Thursday, December 4, 2008
Norse Mythology Definitions
Vikings -Human warriors of Europe
Ginnungagap -Void before anything was created in the universe
Nifleheim -Land of ice and fog, where evil resides, like hell
Muspellheim -Land of fire
Yggdrasil -Tree from which all the different demetions of Norse myths revolve around
Asgard -Place where the gods reside
Midgard- Place where the humans reside
Hel -Goddess of the dead, ruler of the dead
Bifrost Bridge- Bridge which conects Asgard and Midgard(land of the gods and land of humans)
Ymir -Ice giant from which life came from when pieces of him fell of and melted
Odin-Gods of gods, he is the god of thunder, like Zues
Frigg -Goddess of or queen of the gods
The Valkyries -Choosers of the slain, they decide who lives and who dies
The Norns -Women can see the future, like the Greyeye
Thor -God of thunder, like Odin and Zues
Balder- Best of all the gods, who was slain by Loki
Njord -Father of Frey and Freya, who is often related to the sea
Frey -God of growing things, like Demeter
Freya -Goddess of love and beauty, like Aphrodite
Idunn -Goddess who gives golden apples to the others for eternal life
Loki-God of mischief, and also the one to blame for Ragnarok
Fenrir- One of Loki's children, he was a monstorous wolf
Jormungandr- Evil world serpant, who was also one of Loki's children
Ragnarok -Day is when evil will prevail and all mankind will die, like doomsday
Runes-Stones were once thought to tell who you were when tossed to the groundd
Ginnungagap -Void before anything was created in the universe
Nifleheim -Land of ice and fog, where evil resides, like hell
Muspellheim -Land of fire
Yggdrasil -Tree from which all the different demetions of Norse myths revolve around
Asgard -Place where the gods reside
Midgard- Place where the humans reside
Hel -Goddess of the dead, ruler of the dead
Bifrost Bridge- Bridge which conects Asgard and Midgard(land of the gods and land of humans)
Ymir -Ice giant from which life came from when pieces of him fell of and melted
Odin-Gods of gods, he is the god of thunder, like Zues
Frigg -Goddess of or queen of the gods
The Valkyries -Choosers of the slain, they decide who lives and who dies
The Norns -Women can see the future, like the Greyeye
Thor -God of thunder, like Odin and Zues
Balder- Best of all the gods, who was slain by Loki
Njord -Father of Frey and Freya, who is often related to the sea
Frey -God of growing things, like Demeter
Freya -Goddess of love and beauty, like Aphrodite
Idunn -Goddess who gives golden apples to the others for eternal life
Loki-God of mischief, and also the one to blame for Ragnarok
Fenrir- One of Loki's children, he was a monstorous wolf
Jormungandr- Evil world serpant, who was also one of Loki's children
Ragnarok -Day is when evil will prevail and all mankind will die, like doomsday
Runes-Stones were once thought to tell who you were when tossed to the groundd
Friday, November 14, 2008
Citation:
Willms, Craig. "Pretty Duck." 4 February 2008. Photograph. The Static Noise Journal. 14 November 2008. <http://www.protohuman.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sparks from War Eagle’s Lodge-Summary
This myth is a Native American myth from the Blackfeet Tribe. Like most myths, it explains something of the natural world which happens to be how ducks got their fine and beautiful feather. It started with all the Duck-people looking generally the same with a dull gray coat. One day the Duck-people were swimming in the lake with Old-man watching. Meanwhile, the Duck-people kept to their business but minded Old-man because he was said to be a crazy man and would want to hurt the Duck-people. As soon as Old-man started gathering the thick moss on the shore the Duck-people became quickly suspicious. Old-man constructed a lodge using the moss and poles and invited the Duck-people to come watch his dance even though they were very unsure of Old-man. However, as he started singing in Duck-talk the Duck-people became less suspicious and eventually went into Old-man's lodge. Old-man said they must be painted to see his dance and painted each duck how they explained. In other words, the Duck-people were able to pick their appearance and how they wanted it to be. The Duck-people were told not to open their eyes during the dance and if they did they would have red-eyes forever or it would hurt to open them. The loon caused a commotion and all the Duck-people opened their eyes and fled, for this reason loon looks crippled when he tries to stand as well as why all ducks have their feathers.
Citation:
Linderman, Frank B. "Blackfeet-How the Ducks Got Their Fine Feathers". Indigenous Peoples Literature. 2002. 11 November 2008.
Citation:
Linderman, Frank B. "Blackfeet-How the Ducks Got Their Fine Feathers". Indigenous Peoples Literature. 2002. 11 November 2008.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Hero Journey Application Project
Call to Adventure: This stage is where the hero is called to quest or assignment
Supernatural Guides: Guides that offer advice, magic, or weapons to assist in the hero's journey
Compainions: Friends that help along the journey
Initiation: The hero crosses the threshold and leaves behind the familiar and comfortable
Trials: The obstacles and battles the hero must overcome during the journey.
Final Battle: The ultimate battle in the journey
Transformation: The hero is in someway altered by the journey
Death/Rebirth: Out with the old; in with the new
Boon: The gift of renewal to be shared with all
Call to Adventure: This stage is where the hero is called to quest or assignment
Supernatural Guides: Guides that offer advice, magic, or weapons to assist in the hero's journey
Compainions: Friends that help along the journey
Initiation: The hero crosses the threshold and leaves behind the familiar and comfortable
Trials: The obstacles and battles the hero must overcome during the journey.
Final Battle: The ultimate battle in the journey
Transformation: The hero is in someway altered by the journey
Death/Rebirth: Out with the old; in with the new
Boon: The gift of renewal to be shared with all
Monday, October 27, 2008
Academic Vocabulary
A myth is a story or legend that can give explanation to natural phenomena, human psychology, or theological questions. Therefore we can see where certain cultures explained something natural as in the myth of Demeter and Persephone.
A hero is someone reconized for there courage in great feats or labors, or the founder of something new. Hercules is a hero by this definition.
The hero journey is seen as all parts that a hero embarks on from the call to adventure, his companions, guides, initiation, battles, final battle, transformation, boon, death and finally rebirth. This is universal to all hero myths and but is seen fundamentally in Lord of the Rings.
The idea of universal is representative of every man and applies to all. Universality is seen with sweatpants because they are on size fits all.
Cyclical is the idea of every coming back to where it started and starting all over again. The hero journey shows a cyclical pattern.
Life from Death is the sacrificing of one life to sustain the life of one or more lives. This is seen with fertilizer in gardens.
Duality is a quality of opposites existing at the same time in a whole. This is seen in the idea of the yin and yang.
An archetype is the original model of something. We see this in creation myths where the three archetypes for creation are void, egg, and a watery abyss. Also there a three archetypal representations of a hero are human, trickster, and cultural. The archetypal creation myth of Enuma Elish shows an example of watery abyss.
Creation is the origins or beginnings of something. This is seen in the epic of Gilgamesh which is the first known story of creation.
Matriarchal is when the mother is the head of the household and holds the power from giving life. This is represented through the idea of Mother Earth.
Patriarchal is where the father figure is the provider and protector of the family. This is commonly viewed as Father Sky.
Sacrifice is putting self-interests aside for the betterment of the whole; selflessness. The Aztecs would sacrifice life for the benefit of the people.
A myth is a story or legend that can give explanation to natural phenomena, human psychology, or theological questions. Therefore we can see where certain cultures explained something natural as in the myth of Demeter and Persephone.
A hero is someone reconized for there courage in great feats or labors, or the founder of something new. Hercules is a hero by this definition.
The hero journey is seen as all parts that a hero embarks on from the call to adventure, his companions, guides, initiation, battles, final battle, transformation, boon, death and finally rebirth. This is universal to all hero myths and but is seen fundamentally in Lord of the Rings.
The idea of universal is representative of every man and applies to all. Universality is seen with sweatpants because they are on size fits all.
Cyclical is the idea of every coming back to where it started and starting all over again. The hero journey shows a cyclical pattern.
Life from Death is the sacrificing of one life to sustain the life of one or more lives. This is seen with fertilizer in gardens.
Duality is a quality of opposites existing at the same time in a whole. This is seen in the idea of the yin and yang.
An archetype is the original model of something. We see this in creation myths where the three archetypes for creation are void, egg, and a watery abyss. Also there a three archetypal representations of a hero are human, trickster, and cultural. The archetypal creation myth of Enuma Elish shows an example of watery abyss.
Creation is the origins or beginnings of something. This is seen in the epic of Gilgamesh which is the first known story of creation.
Matriarchal is when the mother is the head of the household and holds the power from giving life. This is represented through the idea of Mother Earth.
Patriarchal is where the father figure is the provider and protector of the family. This is commonly viewed as Father Sky.
Sacrifice is putting self-interests aside for the betterment of the whole; selflessness. The Aztecs would sacrifice life for the benefit of the people.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Persephone and Demeter
Who would have thought a simple pomegranate seed would doom eternity with dreaded winter?! In mythology, interpretation can be described on three levels; natural, social, and psychological. The natural level is the most superficial where one takes the reading for what is at first glance with no further breaking down of the reading.. The social level embodies the natural level but takes interpretation one step further. The social level shows how society feels given the natural. Where the psychological takes it further yet, it asks the “what if” as if there weren’t the natural and again how society would react. In synopses, the social shows how society reacts with the natural and psychological is how society would react if the natural were taken away.
Demeter, the goddess of corn and symbol of earth, one day just couldn’t find her daughter, Persephone. Low and behold, she found that Hades himself took her in his chariot, drawn of blackest steeds, to the Underworld. Persephone being the symbol of rebirth and flowers and spring, made the earth cold and nothing would blossom or produce. Demeter was infuriated with this and headed straight down to the underworld to show her immense anger towards Hades. Little did little Miss Demeter know, but Persephone had eaten a pomegranate seed which sealed her fate in the underworld for six months out of thee year.
From a social standpoint, Persephone’s six months in the underworld had drastic effects. For those months she was gone, the world turned cold and nothing would grow, creating the dynamic of summer and winter. On the contrary, when she was on earth she made those six months even more beautiful than ever. Flowers were blooming, the weather was great, and harvests were so good that a steady food source was created for society. Summer now represents happiness and growth and creates a key contrast in seasons. The key being that the beauty and representation of summer is highlighted with its 180° counter-part, winter. Society showed a reaction and eventually an adaptation to creation of winter but were blessed with a summer far better than ever before.
Psychologically, society learns important lessons and morals from the story of Persephone. We see the pomegranate seed as a symbol of desire and duality and as a parallel between what is going on in the story. Persephone, naïve in her innocence, eat the seed not knowing the long-term effects shows how desires can overrule reason then and much so in present times. The dynamic of summer and winter is much the same as the beauty and youth of Persephone to the immense loss and grief shared by her mother. The opposite seasons represent the emotions felt by Persephone and her mother and even Hades. With that, Hades greatly enjoyed having someone with him in the underworld, where as Demeter was sad and deeply depressed. This, also a good representation of the growth and change anyone goes through and experience you get from that. Also Hades is given a nurturing side for wanting love through someone else as opposed to his common interpretation of being cruel and evil. With this dynamic it really defines the duality of the myth.
Whether you are a beautiful little girl or the God of the Underworld, you can change popular beliefs. Here we see good come out of a seemingly terrible situation. Lessons are learned from all facets of society, from the Gods to the people (society).
Demeter, the goddess of corn and symbol of earth, one day just couldn’t find her daughter, Persephone. Low and behold, she found that Hades himself took her in his chariot, drawn of blackest steeds, to the Underworld. Persephone being the symbol of rebirth and flowers and spring, made the earth cold and nothing would blossom or produce. Demeter was infuriated with this and headed straight down to the underworld to show her immense anger towards Hades. Little did little Miss Demeter know, but Persephone had eaten a pomegranate seed which sealed her fate in the underworld for six months out of thee year.
From a social standpoint, Persephone’s six months in the underworld had drastic effects. For those months she was gone, the world turned cold and nothing would grow, creating the dynamic of summer and winter. On the contrary, when she was on earth she made those six months even more beautiful than ever. Flowers were blooming, the weather was great, and harvests were so good that a steady food source was created for society. Summer now represents happiness and growth and creates a key contrast in seasons. The key being that the beauty and representation of summer is highlighted with its 180° counter-part, winter. Society showed a reaction and eventually an adaptation to creation of winter but were blessed with a summer far better than ever before.
Psychologically, society learns important lessons and morals from the story of Persephone. We see the pomegranate seed as a symbol of desire and duality and as a parallel between what is going on in the story. Persephone, naïve in her innocence, eat the seed not knowing the long-term effects shows how desires can overrule reason then and much so in present times. The dynamic of summer and winter is much the same as the beauty and youth of Persephone to the immense loss and grief shared by her mother. The opposite seasons represent the emotions felt by Persephone and her mother and even Hades. With that, Hades greatly enjoyed having someone with him in the underworld, where as Demeter was sad and deeply depressed. This, also a good representation of the growth and change anyone goes through and experience you get from that. Also Hades is given a nurturing side for wanting love through someone else as opposed to his common interpretation of being cruel and evil. With this dynamic it really defines the duality of the myth.
Whether you are a beautiful little girl or the God of the Underworld, you can change popular beliefs. Here we see good come out of a seemingly terrible situation. Lessons are learned from all facets of society, from the Gods to the people (society).
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