Hera and Juno.
13.The Valkyries are Odin’s daughters. There are considered “choosers of the slain” because they choose which heroes are permitted into Valhalla.
14.The Norns are the three fate maidens, Urd (past), Verdandi (present), and Skuld (future). They are responsible for people’s fates.
15.Thor is Odin’s son. He is strong, fierce, and warlike. He reigns over the domains of thunder, battle, and fertility with his hammer Mjollnir.
16.Balder is Odin and Frigg’s most beloved son. He is the god of radiance, justice and light. He is killed by Loki.
17.Njord is the god of wind and sea, and is the patron of the sailor. He is comparable to Poseidon and Neptune.
18.Frey is the Norse god of fertility, prosperity, sun and rain. He is comparable to Apollo.
19.Freya is the goddess of love, fertility, beauty, magic, war, and death. She is comparable to Aphrodite or Venus.
20.Idunn is Odin’s daughter-in-law. She is the goddess of youth and is the keeper of the golden apples, which keep the gods young.
21.Loki is the son of giants, but mixed blood with Odin to gain magic powers. He is the archetypal trickster in Norse mythology. He is cunning and deceitful.
22.Fenrir is the child of Loki. He is the “wolf destroyer.” He is, by nature, evil.
23.Jormungandr is also the child of Loki. He is the world serpent, and is also evil.
24.Ragnarok is the doomsday of the gods, when they and humans will together battle against the evil giants. Good will fail.
25.Runes are ancient Norse alphabets that are said to be prophetic and indicative of a person’s status. They were a gift from Odin.

Native American Myth Summary

The Great Race

This was a myth of the Northern Cheyenne people explaining man's dominance over animals, how animals became colored, and how the soil on the trail to Buffalo Gap turned red. This myth falls under the category of entertainment, because it is an instructing myth.

For a long period of time, all beings were equal and treated each other so. No animal ate any other. The buffalo, however, decided that they were supreme and should be able to eat the other animals and gain strength from them. Humans, in rebuttal, decided that they should be the greater beings. To settle the dispute, buffalos and humans decided to have a race. Humans complained that this would be unfair, because the buffalos' four legs gave them a distinct advantage over the humans' two legs. For this reason, the humans proposed to have birds, specifically a hawk, a magpie, a lark, and a hummingbird, race in their stead. The buffalos agreed. The buffalos chose Slim Running Buffalo Woman to run for them in the race. The two camps also agreed to allow any other animals to join in the race as well. The animals decided to decorate themselves for the occasion. For example, the skunk chose to paint a white stripe down his back. Likewise, the antelope painted themselves reddish-brown with mud. Prior to this, no animals were colored. Their markings are the same to this day.

The racecourse was set to both begin and end at Buffalo Gap, with a midway point chosen a set distance away. The race was on. Strong and powerful, Slim Running quickly took the lead. The other animals fell behind, bleeding from the strain of the race. As a result, their blood colors the path to this day. The birds flying overhead played to their individual strengths. Hummingbird and Hawk were each swift, but only for short distances. When those two birds became tired, Lark continued the race. Lark fatigued, the racers had already rounded the halfway point and were on their way back to Buffalo Gap. Slim Running was nearing the finish line. Meanwhile, Magpie took over the race effort for the humans. Magpie was not fast, but was quite stubborn. Slowly, as Slim Running fatigued, Magpie closed the gap and finally won the race by a hair. The humans had won the race, and therefore became the supreme beings in the world with the right to hunt and eat the other animals.

Erdoes, Richard and Alfonso Ortiz, eds. "The Great Race." American Indian Myths and Legends. New York: Pantheon Books. 1984. 390-392.

Stergulz, Richard. "Bison." Oil Painting. Richard Stergulz Fine Arts Gallery. 11 November 2008. http://www.stergulzart.com/?ArtworkID=31

Myth Poem

Creation

a cavernous abyss
so dark and drear
it envelops all
like an expansive ebony fog
retracting sight from the void
so thick and cold
it muffles sound
pulling it from the lips of the darkness
before it can reach a melodious fruition

from the pitch
a spark

instantaneously
everything changes
darkness diminishes
relinquishing its grasp
over the emptiness
land and heaven
forever opposed
land, verdant and fertile
mother earth
heaven, tortuous and volatile
father sky

from them come all
diversity
vivacity
iniquity

Application Project - Hero Journey

A hero is a universal archetypal individual with a unique characteristic and a major flaw who is considered the founder of something new. A hero in Greek mythology is Atalanta, “…who loved adventure as much as the most dauntless hero, and who could outshoot and outwrestle, too, the men of one of the two great ages of heroism” (180). She was the first female hero.

The hero is considered universal, which means that he or she is representative of every person. Like every person, Atalanta was once a baby, “and the baby grew up thus into an active, daring little girl” (181).

The hero is also unique, which means he or she has a characteristic that sets them apart from every other person. Bears raised Atalanta. “A she-bear took charge of her, nursed her and kept her warm” (181). Also, “she could hunt and shoot and wrestle” (184).

The hero is special, but also has a major flaw, something that makes he or she imperfect. Atalanta was a little cocky, and “declared that she would marry whoever could beat her in a foot race” (184).

The hero is given a goal or a quest in the call to adventure. Atalanta experienced her call to adventure at a young age, when her father “had the tiny creature left on a mountainside” (181).

The hero experiences initiation when he or she leaves the familiar world behind, entering the strange and unknown. Atalanta experienced her initiation when “two centaurs…caught sight of her when she was alone and pursued her…She stood still and fitted and arrow…A second arrow followed. Both centaurs fell, mortally wounded” (181). It was at this time that Atalanta realized her abilities.

The hero’s journey is the road of trials, battles and obstacles a hero encounters. Atalanta’s journey consisted of “the famous hunt of the Calydonian Bear” (181), a wrestling match where she conquered the young man who was the father of Achilles (182), and multiple foot races where she outran young men who came to marry her (184).

The hero has many companions and friends that provide support for him or her. Atalanta was friends with Meleager, “who fell in love with her at first sight. But, we may be sure, Atalanta treated him as a good comrade” (181). Another companion is her future husband, Melanion, who “used his head as well as his heels” in the foot race (184).

The supernatural guides to the hero provide information, magic, weapons, or charms. The she-bear could be considered a supernatural guide, as well as Aphrodite, who was “always on the lookout to subdue wild, young maidens who despised love” (184).

The ultimate battle is the hero’s final test. Atalanta’s final test occurred when Melanion came to race her with his enchanted golden apples. The apples caused people to chase after them. “Then the third sphere flashed across her path…she saw the gleam…and could not resist it” (184).

In the transformation, the hero is altered in some way in the final battle. Atalanta was forced to give up her life as an unmarried woman. “She was his. Her free days alone in the forest and her athletic victories were over” (184).

The hero undergoes death and rebirth in an out with the old, in with the new transformation. Atalanta and Melanion, for some undocumented reason, “are said to have been turned into lions” (184).

The boon is something a hero gives that is shared. Atalanta gave the idea that women cannot long be free of men, and “bore a son, Parthenopaeus, who was one of the seven against Thebes” (184).

Mythology Academic Vocabulary

A myth is a legend or story about the beliefs, religions, desires, and other aspects of a culture. An example of a myth is the story of Alpheus and Arethusa from Greek mythology.

A hero is a universal archetypal individual with a unique characteristic and a major flaw who goes on a journey. A hero in Greek mythology is Atalanta.

The hero journey is the cyclical path a hero follows from call to adventure, through initiation, journey, and final battle, to rebirth and boon. A hero journey from Egyptian mythology is the path of Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, who conquered the evil Set, but had to set him free.

Universal means applying to any and all persons. A universal occurrence in everyone's life is birth. A universal symbol in mythology is the sun god.

An archetype is an original model or first example of something. An archetypal being in Mesopotamian mythology is Tiamat, the mother earth, or mother goddess. There are three archetypal images of creation: the egg, the watery abyss, and darkness, or nothing. There are three archetypal heroes: the human, the trickster, and the cultural hero.

Cyclical means recurring, or a description of something whose beginning and end are equivalent. The hero journey is an example of something cyclical.

Duality refers to something having equal and opposite parts. Humanity's two genders, male and female, are examples of duality. Isis and Osiris are dual components.

Creation is the invention or making of something. An example of a creation myth is the Enuma elish from Mesopotamian mythology.

Cosmology is the study of the universe. Myths could be considered a primitive form of cosmology.

Life out of death refers to reincarnation, the circle of life, and the sacrifice of something or someone for another. Real life examples include forest fires and food. The death of Tiamat led to the creation of the earth and sky.

Matriarchal means female-based, or female-dominated, and is often used to refer to societies where the women are the most important figures in the culture and household. A matriarchal society in the Enuma elish occurs before Tiamat, the mother earth, dies.

Patriarchal means male-based, or male-dominated, and is often used to refer to societies where the men are the most important figures in the culture and household. Father Sky is a patriarchal figure. A patriarchal society from Egyptian mythology occurs when Osiris rules the Upper and Lower Kingdoms of Egypt.

A sacrifice is something given up, or forfeited, often for the good of society or a group larger than one's self. An example of sacrifice from Jewish mythology is the sacrificial lamb, a pure, perfect lamb that is sacrificed in the place of humans in the Torah.

Non-Verbal Representation of Alpheus and Arethusa

Interpretation Essay

Alpheus and Arethusa

Syracuse, on the island of Ortygia, contains a sparkling spring of crisp, cool water issuing from an unseen source. The bubbling emergence, known as the Fountain of Arethusa, originates deep within the Mediterranean, and may even share a path with the Greek river, Alpheus. Long before the modern day, however, ancients told a story of how the two waters mixed. This myth told of the transformation of a woman, Arethusa, into the spring that bears her name, while under the pursuit by the river god, Alpheus. The legend can be scrutinized and evaluated on a number of different levels, including its natural realm, social realm, and psychological realm. These three branches each refer to a different scale on which to view the myth. The first level views the myth in terms of its affect on or dealings with the earth as a whole. The second level analyzes the myth based on what it tells of humanity, while the third level analyzes the myth’s views of each individual person and their psyche.

The natural realm refers to the myth on a broad scale, for instance, its purpose of describing the reasoning for the spring at Ortygia. The myth describes how the water arrives from distant Greece in bubbles of cleanliness and life. Largely, though, the function of the myth operates on more acute levels.

The social capacity of the myth stems from its watery origin. Water brings life; civilizations have grown around water sources for millennia because of its life-giving abilities. It also promotes cleanliness and washes away impurities. Thus, it fits that Arethusa, the bearer of such a spotless spring, is a chaste follower of the virgin goddess, Artemis. Her purity and innocence are translated into clear, clean water when Artemis transforms her. Therefore, the myth produces two yields from the social realm. The spring serves as both an integral part of society and an important symbol of chastity.

Not only does the myth touch on the life-giving qualities of the spring, and its symbolic nature, but it also reaches deep within, to a psychological level. If Arethusa is the symbol of purity, then the fact that Alpheus pursues her endangers that purity. Her personal honor is on the line, her self-worth, and her self-esteem. Her choice to remain chaste lies in jeopardy, and she finds herself in a world where personal safety and liberty are not valued. Personal freedoms, such as the right to abstain from sex, fall under this psychological umbrella, and this myth deals with this concept at great length, though in a covert manner. It is interesting to note, for instance, that Arethusa does not actually outrun her pursuer. In this story, she cannot hide, even as a fluid spring miles away in Sicily. The river god returned to his liquid state, followed her, and “now his water mingles with hers in the fountain.”

Perhaps this simply contrasts from the modern age of nearly infinite freedom to the time of the Greeks, when realpolitik was not only accepted, but also expected. The Greeks emphasized not Arethusa’s personal freedoms, but the power of Alpheus in overcoming her even in the bitter end. In other words, the myth’s moral purpose pushes the idea that the strong do what they wish, while the weak suffer what they must, an idea that Western civilizations have attempted to avoid in their governments and public policies. For this reason, people in the Western modern age might find this myth’s bottom line to be somewhat disconcerting, because they are so used to having the freedom that Alpheus denied Arethusa. Beyond our personal reactions, however, this myth certainly tells us a great deal about Greek ideals, allowing us to distinguish them from our own.

As is now evident, the story of Alpheus and Arethusa transcends the obvious water fable. Beyond the spurting spring and bubbling brine, the myth paints a portrait of moral ambiguity and loss. Even after her valiant efforts, Arethusa fails to escape the pursuit of Alpheus, as if to say her choice of purity and chastity does not matter when compared with his rugged power and desire. The many levels of analysis allow one to peel back the layers of the myth like an onion, helping one to gather a better understanding of what the tale says, both in the outer, physical sphere, and the social and psychological spheres.

"Expanded Definition of a Myth"

At first glance, mythology, the study of stories cultures use to explain the surrounding world, appears to be just that: fiction. A further look, however, reveals the definition of mythology is much broader than initially expected. For example, mythology includes support for religions, like Christianity and Judaism. All biblical stories, such as Jesus walking on water or turning water into wine, are considered myths. Also, any beliefs people hold, whether true or false, are part of mythology. An example from my own life is Karma, an east Asian principle of what goes around comes around. Whenever something bad happens to me, I try to remember the last bad thing I did to get this negative karma. That is a specific belief that is considered a part of mythology. Another example of a rarely known definition of mythology is a story about our secret desires as human beings. In Greek mythology, Zeus has affairs with numerous beautiful women. The reader of such myths might wish that he could have such conquests, but cannot due to the judging eye of society. Clearly, mythology cannot be defined in a concise manner. It is a multi-faceted study that includes much more than just entertaining stories. People at some time believed these myths were true; mythology includes religious stories, people's beliefs, and their hidden desires. Mythology is as deep as the human soul, and I look forward to understanding it more fully.