Monday, December 1, 2008
Norse Mythology Definitions
Vikings- A Norse explorer, warrior or merchant who raided and colonized areas in Europe from the eighth century to the eleventh century.
Ginnungagap- A vast void that existed prior to the creation of the universe.
Nifleheim- The northern realm of Ginnungagap that consisted of ice and intense cold.
Muspellheim- The southern realm of fire and heat in Ginnungagap.
Yggdrasil- The "World Tree" that was located at the center of the universe and joined the nine worlds of Norse mythology.
Asgard- The world and home of the Gods.
Midgard- The world inhabitated by humans.
Hel- The home of the dead.
Bifrost Bridge- The bridge that leads from Midgard, the realm of humans, to Asgard, the realm of gods. It is a divine rainbow.
Ymir- The first Frost Giant that created the race of giants from his sweat. When Ymir was killed the blood from his wounds almost drowned the entire frost giant tribe. Then his body was used to create Midgard. His flesh was the earth, his blood formed seas and lakes. His bones became mountains and his teeth became stones. His hair grew into trees and his skull was set above Ginnungagap and made the sky. Ymir's brains became clouds.
Odin- The son of Bestla and Bor. He was the oldest and greatest.
Frigg- Odins wife. She was a cloud spinner and a very powerful goddess.
The Valkyries- Were Odin's daughters, they were the choosers of the slain and the hero selectors.
The Norns- Were goddess who ruled the fates of the mortals.
Thor- A warrior son. He was the son of Odin and the strongest. He was the god of battle, thunder and fertility. He had a fierce temper and he was the owner of Mjolliner, the hammer.
Balder- A beloved son and loved god. The son of Odin and Figg. He was the god of radiance, rebirth, justice and light. He was beautiful and killed by Loki. His death was prophcided to be before Ragnarok.
Njord- Odin's brother. God of wind and sea and the patron sailor.
Frey- God of fertility, prosperity,sun and rain.
Freya- Goddess of love, fertility, magic and death.
dunn- Wife of Bragi. Goddess of youth and keeper of the golden apples.
Loki- Son of Giants, had mixed blood with Odin. He had magic that he used to be evil and a trickster. He was cunning and decietful. He had three evil children.
Fenrir- Son of Loki, he was the wolf.
Jormungandr- Son of Loki, evil world serpent.
Ragnarok- Doomsday, the final battle and the ending of the world.
Runes- a way of communicating by symbols and sounds.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Jay Johansen"Mourning." Photo of a painting. 11 November 2008.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2
%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dmourning%252Bnative%252Bamer
icans%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501%26ei%3Dutf-8%26vm%3Dr%26x%3Dwrt%26y%3DSearch&w=400&
h=441&imgurl=www.jjstudio.com%2Fmourning.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.jjstudio.com%2Fmourning.htm&size=38.9kB&name=mourning.jpg&
p=mourning%2Bnative%2Bamericans&type=JPG&oid=6e95ca90672ad72e&no=4&tt=17&
sigr=11468svp3&sigi=10t3kqq8m&sigb=13mhqt0ob
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2
%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dmourning%252Bnative%252Bamer
icans%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501%26ei%3Dutf-8%26vm%3Dr%26x%3Dwrt%26y%3DSearch&w=400&
h=441&imgurl=www.jjstudio.com%2Fmourning.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.jjstudio.com%2Fmourning.htm&size=38.9kB&name=mourning.jpg&
p=mourning%2Bnative%2Bamericans&type=JPG&oid=6e95ca90672ad72e&no=4&tt=17&
sigr=11468svp3&sigi=10t3kqq8m&sigb=13mhqt0ob
THE BAD WIFE
The Native American myth I read comes from the Blackfoot tribe. It is a story of betrayal, deceit and compassion.
A man, a very brave warrior, was married to one wife who he loved with all his heart. He was willing to give her everything. So after she had pestered the man coninously about letting her go and pick berries, even though there was an enemy tribe moving around, the man finally gave in and took his wife and some women to pick berries.
Not long had they been there when the man spotted the enemy tribe. The man threw his wife on the back of his horse and rode off as fast as he could. But the horse was not fast enough with all the weight. The man knew he has to throw his wife off of the horse. He knew the enemy tribe, the Snakes, would not kill such a beautiful, young women. Before he left her he vowed to return and rescue her from the Snakes.
When he got back to his tribe he assembled his men to go and fight for his wife. The man searched the Snakes camp, looking in windows for his beloved wife. When he could not find her he hid himself under the mud and waited for the women to come and get water.
When finally his wife made her way down the river bank he crawled out of his hiding spot and told her that six of her relations were waiting to take her home on the other side of the river. His wife replied "Wait, these people have given my a great many pretty things. Let me go back. When it is night I will gather them up, steal a horse and cross over to you." At first the man protested, then he gave in let her get her pretty things. He went back to his waiting warriors and told them that she would be there at night.
His wife went and told the chief that the sun had told her that there were enemy warriors across the river. The Snakes killed all the men except her husband. They brought him to his wife who acted like she had never seen him before.
She told the chief that the man has asked to be burned by ashes from his pipe and have boiling water poured onto his head.
Finally the man begs for death, he can not stand the torture anymore. So his wife tells the Snake people that the man wants to be given to the Sun.
When the Snakes had moved on to a new place to live, an old Snake women returned and helped the man who was very near death. She healed him and made him stronger. He decides he is not done. He will go to camp and get all his Piegan warriors and he will have revenge on the Snakes and his wife. The old women agrees to help him by marking the trail to lead him to the Snakes new camp.
When he arrived with his men to the Snakes camp he entered the house of the old women and told her to gather her family and keep them in the hut. The man did not want to kill her or her family.
Then in the very late of night the Piegans attacked and they were killing and stabbing people as quickly as they were coming out of thier lodges. His wife cried out: "Don't hurt me. I am Piegan. Are any of my people her?" They captured the wife and killed her by pushing her into a fire.
When the old Snake women came out of her hut she and her family were given one-half of all the horses and valuables the Piegans had taken. The Piegan chief offered to let her and her family join thier tribe and live with them. And so the Snakes joined the Piegans and lived with them until they died and thier children married the Piegans and there were no longer Snake people.
"The Bad Wife." Indian Mythology. Indian Mythology. 2006. 6 November 2008.
www.indianmythology.org/blackfoot/bad_wife.htm
A man, a very brave warrior, was married to one wife who he loved with all his heart. He was willing to give her everything. So after she had pestered the man coninously about letting her go and pick berries, even though there was an enemy tribe moving around, the man finally gave in and took his wife and some women to pick berries.
Not long had they been there when the man spotted the enemy tribe. The man threw his wife on the back of his horse and rode off as fast as he could. But the horse was not fast enough with all the weight. The man knew he has to throw his wife off of the horse. He knew the enemy tribe, the Snakes, would not kill such a beautiful, young women. Before he left her he vowed to return and rescue her from the Snakes.
When he got back to his tribe he assembled his men to go and fight for his wife. The man searched the Snakes camp, looking in windows for his beloved wife. When he could not find her he hid himself under the mud and waited for the women to come and get water.
When finally his wife made her way down the river bank he crawled out of his hiding spot and told her that six of her relations were waiting to take her home on the other side of the river. His wife replied "Wait, these people have given my a great many pretty things. Let me go back. When it is night I will gather them up, steal a horse and cross over to you." At first the man protested, then he gave in let her get her pretty things. He went back to his waiting warriors and told them that she would be there at night.
His wife went and told the chief that the sun had told her that there were enemy warriors across the river. The Snakes killed all the men except her husband. They brought him to his wife who acted like she had never seen him before.
She told the chief that the man has asked to be burned by ashes from his pipe and have boiling water poured onto his head.
Finally the man begs for death, he can not stand the torture anymore. So his wife tells the Snake people that the man wants to be given to the Sun.
When the Snakes had moved on to a new place to live, an old Snake women returned and helped the man who was very near death. She healed him and made him stronger. He decides he is not done. He will go to camp and get all his Piegan warriors and he will have revenge on the Snakes and his wife. The old women agrees to help him by marking the trail to lead him to the Snakes new camp.
When he arrived with his men to the Snakes camp he entered the house of the old women and told her to gather her family and keep them in the hut. The man did not want to kill her or her family.
Then in the very late of night the Piegans attacked and they were killing and stabbing people as quickly as they were coming out of thier lodges. His wife cried out: "Don't hurt me. I am Piegan. Are any of my people her?" They captured the wife and killed her by pushing her into a fire.
When the old Snake women came out of her hut she and her family were given one-half of all the horses and valuables the Piegans had taken. The Piegan chief offered to let her and her family join thier tribe and live with them. And so the Snakes joined the Piegans and lived with them until they died and thier children married the Piegans and there were no longer Snake people.
"The Bad Wife." Indian Mythology. Indian Mythology. 2006. 6 November 2008.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
A MTYH is an ancient belief that explains why things are. They also can't be proven. The story of Hercules.
HEROES are unique individuals who go on a journey to protect or change his or her community. They also have a flaw which makes them human. The story of Atalanta is an example of a hero.
A Hero must go on a HERO JOURNEY. It's a journey that helps them change and bring a gift or boon back to their community. The sun god Ra goes on a hero journey every single day.
UNIVERSAL means appling to all. It is both one thing and everything at the same time. An example is Pandora's curiosity, which is universal.
An ARCHETYPE is an original kind or model. The three archetypal images of creation are an egg, a watery abyss and a chaotic void. Three archetypal heroes is Cultural, Trickster and Human.
A CYCLICAL pattern is on that is constantly repeating and cycling. The Hero Journey is an example of cyclical because it seems to be the same in every religion and belief.
LIFE FROM DEATH is the belief that in order for somethings to live, something else must die. An example is that for people to live plants and animals must die so we can be fed and live. Another example is the life of a phoenix, which burns and from the ashes springs a new bird.
DUALITY is the quality of opposites existing at one time. They compliment each other. For example the ying-yang is an example of good and evil. Another example is the choice between right and wrong, or between land and water.
CREATION is the beginning of everything. It was how the earth and gods got started. The story of creation is when Uranos was killed and his body parts and became the earth.
MATRIARCHAL is the foundation of female power. It is the foundation of the mother ruling and being the head of the house. An example is Mother Earth.
PATRIARCHAL is the foundation of male power. The thought that the male is the head of the house. An example is Father Sky.
SACRIFICE is giving up something to help others. An example is Prometheus who sacrificed his life to help people by giving them fire.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
