fandomhigh | World Mythology, Tuesday, 2nd Period.

The moment the students were seated, Ghanima launched into her lecture.

"Given that we're in mid- fall," she began, "We'll start with the myths of a land known for its winter. Today, we journey to Northern Europe, to take on Norse mythology."

"Norse mythology is a collection of beliefs and stories shared by Northern Germanic tribes. It had no one set of doctrinal beliefs. The mythology was orally transmitted in the form of poetry and our knowledge about it is mainly based on the Eddas and other medieval texts written down during and after Christianization. Now, some aspects of Norse mythology passed into Scandinavian folklore

and have survived to modern day times. Others have recently been reinvented or reconstructed as Germanic neopaganism. The mythology also remains as an inspiration in literature, as well as on stage productions and movies."

"Most of the extant records on Norse mythology date from the 12th to 18th century, having gone through more than two centuries of oral preservation in what was at least officially a Christian society. At this point scholars started recording it, particularly in the Eddas and the Heimskringla. There is also the Danish Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, where the Norse gods are more strongly Euhemerized. The Prose or Younger Edda was written in the early 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, who was a leading poet, chieftain, and diplomat in Iceland. It may be thought of primarily as a handbook for aspiring poets. It contains prose explications of traditional "kennings," or compressed metaphors found in poetry. These prose retellings make the various tales of the Norse gods slightly more systematic and coherent."

"The Poetic Edda, also known as the Elder Edda, was committed to writing about 50 years after the Prose Edda. It contains 29 long poems, of which 11 deal with the Germanic deities, the rest with legendary heroes like Sigurd the Volsung. Although scholars think it was transcribed later than the other Edda, the language and poetic forms involved in the tales appear to have been composed centuries earlier than their transcription."

Gathering from her stack of papers on her desk, Ghanima began her normal wandering of the room, passing out the first handout. "Scandinavians believed there are 'nine worlds,' the níu heimar. Note the boundaries between Niflheim, Jötunheimr, Hel, Niðavellir, Svartálfaheimr, and several other significant places like Utgarðr remain uncertain. Each world also had significant places within. Valhalla was Odin's hall located in Asgard. It was also home of the Einherjar, who were the souls of the greatest warriors. These warriors were selected by the Valkyries, Odin's mounted female messengers whose sparkling armor supposedly created the famed Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. The Einherjar would help defend the gods during Ragnarok, when everyone would die in a great battle between the gods and their iniquitous enemies. A battle, incidentally, emphasising a good versus evil duality common to many ancient mythologies and no less present in Norse mythology. Niflhel was a hellish place in Hel, where oathbreakers and other criminals suffered torments."

"These worlds were connected by Yggdrasil, or the world ash root, a giant tree with Asgard at its top. Chewing at its roots in Niflheim was Nidhogg, a ferocious serpent. Asgard can also be reached by Bifrost, the magical rainbow bridge guarded by Heimdall, the god of vigilance who could see and hear a thousand miles."

She smiled as she wandered the room, occasionally stopping to speak directly at one student or another. "You many notice that the cosmology of Norse mythology also involves a strong element of duality," she said, "for example, the night and the day have their own mythological counterparts-- Dagr/Skinfaxi and Nótt/Hrímfaxi, the sun Sól and the chasing wolf Skoll, the moon Mani and its chasing wolf Hati, and the total opposites of Niflheim and Muspell in the origin of the world. There is also a high incidence of twins in Norse mythology. This might have reflected a deeper metaphysical belief in opposites as the foundation of the world."

"In light of this duality, today we shall study Ragnarök." Ghanima circled the class again, giving out the second handout. "The World begins, so the World must end. We've studied a few creation stories, now it's time to see what's on the other side of the mirror."

"Ragnarök, the 'Fate of the Gods', is the final battle waged between the Æsir, led by Odin, and the various forces of the giants or Jötnar, including Loki, followed by the destruction of the world and its subsequent rebirth. Not only will most of the gods, giants and monsters involved perish in this apocalyptic conflagration, but almost everything in the universe will be torn asunder and destroyed.

"What seems eschatologically unique about Ragnarök is that the gods know through prophecy what is going to happen — when the event will occur, who will be slain by whom, and so forth. They even realize that they are powerless to prevent it but nevertheless bravely and defiantly face their bleak destiny.

"On a linguistical note, the Old Norse Ragnarök is a compound of ragna, the genitive plural of regin, meaning "gods" or "ruling powers", and rök "fate". Ragnarøkkr is another form with a slightly different meaning, as "røkkr" means "twilight". In Danish ragnarok is also used as a synonym for chaos."

"According to Völuspá, it will be an axe age, a sword age, shields are cleft asunder, a storm age, a wolf age, before which the world plunges headlong'," she recited, eyes closed as she then repeated the phrase in Norse. "Yggdrasil, the World Tree, will groan and shudder, shaking from root to limb, and nothing will then be unafraid on earth or in the heavens or in Hel. " Ghani smiled softly, hopping up to sit on her desk. "Cheery, isn't it? Now, let's talk about the end of the world."

World Mythology, Tuesday, 2nd Period.

Discussion: The Níu Heimar