1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to cite from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to cite from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Enter your answers as a comment, here, not a new post. Happy blogging!
ReplyDelete8. discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be perceived, what pleasures they offer).
DeleteBoth The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien have become iconic literature and are by many, myself included, considered classics. Both texts are stories of great adventures. The common storyline between them is a hobbit, whose kind is known for staying put and living rather calm and predictable lives, that set out on a quest. Also, both the main characters are doing a task they originally did not want to do.
Bilbo from The Hobbit is sought out by the wizard Gandalf and is somewhat reluctantly persuaded into joining a group of dwarfs as their burglar, when they seek out to take back their kingdom from the dragon Smaug. During this quest he finds the ring, that is the subject for The Lord of the Rings. Frodo, Bilbo’s nephew, is given the ring, and have to set out on a quest to destroy it. The connection between the two texts makes it natural to speak of their desire and intent combined.
As to the desire of the texts, we would first want to look at Tolkien’s motivation for writing them. Now it is easy to notice that Tolkien was inspired by history and mythology. Several aspects from both texts have clear links to Norse and English myths. Therefore, we can assume that Tolkien’s intention was to tell these myths and stories in a different way. The texts are written to entertain, and he is using the oldest forms of entertainment there is, the myth.
It is safe to say that the big theme for both texts is adventure. The journey and the quest are the main events of the texts. The desire of the texts could from this be to present an alternative to everyday life. The hobbits are known for living a quiet and predictable life, and so do a lot of people. The appeal in Tolkien’s work is the break from everyday routine. We see the people we least expect do the things we would least expect. Especially in The Hobbit, we see Bilbo, who has never done anything unexpected, being offered the opportunity to do so, and to eventually agree, just for the adventure of it. This appeal to people’s sense of adventure, and it allows you to experience it through Bilbo and Frodo. Also, human desire of wealth and abundance is represented through these texts. The dwarfs in The Hobbit are seeking this big treasure, that Smaug has stolen. Also, in The Lord of the Rings we see the human greed. Everyone desire the ring, even though they know it is evil.
The texts also deliver a sense of purpose. Especially in The Lord of the Rings. Frodo has a mission to complete, and the world as he knows it depends on his success. The stakes of his adventure are so high, and the responsibility he has is enormous, even though he is one of the smallest creatures in Middle Earth. The Lord of the Rings is actually an underdog story. We have the smallest creature in the world against the largest evil there is. This is enjoyable for the reader, because it is easy to relate to. Everyone feel inadequate at times, and it feels good to read about someone that accomplishes even though the odds were against them.
The desire of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is to inspire and entertain our more adventurous side, and to break us out from the grey that is everyday life.
Identify some recent films, tv shows and/or games which have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity.
ReplyDeleteStargate is a sci-fi film and tv series that began with the film “Stargate” released in 1994. A Stargate is a ring-shaped transportation portal to other worlds and one such device is discovered on Earth. This device is kept secret under the control of the United States government, who use it for interplanetary missions. Set in the present day a team called SG1 travel through the Stargate and encounter other humans on other worlds throughout the galaxy. This is explained as being the result of forced deportations by aliens, with the suggestion that most ancient mythologies are the result of aliens posing as gods in the distant past.
The Asgard were a highly developed, philanthropic race in the Ida Galaxy which visited and protected humans on Earth and elsewhere. In appearance the Asgard averaged about one meter in height, with grayish skin tones, small, skinny limbs, large heads and black eyes. Because of their advanced holographic technology they appear to lesser beings as Viking Gods.
When interacting with early humans, they posed as beneficent protective gods, eventually giving rise to the Norse mythology on Earth. They were among the most advanced races in the universe, matched only by the Ancients, the Nox and the Furlings. They assumed the role of protectors of the Milky Way galaxy and formed the Alliance of Four Great Races.
Some Asgard’s who appeared on the show:
Thor – Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet
Freyr – Member of the Asgard High Council
Aegir – Asgard commander
An – Asgard scientist
Fenrir – Asgard scientist
Heimdall – Asgard scientist
Hermiod – Asgard engineer
Loki – Rogue scientist
Penegal – Member of the Asgard High Council
Sigyn – Asgard scientist
Tyr – One-time chief tactical officer and military strategist of the Asgard fleet, one-time commander of the Valkyries and defender of Vanaheim
What place do the old myths have in the modern world.
Film and television as a medium has made it possible to take stories that were passed down orally or through writing and bring them to audiences visually and immersively.
Stargate storytellers have drawn direct inspiration by revitalizing ancient Norse tales with modern elements and interpretations and synthesized their stories for the screen. With the technology to travel by Stargate to distant planets there are additional resources and avenues for Stargate storytellers to utilize in order to bring stories to life. The Norse myth serves as a reference point for visits by aliens (the Asgards) who appear as Viking Gods from another world in another galaxy which keeps the Stargate story original.
Today there are those that believe old myths to be fact and those that view it to be false and we can see the dichotomy insinuated between Truth and Lie. I believe the Viking people came from Gods however whether they were aliens from the Ida Galaxy is debatable.
I was so excited when I got to the point where they introduced the Asgard in the series! I also really like that SG use the Norse gods and myths without making it "hard-core-viking" if that makes sense? It's a series about Norse gods, but in the future and in space. Love it.
DeleteI enjoy the concept of gods actually being aliens, I think it's fascinating and in some ways it makes sense. Or at least I think so.
Stargate!!! What a great write up William! I haven't thought about this series in so long, i used to love watching it and collected all the episodes! I have seen every season and was a huge fan when i was younger. They did a great job of incorporating the ideas of Asgard and Norse Gods and Myths. This was the first series i watched in regards to travel to planets and universes. I think Stargate was definitely a success at representing and perceiving concepts of Gods and other myths in a way that would be interesting and informative to viewers.
Delete2) What are some possible features of residual (or secondary) orality preserved in Voluspa according to the criteria Ong advances.
ReplyDeleteThere are many features of orality that have been preserved in Voluspa according to Ong’s criteria. Oral stories tend to adapt and change over time, especially when written down and prescribed into text and so, a result of that change in medium, features of the oral text change as well. A feature of orality that has been preserved in Voluspa would be the oral grammar featured in the written version of the text. Ong made the point that written text and spoken words (when written down) are grammatically and structurally different and that the act of recording spoken word into the written word is generally done to help organise oral ‘art’ (pg 16). In Voluspa, the verses all have clear pauses and intervals and the sentences are not necessarily complete, they only relay the important ideas. For example “then Bur’s sons lifted up the land/ and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling;/ the sun shone out of the south,/ and bright grass grew from the ground of stone.” One of the reasons for this structure and grammar difference could possibly be because orality relies a lot on memory if too much information is given at a time, the audience may forget the information, and thus the sentences are shorter and to the point. Also, the long breaks between sentences and statements help audiences digest what is being said. Whereas in the written word, generally, sentences look more complete, long and very detailed with punctuation and more formal grammar. Additionally, there are no gaps to indicate speech pauses because the written text is not intended to be spoken. As a result, there are clear visual differences as to how written words are recorded and how oral speech is translated when written; however, Voluspa has preserved much of its original grammatical structure.
Another one of Ong’s identified features of residual orality relates to the importance of proverbs and rhetoric. Ong stated that proverbs and rhetoric are important parts of speech and that those aspects of speech help enhance written word (pg 16). In Voluspa, while there is no clear example of a preserved proverb, there is evidence of rhetoric as Voluspa was originally orally delivered. Rhetoric is essentially the art of speaking and persuasion and ultimately helps a speaker gain the engagement of their listeners. Voluspa is written in the first person and addresses it’s listeners directly, for example: “Hear my words, you holy gods,/ great men and humble sons… /I’ll speak the ancient lore,/ the order of all that I remember.” So, already in the very first verse (and featured again throughout the entire text), the speaker is using rhetoric techniques, such as addressing their audience directly through the use of personal pronouns. That use of personal pronouns assists the speaker in building a relationship with whoever is listening. This relationship would allow the speaker to communicate information and the audience to engage more actively and listen to what is being orally delivered to them. So, there are quite a few features of secondary orality still preserved in Voluspa.
References:
Delete1) Ong, W. (1982). Orality and Literacy: the technologizing of the word. London: Methuen.
2) Terry, P. (trans). (1990). Voluspa. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Literatue/Desire blogposts
ReplyDeletePost 1 – Tolkien and Sword Art Online
How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
I want to start by talking about Tolkein, and how he drew inspiration from the Old Norse and Old English texts. Although we’ve already talked about this in class, I thought there were similarities between The Hobbit and Beowulf. Both stories have a dragon tormenting people and a hero fighting it. This might sound weird, but I also feel like the landscape is similar.
Tolkien got introduced to Norse mythology when he was quite young: he had begun reading the Völsungssaga as a boy, 4 and his fascination with the stories and legends of Scandinavia continued throughout his academic career. (Vaccaro and Kisor, p78)
No wonder he was so taken by Norse mythology.
We also have the rings of power in Lord of the Rings. For example, the Ring of Odin, magical of course and forged by dwarves. (Buckley, 2017)
Tolkein also named some of the swords wielded in his books (Andúril, Aragorn’s sword, Sting, Bilbo Baggins and Frodo, Ringil Fingolfin’s sword). It was normal to name swords in Norse mythology, the names wold tell the swords story. (Buckley, 2017)
Let us move back to the dragon. There are of course dragons in Norse mythology as well. A well know one would be Fafnir who were killed by Sigurd. Fafnir could have been an inspiration for Smaug, considering they both had a thing for god and shiny objects.
We’ve already talked about Gandalf being inspired by Odin, but Gandalf’s name is taken from the Völuspá:
12. Vigg and Gandalf | Vindalf, Thrain,
Thekk and Thorin, | Thror, Vit and Lit,
Nyr and Nyrath,– | now have I told–
Regin and Rathsvith– | the list aright.
Now as you might see there are other familiar names in that passage, in fact all of the dwarven names in The Hobbit are taken from Völuspá.
I think Tolkiens introduction to the Völuspá at such a young age is one of the main reasons why his work is so heavily influenced by Old Norse and Old English texts, he probably “lived” in that world, why would he not want to expand it?
Identify some recent films, tv shows and/or games which have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity.
Does anime count as a TV show? I sure hope so because that’s what I’m going to talk about (I was going to talk about Vikings but that would have been too wasy, right?). To be more specific I’m going to talk about the anime Sword Art Online (to be fair they’ve made games based on the series, so, I’m good, right?). I’ll give you a quick summary of the series for those of you who aren’t familiar with it.
The series are set to the year 2022 (we are getting there). Sword Art Online (SAO) is a virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG for short), where the player can control their character with their mind. This is all really cool until something goes wrong and the players are unable to log out. The players who are trapped need to defeat all the bosses in the game to be able to log out. If you die in the game, you’ll die in real life.
Our main character is Kazuto Kirigaya aka Kiriti, he meets Asuna, who he teams up with. They go on a epic quest together to beat all the bosses and escape the game.
What does this have to do with Norse gods and mythology? More then you think!
The series uses places from Norse Mythology such as Alfheim (the land of fairies), Nilfheim and Jotunheim. The series also evolves around Yggdrasil (the world tree), The Tree of Life.
We also meet characters from Norse mythology such as Thor and Thrym. Thor actually disguises himself as Freya, a Norse Goddess, to trick Thrym, which is something that actually happens in one of the Norse myths.
There are also speculations that the sword Excalibur is Sigurd’s sword, Gram, but I’m not convinced.
Although the series doesn’t bring back a lot of Norse gods, it still builds upon some of the Norse myths, which to me is fascinating and amusing.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI found the Almighty Johnsons while researching for this question myself and I really want to watch it!
Delete@linealonhoiden Highly recommend checking it out! It's great fun, especially love that they incorporate some of the old myths into the show too
Delete
ReplyDelete6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
What place do old myths have in the modern world? What an interesting question!
This question is often discussed. A symbolic human figure with its hand verve of the human pulse.
What will be the place of modern mythologies in our future?
Should we not embrace meaning instead of a vaster commercial culture?
These questions and more are pertinent to understanding our future, as our past recognizes who we are in the present.
In my experience mythology have an important place in the modern world.
Bryan N griffin from Jr quotes (Jr, 2019) from Parmacology
“Mythology is important for quite a few reasons. For one thing, it makes up a major part of anybody’s heritage.”
It is undeniable that the entertainment (as a diversion from wage slavery found in capitalism) provides a useful way to storytelling is an integral part of our psyche and ancient myths have an important part of that portion.
If the human experience could be symbolized to a single human mind, old myths would be an important part of the ocean in the vaster more unexplored subconscious.
As many are preoral tradition they were sanctified in a process of historical narrative and many are considered holy, and integral About our religious, mystical and spiritual past.
They are an integral part of the human psyche and allows us to under the vaster unspoken irrational subconscious important to our understanding of the universe.
In our modern world, we are drowned In action, activity, thinking
A world where we no longer sit to feel, explore our emotions and converse about our emotional state. Old mythologies are an outlet to explore such concepts(like music!) in more than just passing states.
Old Myths like a time machine allows us to return to such historical narrative and explore forgotten histories in a revised edition and fashion.
As is the use of story myths that allow us to lose ourselves in an oft fantastical and classical setting, they also teach us values, morals, ethics, ideas, approaches to problems and universal themes in a more accessible way.
They may seem ancient without stylized cartoony or CGI entertainment value but as denoted into upon the aforementioned pedestal, they are considered part of classical literature and integral part of the cosmic dance occurring that is the incarnated human expression
Bryan here agrees more here.
DeleteAnother reason mythology plays an important role is because it becomes a foundation for a lot of religions that are practiced. (Jr, 2019)
Within the section of “Myth is dead Long Live the Myth” article “the absence of the sacred” J Curcio (Curcio, 2017)
J Curcio argues that all of
Mythic Stories are a form of culture. They remind us that we are human and is a portal to understanding our collective Whanau’s history, be it western, eastern, indigenous they are recognized as an important part of collective selves.
Old Myths also allow us to honor and appreciate our (sometimes outdated and fantastical) in an anachronistic way to bring meaning to our selves in an often society and modern scenery bereft of spiritual and cultural meaning.
In their current incarnation through a prism of entertainment (which adds value and sometimes detracts from their holiness)
They also instill important cultural values (reverence, honoring the old)in an archetypical format of preoral stories.
Old Myths It also allows us to refer and understand our collective history from a frame more accessible in terms of desire and experience and understand such important concepts in a setting
They allow connecting with our ancient origins in a means and way that nothing else, in reality, is possible (Barring an invention of the time machine)
Such stories allow us to talk to our human vast subconscious, our inner limbic systems that nothing accessible in else in reality can.
It is a leftover from our days as humans where the subconscious was revelatory in our unique individual makeup.
They provide cultural backing and meaning in an over materialistic consumerist society lacking values and morals.
They provide backing to our unique counterpart and convey important morals to every new generation.
Historical/Religious Origins
For many of our lost sacred culture, myths are irrational means to understanding the universe through irrational means our earliest records of civilization Origin stories (as an example of an origin story)
Old myths, as origin stories also find an irrational means to describe our relationship with the universe in a mystical and often esoteric setting.
Personal experience
Growing up in New Zealand I immersed myself in many Indian myths found central in the Hindu pantheon, the great Pandeva’s during the civil war of The Mahabharata, the Gods of ancient India (an example of Old myths, and preoral tradition carried by mouth to mouth. Examples being Hanuman, Ganesha, Shiva, Parvathi etc…) and their interpersonal interplay.
Who were The Gods? Why did they lord over us?
We as a human may never know but we understand them through exploring their motives, actions, character, and their impact on us will be honored in times to come for millennia to come.
In closing to understand our future we must live in the present by honoring our past.
Since myths occupy that mystical place in our abstract universal mind .they remind us of our past, they teach is within the eternal moment of the present and they provide meaning to our future.
Bibliography
Curcio, J. (2017, March 25). Narrative Machines. Retrieved from Modern Mythology: https://modernmythology.net/myth-is-dead-long-live-myth-98806f4a6758
Jr, B. N. (2019, 02 01). Why Mythology Is Still Important Today. Retrieved from Parma Observer: http://www.parmaobserver.com/read/2013/02/01/why-mythology-is-still-important-today
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematize" the hero-myth of Beowulf?
DeleteTo problematize is defined as to show or make something that is an issue.
The film rendition of the Epic Poem, Beowulf problematizes the ancient epic hero myth through “demythificaztion”. I.e. recontextualizing the classical text into a post-modern mode/medium.
For indeed, the classical Beowulf (as one of the eldest of the mythological epics knows within English classical literature to man) the hero myth is not represented in its truest form within the vision of the film “Beowulf and Grendel”.
For many reasons that will be explained.
Firstly the means to carry the narrative into form (An western white male American-centric capitalistic exposition) is tainted and is created half measure at best.
Secondly: the characters are too plentiful, their roles squandered, their significance misused and misportrayed in the poor portrayal.
The usage of music which could have been used is on the most, unexciting and used in the minimal effect.
The pivotal movements of the film are not shot with correct usage of the medium for effect nor are they acted with convincing usage.
In comparison to something that received much acclaim, Lord Of The Rings trilogy, recasting JRR Tolkein’s mammoth monumental Epic (which finished filming just a paltry few years before - Return of the King was finished in 17th December 2003 and winning no less than 17 total Oscars), it is been poorly executed and has not well thought translated into the postmodern vision of a classical cinema fantasy epic.
It adds to the many heavyweights behind the long lost history of films trying to find and capitalize (used here in both literal and metaphorical terms) that attempt to “demythificaztion”. It attempts to do this poorly.
The result?
The film is sensationalize and made for such an audience, the remaining reverence utterly destroyed the memory of the epic mythological story in the names of crass mass capitalistic medium for consumer entity.
The film Beowulf and Grendel to stereotype it in a vastly crass, and does an incredible mythic disservice to the memory of, the culture of the ancient orality and integral cultural value to the text in terms of interculturality when compared to the film.
It portraya bleeds and seethes with lackluster, of understanding of the contextual texture of the narrative given within the walls and boundaries of the mythological epic.
Also, when translated the vital energy of the essence of the poem seems lost and not present.
This is why the myth has been problematized. Theissue is present as
The modernincarnation/ translation with it’s the transition from the poem to the screen: The medium is vastly different and has not been carried well.
Why The film did not work as a modern vehicle as to the aesthetics the graphical stylistics are not represented in honor of the work.
For example, When beewolf is asked during the film “ What is it like being a hero?” simply for the sake of the western male audience is cringeworthy. is an exemplification ofthe Americanisationof theme for sole entertainment value. There would be no such lingo in the original text! The text is not for entertainment! The hero myth is destroyed for poor violence and sex!
Maybe due to its origins is impossible to migrate (at least in a stylistic/narrative sense) translate to the silver screen (as it’s original historical scribe is so vastly unknown)
DeleteThe worst resulting point is that the memory of the vast uncultured and uneducated of the newer generation will(Whose memory) will remember the names Beowulf and Grendel will be remembered in modern dissatisfaction, a great disservice to the grandness of the epic poem.
In this way, I feel that the Beowulf and Grendel film has problematized the film, wherein the original version is free, open for interoperation. The Director’s response? Release a documentary on how difficult it was to make.
If LOTR and the Hobbit were, perhaps, the exemplars of towering narratives to be transposed to the big screen, perhaps there was a better way to find means and path to translate the epic to form?
In this modern revision, supposed to reinvent, recharacterize and re-imagine the epic poem, from a preoral source to a literary reimplementation the story, narrative into a different means of a medium?
In closing, I feel the Beowulf and Grendel try to portray the epic and (in most cases, the majority fails) to capture it’s the primal essence of the epic nature of the mythological poem.
Perhaps as we,the perpetual audience of the text, will never know who the authorship of the original text his/her opinion of the modern version but we can always take hope that any future version tries to revere the roles, characters, themes and stories in a more honorable sense.
….We shall probably never know…
Hi Everyone
DeleteHi Guys! This is a testing images/videos/links for blogger.
I used to code HTML and CSS until I learned how to make some basic HTML tags for WordPress tags (i just refreshed my mind)
This isn’t the easiest thing to learn but I think you guys would make better posts!
If you want to do any of these you need some basic HTML understanding. The interface is essentially an HTML backed interface.
This is a test run I hope all these functionalities work!
1. Images
For images with a link, you need to do the following
a. if you go to this website and then scroll down to "images on another server" you can figure it out!
Images on another server
2.Videos
https://youtu.be/8jm_56vtUhM
I tried my best to try and figure out how to link a youtube video without using the I frame tag and proper size but (its next tot impossible!) but I came up empty. maybe one of you can figure it out!
3.HTML website links
For creating image links (like for references) to other websites you need to input the following code
To get the image to work u need to find the link for where the image is housed (i.e. click on the image and click “copy image address”
Where “image link” is the text you want to display for the image link to be shown for you to click the link
the result should look something like this on this page
HTML linking
Click the small logo to go to the AUT homepage
if you guys need more help with HTML there's a great site called w3schools is a good place to go W3_Schools
I hope this helps you write and make better blogs!
Have a great weekend!
Shan
p.s. for some reason "https", "img" and "iframe" tags are not allowed on blogger!
Great. Blogger is so old the video links and image links won't work. sorry guys! we need to migrate to word press. there's no more support for blogger actually there on the website and its going to be retired. Mike if you read this can you talk to faculty? wordpress is much better!
Delete6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
DeleteI think that mythology is essential when trying to grasp better understanding of religions and cultures. I think that old myths are still as important as ever because like you mentioned they not only allow us to appreciate ourselves whether that be spiritually or culturally but also help us connect to ancient origins and history even if that be irrational or not. I really enjoyed reading your post Shan!! Old myths are definitely something that can bring historical stories of life that are exciting and fascinating to learn about and a great addition to helping our imaginations fly.
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ReplyDeleteWhat genres do the following texts belong to? Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings.
ReplyDeleteEach of the provided texts I believe are under the Fantasy category of genres. The first text that I will be focusing on is the poem Voluspa from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Reading through this poem, there are numerous mentions of gods names and different mythological aspects. The genre I believe this poem belongs to is “fantasy” and it is set in a fictional universe often inspired by world myths and folklores. The title Voluspa (The Song of the Volva) is the first that caught my attention, the term volva is a woman with the ability to foresee future occurrences, another term for Volva would be “Seeress”. In the text, the Volva calls out to the holy gods or the Aesirs, the term “Aesirs” is from Norse mythology. They are the main group of gods from Norse mythology who were responsible in the creation of the world (Thornews, 2017). Some gods from Norse mythology are mentioned in the text; Heimdall, the god who possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn, Odin the god of wisdom and king of Asgard and Thor, the god of thunder and the son of Odin. Another text that is under “fantasy” would be Volsunga Saga, as the main focus of characters are also from the Norse mythology, where the character Sigi is the son of the Norse god Odin.
The text Beowulf: a new translation. Heaney, S. (Trans). (1999). I believe is under fable genre as well as historical fiction, the reason behind it being under the fable genre is because fable is a literary genre that features animals, legendary creatures, plants and inanimate objects. In the Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf comes across different creatures, he first deal with the monster Grendel as well as a dragon that has terrorised his realm. Whereas being under the historical fiction genre, would be because the poem is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf was the hero of the Geats; the Geats were a North Germanic tribe. And the character Hrothgar is portrayed in medieval sources as a Danish king living around the early sixth century.
The two remaining texts The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings are included under the high fantasy genre, this is because high fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting in an imaginary world or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot. J.R.R Tolkien wrote a modern classic that uses complex details to take readers to a fantasy world. In this world, there are strange wild beasts, unlimited amount of danger, new acquaintances as well as temptation (Essays, UK. 2018). All these texts are under fantasy, texts that takes their reader to an adventure and in discovery of a different world. Dealing with different challenges and overcoming them, the texts fits the quest pattern and conveys the fantasy genre’s purpose from beginning to the end.
References
Thornews. (2017). The twelve most important gods in Norse mythology. Ancient Origins. Retrieved from https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/twelve-most-important-gods-norse-mythology-009013
Essays, UK. (November 2018). The fantasy world of The Hobbit. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/the-fantasy-world-of-the-hobbit-english-literature-essay.php
1.
ReplyDeleteVoluspa (Song of the Sibyl) is a mythology poem; it relates to Odin (god) rather than heroes. It is shown in the poem “ you holy gods”, and “Odin’s will” (Terry, 2990, 1996). It tells the stories of the beginning to the end of the world, Odin, his brother create the world and human beings. The poem reconstructed Old Norse, is the first and best-known poem of the Poetic Edda. It could be a good source for studying Norse mythology.
Volsunga Saga is a heroic, folklore saga. It was the story of love, betrayal, adventure and tragedy, expanding over several generations. It exploits of a hero of a family “Speak, Fafnir, and say, if thou art so exceeding wise, who are the Norms who rule a lot of all mother’s sons.” (Morris and Magnussun, 1888).
Beowulf is an Old English epic genre. Some of its themes have Norse mythology but primarily an epic rather than a mythological poem. The story is about Beowulf how he protects his kingdom for fifty years before he meets his fate was killed by the dragon. “ I risked my life often when I was young, Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning if the evil one will only abandon his earth-forth and face me in the open.” (Heaney, 1999).
The Hobbit and the Lord of the rings are an epic fantasy genre for children; it is based on Old North. It is also known as juvenile fantasy. Tolkien’s stories are fantasy stories invent new worlds and new creatures such as powerful ring, elf, dragon, goblet, and a dwarf named Bilbo Baggins. “ The dragon was circling back, flying low” (Tolkien, 1997, 1937) in The Hobbit.
Reference:
Mountfort, P. (2020). Lit&Desire_1-3a.ppt [PowerPoint slide]. ENGL600¬_2020_01 (Literature/Desire(s1,2020). Retrieved from http://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/
Mountfort, P. (2020). Lit&Desire_1-3b.ppt [PowerPoint slide]. ENGL600¬_2020_01 (Literature/Desire(s1,2020). Retrieved from http://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The Hobbit. London: HarperCollins
Terry, P. (trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin.
Morris, W., & Magnussun, E. (Trans.) (1888). The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga). London: Walter Scott Press.
4.
Tolkien worked as a research associate and detailing etymologies at the Oxford English Dictionary. Therefore, he has knowledge and awareness of the more full significant that lies beyond the surface of words. Tolkien has a comprehensive understanding of multiple Indo-Europe languages such as Old North, Old English, old high German, and several others. He uses Old Norse and Old English text in Lord of the rings and the Hobbit to portray the atmosphere and a deeper understanding of a character's personality, status and morality.
The Old North cognate of smeag is smaug, which is the past tense of the verb smujuga, "to creep through an opening", (Ellen, 2013, 2014, p.23) which Tolkien used for the name of his dragon in The Hobbit.
Tolkien wishes to bring out "the Englishry of this jewel among the hobbits" and felt he " should have given all the Hobbits very English names to match the shire" (Ellen, 2013, 2014, p.25) and its representation of England.
The word (OE) frod meaning wise, prudent, already using its Old English form for Frodo. Frodo's name creates an ambiguity concerning his moral character.
There is a possible Ole English derivation that could form the name of Saruman. That can consider Tolkien's linguistic play with personal names to have a link with a character's sense of morality.
Reference:
Ellen, F. (2013, 2014). An analysis of Tolkien’s use of Old English language to create the
personal names of key characters in The Lord of the Rings and the
significance of these linguistic choices in regards to character
development and the discussion of humanity in the novel more
widely. Retrieved from https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/documents/innervate/13-14/02-ellen-fisher-q33407-pp-21-34.pdf
I enjoyed reading your text, though I do not agree that the Lord of the Rings are books aimed for children. The rings of power are also taken from Norse mythology and elves, dwarfs, and dragons are also taken from other sources. You can find a lot of information on Tolkien and how he created his world online. I could also recommend you a podcast if you are interested in knowing more about it.
Deletetks linea :)
DeleteWhat are some possible features of residual (or “secondary”) orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
ReplyDeleteOng’s (1982) criteria is founded first of all upon the fact that in order for the written word to exist the spoken word must precede it, “Oral expression can exist and mostly has existed without any writing at all, writing never without orality.” (pg. 16 ). In short there is an inherent orality to any written text, but the Völuspá is particularly meant to be spoken more than it is meant to be read. Ong also holds that even sign language is simply a substitute for sound, citing several (Kroeber 1972; Mallery 1972; Stokoe 1972) but that is a discussion outside the scope of this question.
It is also important to note that the Völuspá is at heart a poem, written with measured phrases and with the sound, although much of the music may be lost in translation. It is difficult to judge this without knowledge of the language. Nevertheless, poetry is an oral medium at heart, although there are some challenges outside the scope of this question, such as the existence of ergodic poems. However, poems such as the Völuspá were originally oral and this is reflected in their structure. The poetic nature of the text also assists in memorizing it. While the Scandinavian people of 9th-13th century had runes to document stories for prosperity the way they would be disseminated to the general populace is through oral storytelling, their primary way of recording history, myth and legend.
Another feature of residual orality is the direct address to an audience of mortal men as well as the gods above, indicating the Völuspá was part of a communal and/or religious experience. “Hear my words, / you holy gods, great men and humble /sons of Heimdall; by Odin’s will, /I’ll speak the ancient lore, the oldest of all/ that I remember.” (Völuspá, p. 1). Several other oral poems that have served as the foundation of the Western Canon open with a similar direct address to either the audience or the gods, as a preamble to the rest of the story by describing the broad topic of the poem. In the Iliad and The Odyssey the speaker implores the muse (Greek goddesses of literature, science and the arts) to grant them the knowledge and ability to tell the poems and stories through them, suggesting that these performances were seen as a direct interaction with the gods and their struggles. The Iliad opens with the lines, “Declare, O Muse! in what ill-fated hour/Sprung the fierce strife, from what offended power” and The Odyssey, “Tell me, muse, the story of that resourceful man…”. Similarly, The Aeneid’s speaker announces, “I sing of arms and of the man, fated to be an exile, who long since left the land of Troy…” This shows the texts are concerned with rhetoric, which in its ancient Greek form referred to the idea of “speech art” – public performance in which the speaker engaged and attempted to persuade or entertain the audience, although later the term would be associated specifically with the written word (Ong, p. 16).
References
Homer. (2009). The Iliad of Homer. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/6130/old/6130-pdf.pdf
Homer. (2003). The Odyssey (Rieu, E.V., trans). Penguin Group.
Ong, W. (1982) Orality and Literacy: the technologizing of the word. London: Methuen. p.1-15
Virgil. (2003). The Aeneid. (West, D., trans). Penguin Group.
Völuspá, from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
6. Identify some recent films, TV shows and/or games that have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteThe God of War series began with the first game which released in 2005. God of War is a series of action games that are all based in ancient mythology and center around the series’ protagonist Kratos. The first seven games were based on Greek mythology and saw Kratos face off against the pantheon of Olympian gods, while the newest entry in the series set several decades after God of War III is based on Norse mythology and features an aged Kratos along with his son Atreus. God of War (2018) prominently features several old gods in its story that are present in Norse mythology. More gods are also mentioned, although not present throughout the events of the game they are given a vast amount of backstory and their presence in the world is still felt. Namely, perhaps the two most popular Norse gods, Thor and Odin, are not seen throughout the game’s story. Rather the game tells the tales of the Norse gods mainly in two ways, through Mimir’s tales and the Jotnar shrines which relay information about the gods and world as told by the giants.
The game stays very true to Norse mythology for the most part but where a lot of its changes lie is with the gods it brings into the main story. Perhaps the biggest change is with Baldur, the game’s main antagonist who is expanded from someone who does not have much presence in the Eddas into a much more important character in the world and is portrayed more villainous. Most of his story remains true to the Eddas but he now has strong resentment towards his mother, Freya. His death is also changed but still in line with the Eddas, originally Baldur’s death came from the mistletoe spear which Hodr unknowingly threw at Baldur killing him on the spot. In God of War (2018) the mistletoe only allows Baldur to feel again removing the spell Freya placed upon him, his death instead comes from Kratos who breaks his neck. Magni and Modi are two other gods whose end is changed from Norse mythology as they are two of the gods said to survive Ragnarok, in the game they are killed by Kratos and Atreus. This drastic change is mentioned in the story as Mimir says that there will be grave consequences for Kratos in the future.
Another example of a game that brings back an old hero for a modern audience is the fighting game Skullgirls as one of the playable characters is none other than a reinterpretation of Beowulf. This portrayal of Beowulf has the same backstory as in the Old English epic poem with him killing the character Grendel and his enraged mother but instead of being a hero and later king he is portrayed as a legendary wrestler. The sword named Hrunting Beowulf uses in the epic poem is also referenced in Skullgirls with the “Hurting” an ordinary chair that is one of Beowulf’s weapons.
I believe that the place these old myths hold in the modern world is one that allows us to learn from these old stories and create modern interpretations/adaptations of the old gods and heroes present in them. We and can choose to be faithful in adapting them or give an entirely new interpretation of the gods and heroes for a modern audience.
DeleteReferences:
Santa Monica Studio. (2018). God of War. Los Angeles, CA: Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Reverge Labs. (2012). Skullgirls. New York. Autumn Games.
What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteFor thousands of years, human beings have created and passed down oral stories. The stories of our ancestors have shaped the entire world. These oral stories turned into myths. Myths have greatly impacted religion, culture, art, family, and values. Although myths are very powerful, they do not have the same impact on society as they did hundreds of years ago. Today, myths are considered a figment of one's imagination. Praising supernatural beliefs and/or behaviours is perceived as ludicrous since they are mainly associated with fiction tales. The creatures and magic within old myths provide media with storylines for entertainment. However, the underlying “lesson” behind old myths still serves a large purpose in today’s world. The fantasy of the myth captivates the listener/viewer allowing them to resonate with the lesson. I will use Beowulf as an example. In modern day, society would not fear the possibility of a vicious dragon coming to destroy cities around the world, but they would read the story of Beowulf and develop a desire to have courage and loyalty.
Identify some recent films, tv shows and/or games which have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity.
Hollywood film producers have incorporated the incredible stories of the old gods and heroes from obscurity into modern media. I am not sure how genuine the films are to the tales of Norse mythology, but a recent example of this is the Thor quadrilogy. Thor is one of most popular Norse gods.
What Place do the Old Myths have in the Modern World?
ReplyDeleteThe old myths, such as Beowulf, have a significant place in society today. Beowulf is an epic poem which describes the story of a brave warrior travelling to a foreign land to slay a beast for a king in exchange for fame and fortune. The influence of old myths can be seen in many popular modern fantasy novels, films and video games.
The fantasy genre especially appears to have been greatly influenced by Beowulf and other myths. Fantasy seems to be increasingly popular currently due to the successes of the screen adaptations of Game of Thrones and The Lord of The Rings series; of which the third in the series, the Return of the King, earned $1.1 billion US dollars at the box office in 2004. The narrative of warriors, dragons, princesses, kingdoms and magic have been adopted and adapted over the years and have influenced a multitude of stories. An example of this can be seen in The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien in which the dragon, Smaug, was woken by Bilbo attempting to steal its treasure. This scene closely resembles that of Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon.
The common themes of brotherhood and good versus evil, are prevalent in both Beowulf and also in a number of contemporary stories. These themes seem to provoke a primal response that connects with the audience; we want to create bonds with those around us and defeat anything that may threaten our group (Gulley, 2014). I think the prominence of these two themes in Beowulf is the main reason it has connected with readers over hundreds of years and to this day and why so much inspiration is taken from it in modern stories. This concept has been reproduced numerous times in various mediums, so much so that the popular 2001 Dreamworks computer animation Shrek has been suggested to have been produced to mock it.
However, the story has been reproduced so many times because it has proven to be popular! As people, we tend to aspire to be courageous, with the ability to overcome any obstacle and receiving a substantial rewarded for our efforts (Halverson, 1969). Although the hero may have changed over the centuries; warrior, sea captain, cowboy and even superheroes, the story, and how it connects with us, appears to have remained stable.
Beowulf and other old myths do not just have a place in the modern world, they are, in a way, the modern world! So much has been taken from them directly, in the case of the Hobbit, and indirectly through themes, arcs, and characters. Modern stories have evolved from myths just as we have grown in society; meaning myths forever form the basis of our lives and culture in this world.
References
Gulley, A. (2014). “What We Need is a Hero”: Beowulf in a Post-9/11 World. Journal of Popular Culture, 47(4), 800. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.12161
Halverson, J. (1969). The World of Beowulf. ELH, 36(4), 593-608. https://doi.org/10.2307/2872097
I completely agree with your analysis! Making connection with other people and the general idea of good defeating evil is such a popular and universal theme.
DeleteWhat place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteWhen you google the word ‘myth’ one of the first definitions to pop up is “a widely held but false belief or idea.” Many other defining characteristics of a myth denote a supernatural origin, and many old myths seem to still influence the modern world based on the fear or desire they cultivate.
These old myths can hold a place in the modern world by being passed down from generation to generation, stories that are given a new form that still retain the roots of the legends that once existed. After a look through famous myths from different cultures, two predominantly held my interest. The first one is the Greek myth following the tale of Persephone. The story follows that Hades, God of the underworld saw Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and became enamored by her. While there are various retellings, the following events can be agreed on. Persephone was with the nymphs while Demeter was doing her duties towards the land as goddess of harvest. As she saw a beautiful flower, Persephone went away from the nymphs and while she bent to pick it up, the earth split open and Hades emerged to take her underworld and have her be his bride. Demeter, furious at finding this out, demanded Persephone return to Mt Olympus. Persephone ate a few pomegranate seeds from the underworld which tied her there and struck a deal so that 6 months of a year she would stay with Demeter with the rest of the gods and the other 6 months with Hades in the underworld. This in turn was passed down as the legend behind the changing seasons, for during the time in which Persephone would stay with Demeter, the earth would harvest and flourish (spring and summer), whereas when she went to the underworld, Demeter would neglect her duties and the earth would be barren and fail to yield crops (autumn and winter).
The second myth is the widely known Hindu myth (or real event) of Lord Ram. Basically, Ram was the son of a king who everyone adored and was expected to take the throne after his father. His stepmother Kaikeyi is furious that her son Bharat was not going to be king. She orders Ram to go in exile with his wife for 14 years in the hopes that Bharat will ascend to the throne, but derailing her plans Laxman, Kaikeyi’s younger son who adores Ram, follows his brother to exile where they live in a forest. Famously, as is known, Rams wife Sita encounters Ravan who was known to be the smartest man with the brain of ten people (also king of what’s now called Sri Lanka) and he tries to cross a boundary line to get to her. This event was named Sita Haran, she was kidnapped by Ravan and later saved by Ram, Laxman and Hanuman. The significance of the Ramayana in today’s day and age is the same as it was in the ancient times. The text preached love and peace and endurance. It showcased the importance of family and the deference of society.
Continued...
Popular mythology most people are familiar with is Norse mythology. Norse mythology is derived from Scandinavian mythology or Germanic mythology. It usually centers around gods, heroes and beings that have powers. A really common example of this would be the Norse God Thor. The legend of Thor has been adapted in mainstream media with the help of comic books, movies like the Thor and Avengers series. Another example is The Hobbit by J. R. R Tolkien. It is said that 'the author's scholarly knowledge of Germanic philology and interest in mythology and fairy tales are often noted as influences.' He wrote The Hobbit and then to follow along the story he then wrote the Lord of The Rings. The importance of these texts/ movies in modern day are mainly to do with culture and to see how our culture has transformed and evolved from the viking age the Norse myths were set in. The beliefs of the people then and the importance given to the myths of the gods helps us understand the thinking and mindset then vs now.
DeleteJohnson, B. L. (2012). The Hobbit as a Product of the Old Norse Imagination. Academia. edu.
The purpose of these myths in today’s world is in the teachings/ lessons they offer. The myth of Persephone formed the basis of what the ancient Greeks believed to be the explanation for the changing seasons, they saw the wrath Demeter displayed when separated from family and the love Hades had in letting Persephone go away from him for half a year. This myth became one we associated with our external environment, the growth and nurturing of crops a metaphor for the growth and nurturing we could be inspired by and use in our own lives. The purpose of the Ramayana was more internal, where feelings of prosperity and acceptance would rise within ourselves if we allowed ourselves to be connected to our feelings, our instincts, our family and more widely, our society. Another aspect that can be taken into consideration in modern times is if you view the myths through a feminist lens. The loss and heartbreak Demeter experiences at the separation of her daughter, Persephone being abducted and forced into a marriage and Sita being harassed as the consequences of someone else’s actions are themes that can still be seen to this today, which is why perhaps these stories still exist. In a place where even gods/ goddesses had no control over their life (i.e. Zeus agreeing to Hades marrying Persephone even though Persephone didn’t know him, Sita being kidnapped), many people viewing the text could probably relate on the underlying themes. Instead of the literal ideas of being kidnapped and ruining the crops, feelings of despair could arise from being unheard, being part of a patriarchal society and being blamed for someone else’s wrongdoings. In today’s society thankfully this is not as widespread, but emotions can vary and these myths can either influence and empower or oppress people.
ReplyDeleteThese myths have had several various retellings throughout years and the core remains the same. A lesson for us to grow and understand from our past.
References
Kay, J. C. M. (2006). Aspects of the Demeter/Persephone myth in modern fiction (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch).
Paleti, N. R. (2015). RELEVANCE OF RAMAYANA TO MODERN LIFE. Editorial Board, 4(2), 90.
Spitz, E. H. (1990). Mothers and daughters: Ancient and modern myths. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 48(4), 411-420.
What Place Do the Old Myths Have in The Modern World?
ReplyDeleteThe old myths hold a very important place in our modern world. I believe the answer to
this question is twofold. One half being practical and pop culture driven and one
being psychological, and morality based. However, I also believe those two points
to be very interlinked.
By “practical and pop culture driven” I mean that we tend to see trends in media and
literature over time. The rise and fall of the Westerns, the decline of the big movie
musical, the shift in focus away from futuristic media to the nostalgia of the 70s and 80s.
The relevance of the old myths also plays into this rule of trends. However, I do believe
they are slightly more special then the examples I have outlined, and I will explain this in
the latter part of this examination.
In the last 20 years we have seen a steady rise in the influence and incorporation of old
myths into our modern video games, movies and literature. The publication of the Percy
Jackson books reintroduced a whole generation to the Greek Gods. The new
immersive Nordic video game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has gained a large fanbase.
The Lord of The Rings are a massive phenomenon. There is a market currently for
mythic based media. As with any trend there is a reason behind the demand. I believe
this is because, in a time of constant bad news, war, political conflict and hate,
constantly bombarding our timelines, we need an escape.
Nothing does escapism like the ancient myths and legends. Not only is it far removed from our lives, it also has similarities. “All mythology speaks of another plane that exists alongside our own world, and that in some sense supports it” (Armstrong, 2005). Those characters too are
dealing with war, political conflict and so on, just at a different time. But, importantly,
through them we can imagine doing something about it. Being able to affect the change
we want to see. Like little Frodo, on his quest to save Middle earth, one step at a time.
There is a reason Beowulf is still discussed, referenced and taught after all this time.
Although old they are still ingrained and relevant in our collective psyche. As one game
developer said, “I believe that classic literature, myths, and legends endure because
they are a reflection of something deeply embedded in our collective consciousness”
(Perry, 2006).
Which brings me to my second point, “psychological, and morality-based". Myths are big
stories about the big questions. The tales are examinations of the human condition. Though history people have taken the myths and applied them to their own lives. We tend to see them almost like a guide on navigating our personal issues, Which is deeply human. “The myths that construct our ideas and way of thinking about our immediate social life are intrinsic to the way in which we operate as social beings.” (Reid, 2007).
Some problems are too big to understand on our own, no matter how technologically advanced we are. As people, we still look for answers to our biggest uncertainties, and the old myths are one of the most important prisms through which we examine ourselves. “If Beowulf can defeat the monsters, I can defeat my depression” or “If Bilbo can walk out his door and go on an unexpected journey, I can overcome my anxieties.” So many lessons can be learnt from the tales, and we are
still reading them, examining them, in search of answers.
The myths are subject to trends as much as any other concept. We may see a decline
is relevance in the years to come. However, I do not think they will ever vanish completely. They are deeply a part of us.
Reference List-
Reid, J (2007) Mythological Representation in Popular Culture Today.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02500160701685425
Armstrong, K (2005) A Short History of Myth.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4992705
Perry, D.C. (2006). The Influence of Literature and Myth in Videogames.
https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/18/the-influence-of-literature-and-myth-in-
videogames
1. What genres do the following texts belong to and how do their intended period contexts, purposes and intended audiences differ?
ReplyDeleteVöluspá is a mythological poem. As defined by Literary Devices (2020), a mythological poem is a story or tale that concerns an event in the life of deities or demigods which explains some form of practice, rite of passage or phenomenon of nature. Völuspá encompasses this definition. A tale of a Seeress who foretells the creation and existence of the world and life itself, “Then Bur’s sons lifted up the land / and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling.” (Terry, P. 1990, 1966, p. 1). She also foretells the world’s inevitable destruction as well as its final rebirth, “The sun turns black, the earth sinks below the sea, / no bright star now shines from the heavens… She sees the earth rising again / out of the waters, green once more.” (Terry, P. 1990, 1966, p. 3).
The purpose of Völuspá was a means of explaining the origins and existence of the world to those listening or reading the tale, informing these people of the end of the world and to watch for the warning signs of that coming end. (Gay. D. E., 2015).
However, it is unclear how much of the poem has mutated between the two hundred hears between its composition and its first recorded telling. While clearly a product of heathendom there is also clear evidence of Christian influence, made possible by the Norsemen’s interactions and close contact with the Celtic races whom had already been converted to Christianity upon the writing of Völuspá. (Bellows, H., 2007).
Völsunga Saga is a legendary saga or fornaldarsögur, a Norse saga that unlike Völuspá which details the tales of mythology in relation to gods, instead tells the tales of heroes. In this case the story of Sigurd or Sigurðr and his slaying of the dragon Fafnir, “Sigurd neither trembled nor was adrad at the roaring of him. So whenas the worm crept over the pits, Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts.” (Morris, W. and Magnussun, E., 1888).
The purpose of this story potentially relates to the telling of how Sigurd obtained Fafnir’s hoard of wealth and how the slaying of the dragon earned Sigurd immense prestige and glory in the eyes of his kinsmen, “Smite him into the heart, and so do him to death, and win thee great fame thereby.” (Morris, W. and Magnussun, E., 1888). Thus, encouraging the listeners or the readers of the tale to earn renown and glory through extreme acts or feats of bravery and heroism.
Beowulf is an epic poem, a long narrative poem that tells the tales of exceptional and remarkable men and women who interact with gods or other supernatural beings and forces, (Meyer, M., 2013) as seen in the telling of Beowulf and the slaying of the dragon. “The fire-dragon had raised the coastal region and reduced forts and earthworks to dust and ashes, so the war-king planned and plotted his revenge.” (Heaney, S., 1999).
While there are no definitive answers for the purpose, the tales of Beowulf would have been carried across the country and spoken at social gatherings, making its primary purpose to entertain those who listened to the story. However, there would have been a second purpose, those who were entertained by the tales of Beowulf were simultaneously being taught the values of a warrior, to be loyal and to show bravery and heroism in the face of great adversary. Beowulf would have been presented as an inspiring figurehead to which all warriors and noblemen should aspire to. (Morrison, D., 2012).
Tolkien’s works such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings specifically are epic fantasy or high fantasy. Defined as fantasy fiction set within an entirely fictional world that could not exist within our own. Though the Hobbit is technically classed as Children’s fantasy, Tolkien’s works can also be classified as High Mythology due to its extensive material as seen with the tales of hobbits, dwarfs and specifically the tale of heroes standing steadfast against the attack of a dragons.
DeleteAt the twanging of the bows and the shrilling of the trumpets the dragon's wrath blazed to its height, till he was blind and mad with it. No one had dared to give battle to him for many an age; nor would they have dared now, if it had not been for the grim-voiced man (Bard was his name), who ran to and fro cheering on the archers and urging the Master to order them to fight to the last arrow. (Tolkien, 1997,1937).
While it is evident that Tolkien’s works were written to entertain readers of various generations his published commentary on the Old English poem Beowulf seems to suggest that Tolkien saw his writing of high mythology as a means of reconstructing the long-lost English Mythology. (Cook. S.J, 2018).
2. Identify recent films, tv shows and games which have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
The use of Norse Mythology in recent popular culture, both in retellings or new interpretations and creative texts that are influenced or inspired by Norse Mythology is extensive with such examples in written novelizations like Neil Gaimen’s American Gods, that shows Odin as Mr Wednesday (Gaiman, N., 2001.) and Rick Riordan’s young adult series, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Riordan, R., 2015.). They are also seen in Marvel, with Thor portrayed as interdimensional alien from outer space (Lee, S., 1962.) and in television we see an Archangel, Gabriel, masquerading as the Trickster god Loki (Kripke, E., 2007). Norse Mythology is portrayed even in gaming, mentioned already by Dylan, there’s Sony’s God of War: The Lost Pages of Norse Myth (Sophos, M., 2018.) which is the fourth instalment of a series and the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Pagliarulo, E., 2011.) that is heavily influenced by Norse Mythology though we do not see representations of the gods themselves.
DeleteAs far as New Zealand media content, the Almighty Johnsons stands as a revitalization of Norse mythology through a contemporary lens. The Almighty Johnsons is a fantasy comedy and drama series hosted in a fictional magical realism setting in which the Norse gods are reincarnated within the mortal bodies of a New Zealand Pākehā family. In order to restore the full might of their godly powers, they must find Frigg, thus hilarity and angst ensues.
Despite Kiwi humour often being on the receiving end of confusion and bewilderment (Thornber, L. 2019), the Almighty Johnsons has a "100% fresh" critics rating at Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% Average audience score despite the series being cancelled after three seasons. “Fans in Canada and the United Kingdom love the Johnsons and are as gutted as we are that it's not coming back.” Said Mike Kilpatrick in a 2013 article in a tagline stating, “Unceremonious dismissal: The Almighty Johnsons have been axed after three seasons.” (Kilpatrick, M. 2013).
It’s a wonder how myths, legends and folklore can still be relevant in today’s modern age of technology and advanced science but The Almighty Johnsons manages to revitalize the Norse gods in a way that is unique to New Zealand media and completely separate from Hollywoods glamorization and hardcore special effects. Its Norse Mythology told by Kiwi’s for Kiwi’s. Beyond the Almighty Johnsons being a light fantasy comedy targeted at young audiences, what place do these myths have on the modern world? Other than touching on the migration of Pākehā to New Zealand and how the stories of Norse Mythology, Old English Epics and legendary tales came with them, mythology brings with it a unification. Roald E. Kristiansen, associate professor at the Department of History and Religious Studies at the University of Tromsø, said, “It feels important to create unity and a national identity. There is a desire to create a future by looking back on past ideals.” (Madsen, L., 2012).
References
Bellows, H. (2007). The poetic Edda: the heroic poems. Dover Publications Inc.
Cook. S.J. (2018). Tolkien’s English Mythology. Retrieved from, https://thehistoryvault.co.uk/tolkiens-english-mythology/
Gay. D. E. (2015) Review: The Nordic apocalypse: Approaches to Völuspa and Nordic days of judgement. Retrieved from, http://www.indiana.edu/~jfr/review.php?id=1785
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin.
Kilpatrick, M. (2013). The death of the almighty Johnsons. Retrieved from, http://www.stuff.co.nz/editors-picks/9504125/The-death-of-the-Almighty-Johnsons
Meyer, M. (2013). The Bedford introduction to literature: Reading, thinking, writing. Bedford/St. Martin's; Tenth edition.
Morris, W. and Magnussun, E. (1888). The story of the Volsungs. London: Walter Scott Press
Morrison, D. (2012). What is the purpose of Beowulf? Not tody, but for the Anglo-Saxon people. Enotes https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-purpose-beowolf-372413.
Terry, P. (trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the elder edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1993;1954). The lord of the rings: The two towers. London, HarperCollins.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The hobbit. London: HarperCollins.
Thornber, L. (2019). Is Kiwi humour really totally weird?. Retrieved from https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/kiwi-traveller/115679899/is-kiwi-humour-really-totally-weird
How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, one of the ways Tolkien drew on factors of Old Norse and Old english in his texts of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings novels was through the use of how he picked out names for his characters; and this was done from something as simple as the use of most non-english names, particularly of the Dwarves have been pulled out or heavily inspired from the Völuspá. His use of these names made for concrete means of distinctive character identity factors reflecting their personality on the basis of that.“The Dvergatal (“Reckoning of dwarfs”) is a list of dwarf names of Northern mythology, in which Tolkien picked up the names of the members of Thorin’s company. The Dvergatal is a part of the Vǫluspá (“Prophecy of the Seeress”),”("Glǽmscrafu - Dvergatal," n.d.)
For instance, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the plot follows the quest where all the races of Middle earth unite in order to destroy the Ring of Power. The Ring ends up being in the possession of the hobbit Frodo Baggins. The name Frodo, derives from Old English, - frōd which means wise, prudent (Sweet, 1897, p. 68). Nevertheless, the “material ownership” of the Ring reaches out to epitomize his obligation in bearing it all through the journey (Fisher, 2014, p. 22). Therefore emphasizing on his “wisdom”. Being wise typically implies having a precise sense of judgment which more or so is acquired through knowledge and experience. Asides from this, Tolkein borrowed a variety of storylines and concepts for his own content that he intended to produce. For instance the Shieldmaiden from the Lord of The Rings.
However, when looking at Old Norse and English texts for concrete comparison another way that Tolkein draws on inspiration from Old Norse is through the use of context involving the factor of the hero always killing the dragon in The Hobbit, as well as the Lord of the rings. In the Voluspa, Thor is seen encountering Jörmungandr (also known as Midgard), a serpent, but the dragon equivalent. They both come across each other several times and represent a very distinctive attitude of rivalry with the means of factors such as culture, nature, order and chaos (Shau, 2018). An example of this is given in the Voluspa when “Far-famed Thor, the son of Earth, the son of Odin, goes forth to fight the Snake. Midgard’s defender dies triumphant, but the human race no longer has a home: nine steps beyond the Serpent’s body, Thor, wounded, walks in pride” (Terry, 1966). - When comparing this to Tolkeins Hobbit, the evidence of the content is that: “Bard drew his bow-string to his ear. The dragon was circling back, flying low, and as he came the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his great wings. "Arrow!" said the bowman. "Black arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I had you from my father and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the Mountain, go now and speed well!" (Tolkien,1997; 1937). And if comparing this in regards to the context used in the Hobbit movie from a different point of view goes as follows: “It was Bard! He killed the dragon! I saw it with me own eyes. He brought the beast down. Struck him dead with a Black Arrow!” ("Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - 'Will you follow me, one last time?'," 2019).
One other way that Tolkein drew influences from these old texts was also through the use of individual characters. For instance, Gandalf. - Despite Tolkien's work being set in Middle-earth, it appears to be unquestionable that the Norse god Odin has had a “key” job in the molding and advancement of Gandalf's individual character. Therefore, delving further into Tolkien's different thought processes and motivations in making Middle-earth, one perceives components of smaller, detailed aspects of Norse folklore continually, explicitly and very similarly among Odin and Gandalf. It is very evident through this all that Tolkien's picture of Gandalf was drawn from a significant number of the attributes of Odin’s original character himself (Denton, 2015).
DeleteOverall it is obvious that Tolkiens content of work has been heavily and ideally derived and influenced by the use of old Norse and old English content and in conclusion it reflects in his own work from the uses of names, similar story lines (or themes and ideas), and concepts of tradition and culture used throughout these historical texts.
References
Völuspá, from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press Extract 3
Denton, L. (2015, April 29). Parallels Between Gandalf & Odin in Tolkien's Work. HobbyLark. https://hobbylark.com/fandoms/Parallels-Between-Gandalf-Odin-in-Tolkiens-Work
Glǽmscrafu - Dvergatal. (n.d.). Glǽmscrafu – Tolkien’s linguistic cellar. https://glaemscrafu.jrrvf.com/english/dvergatal.html
Leading Undergraduate Work in English, Volume 6 (2013-2014), pp. 21-34
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Quotes - 'Will you follow me, one last time?'. (2019, June 13). MovieQuotesandMore. https://www.moviequotesandmore.com/battle-of-the-five-armies-quotes/
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The Hobbit, London: HarperCollins, pp.ix; 233-242,
Shau, K. (2018, July 21). Thor vs. the Midgard Serpent. Medium. https://medium.com/@kevinshau/thor-vs-the-midgard-serpent-c039a31cbc7c
Völuspá, from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press Extract 3
Interesting read, I quite enjoyed it. I don't agree that all the races of Middle Earth unit to defeat the enemy. You don't exactly see orcs and goblins fighting alongside the "good guys".
DeleteJust a small correction, Jörmungandr was known as the Midgard Serpent, because it laid wrapped around the world. (Old Norse: Miðgarðsormr).
Great answer! I really enjoyed reading those comparisons.
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DeleteQ: Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
ReplyDeleteVoluspa is the first as well as the best-known poem of the Poetic Edda. Voluspa tells the creation story of the world, the end that it will come to, and the rebirth of a purified new world that will rise after the events of Ragnarok (Temple of Heathen Gods). It is a poem written in first person and is directly related to the audience in the form of a prophecy by a volva (a Seeress) who is addressing Odin, the Norse God associated with wisdom, knowledge, healing, magic and death.
In the poem, Odin addresses the Seeress and requests her to share her prophecies and knowledge of the world with humankind. The poem begins with the Seeress requesting silence from the sons of Heimdallr (human beings). She then begins to address Odin with a version of the story that relates the creation of the world and speaks of the Aesir and Vanir war (the war of the Gods). As well as mentioning the death of the Gods, and the end of the reign of the Norse Gods, the poem also mentions a single God who will become all- powerful (Faro, 2019).
Though a pagan theme runs through Voluspa (evidence of this is seen in the way the poem presents the approach to the mythical characters in the prophecy, and the cosmic cataclysm painted in Voluspa reflecting the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation), it reveals the influence of Christianity in the imagery that it paints. It is commonly thought that the poem was composed at a time that was observing the end of Paganism and the arrival of Christianity, when the Germanic people were perceiving the fall of the ancient Gods and Christianity was beginning to approach. The pagan religion lasted the longest in the northern lands- Norway, Sweden and Iceland. In the late 9th century, many men and women of Norse descent from Christian Ireland settled in Iceland. While some of these people were Christians, there were those with mixed beliefs who worshipped both Christ and the Norse Gods. And there were others who did not believe in the Gods at all, and this lack of faith in the Norse Gods grew in the 10th century. During that time period of waning paganism, the influence of Christian beliefs and thoughts on Germanic poets could also be noticed (The Prophecy of the Seeress).
It can be said, then, that the Voluspa can be received as reflecting a symbolic image of the waning ways of the Germanic world moving towards an inescapable end. It can be viewed as the result of a combination between two different factors- as a plot filled with elements of pagan mythology, and as a representation of the existence of human beings coated in Christian thoughts. The poet of Voluspa could have been exposed to the dilution of the Christian creed in the pagan traditions and customs. As an exponent of Norse society run by the pagan religion, the poet could have adopted Christian concepts into his work to further enrich the text. We can view Voluspa as a reflection of two sides and dual feelings that might have influenced the poet- the poet understanding that the world around him, the pagan world, was coming to an end, but at the same time, nourishing the hope to see the light of the Christian world, a new world. Voluspa’s intention, therefore, can be viewed as a sort of mission - in an uncertain time where the Germanic world was transitioning from the pagan creed to the Christian creed, Voluspa’s composition would have helped people to comprehend the depth of the Christian creed.
References:
Faro, G.D. (2019). Voluspa: The Prophecy of the Seeress. Retrieved from
https://grapevine.is/icelandic-culture/literature-and-poetry/saga-recap/2019/03/06/voluspa-the-prophecy-of-the-seeress/
Temple of Heathen Gods (trans. Terry, P.). Retrieved from
http://heathengods.com/voluspa/terry.htm
The Prophecy of the Seeress (trans. Vinson, I.). Retrieved from
http://library.flawlesslogic.com/voluspa.htm
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about the use or influence of old myths in modern texts, most minds likely go towards popular texts in mainstream genres in which the influence of mythology is glaringly obvious; the Thor trilogy of films, part of the behemoth Marvel franchise; the Percy Jackson series of novels and it’s many spinoff series; the God of War video game series. These popular, modern texts are alike in that the aspects they take from myth - characters, world, storylines - remain relatively similar to how they appear in their original myths, with the ‘original’ aspect of the texts coming from then juxtaposing these characters with a ‘new’ world - such as Thor coming to land in 21st century Earth - or new twist in the story - as in seen in God of War and the development of Kratos’ story.
However, these texts represent only a small reflection of how myth can be, and has been, woven into modern texts. Literary critic and theorist Northrop Frye, in his book of essays, ‘Anatomy of Criticism’ (1957), suggested that all modern texts were built upon the structure laid by old myth, and suggested that texts could be categorized by how ‘displaced’ they were from their mythic beginnings; some texts were ‘undisplaced’, or straight re-tellings of myth; others were mythic stories made to fit in a human world, with human players; while some drew from the ideas and concepts of the myths as opposed to using the story, and often made use of it in an ‘ironic’, twisted way. In an extended essay titled, ‘The Role of Mythology in Modern Literature’, (1981) Mark E. Workman took Frye’s theory and connected it to a related theory by another critic and theorist, Roman Jakobson. Jakobson made his own suggestion in his essay ‘Two Aspects of Language and Two Types of Aphasic Disturbances’ published in 1956 that texts could be sorted into the ‘metonymic’ and the ‘metaphoric’, and Workman, in his essay, puts forward the idea that these two ‘categories’ line up with Frye’s own theory, himself suggesting that another category, the ‘metamorphic’, could be added to account for the later, ‘ironic’ use of myth in modern texts. Workman concludes his essay by saying that these theories allow a broad analysis of the role of myth in modern text and that we are shown, ‘the myths function both within and beyond the work of literature to establish certain premises and mobilize appropriate responses’.
The answer to the question of what place old myths have in the modern world - or, more specifically, the texts of our modern world - then, seems to be that they can hold a variety of roles, and be used in a variety of ways. While our society, currently, seems to be enamoured with the use of myth in telling new or modified stories with characters taken almost straight from myth, that isn’t what they are limited to. Myths can be used to create texts that are familiar, but entertaining and comfortable; romantic texts of wish-fulfilment, where men can almost be gods and play out mythical stories in their own lives and worlds; and texts that take divorce the mythic ideas from their stories entirely and twist them to play out in an new tale entirely, creating a text that is simultaneously both unrecognizable and an echo of the well-known. It is this versatility that has allowed myth to live on not just in their (relatively) original forms, but repurposed in entirely new texts as well, for the thousands of years up to this point, and which will allow them to likely live on and continue to play a role in our society for thousands more.
References:
Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of Criticism. Princeton University Press.
Jakobson, R. (1956). Two Aspects of Language and Two Types of Aphasic Disturbances. Fundamentals of Language. Mouton Publishers.
Workman, M. (1981). The Role of Mythology in Modern Literature. Journal of the Folklore Institute, 18(1), 35-48. doi:10.2307/3814186
ReplyDelete8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Regarding The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, there are many ways we can look at the intention of these works, beyond just saying something along the lines of ‘this is for entertainment.’
Firstly, we can look at the authors ‘desire’ or intention and secondly, the texts ‘desire’ or intention. Quite simply, Tolkien himself was searching for a way to create an English canon of mythology, seeing as it is commonly known that Great Britain is lacking in ancient texts (in comparison) to other cultures. Besides the Middle Earth tales being written out of fun, they were also born out of already existing myth and legend, primarily the Norse myths. Wayne Hammond (2020) of Encyclopedia Britannica writes that “his tales of Arda and Middle-earth also grew from a desire to tell stories, influenced by a love of myths and legends.” From this we can say that Tolkien, simply enough, had a story he wanted to tell and desired to share it, pulling heavily from Norse myth. For the publication Newsweek, Janice Williams (2017) writes that “Tolkien was heavily inspired by the writings, languages and fantasies of Icelandic linguistic traditions, particularly Old Norse sagas like the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda.” We can see this through various archetypes that were pulled from Norse myth, Gandalf being, in image, Odin and the ring also being a focus. Tolkien pulled just enough to use as archetypes to pay homage to these myths while still being original as an author by having his own plot.
As for the texts themselves … their desire or intention as works of epic fantasy are to create a sense of adventure. While we know the subtext of these fantasy novels to be rooted in Norse myth and legend, the actual stories themselves are designed to inspire adventure, create wonder and immersion for the reader through a fully realized world of its own. It desires to immerse us into the story by putting us alongside relatable characters who go on quests that are far larger than themselves. Tolkien based the Shire (where the Hobbits live) on the English countryside. “In a letter to his publishers, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote that The Shire - home to the "little people" better known as hobbits - was "more or less a Warwickshire village of about the period of [Queen Victoria's] Diamond Jubilee" in 1897… In a newspaper interview Tolkien fondly recalled the area, saying the Shire was "inspired by a few cherished square miles of actual countryside at Sarehole".” (Jahangir, 2014). From the mouth of Tolkien himself, we can see that the Shire, where the journey begins, is meant to be relatable for English readers.
English readers can imagine their own countryside in the text and connect with Bilbo and Frodo as the ‘everyman’ because they come from a similar background to the reader. Yes, Bilbo and Frodo, both Hobbits, are the ‘everyman’ of their stories. As grand fantasy stories, there are Elves, Dwarves and giant spiders … but our focus is on the smallest and most unassuming characters imaginable: Hobbits. Hobbits live quiet lives and enjoy eating, drinking, smoking and gardening. They are simple folk. They are not special or trained in fighting. They shy away from conflict and the wider world. By nature, the average Englishman from a village like Sarehole would be more likely to relate to a Hobbit than an immortal Elf from a woodland realm or a Dwarf living under a mountain. This hesitant kind of Hobbit character makes for an excellent surrogate for the reader, and so the intention of relatability of the text works well through the use of Hobbit characters. We can appreciate the immense world Tolkien is building through naïve and sheltered Hobbits because we know just as much as they do. The idea that we learn about things freshly, like Bilbo himself eases the reader into the story. Everything is unique and thrilling because we are not following an overpowered character. What would be the appeal of seeing an Elf on yet another of his quests, knowing that he is going to come out of it fine.
DeleteWe can say that the appeal and pleasure they offer is escapism. The reader can feel the same kind of empowerment that Bilbo might in the desire to travel and see the world. Tolkien writes a very poetic story, where we get beautiful turns of phrase such as: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” (Tolkien, 1954). One of my personal favourites is a line of poetry referring to the character of Aragorn. Tolkien (1954) writes in The Fellowship of the Ring “not all those who wander are lost.” Phrases like these (especially the first of these quotes) stir up a kind of wanderlust, a desire for a world that doesn’t exist. The text, written by Tolkien, desires to take us somewhere else, and the reader reads it because they desire to be taken somewhere else.
References:
Hammond, W. (2020). J. R. R. Tolkien. Retrieved 13th March, 2020, from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-R-R-Tolkien
Williams, J. (2017). ‘The Hobbit’ Anniversary: What Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien’s Iconic Book? Retrieved 13th March, 2020, from
https://www.newsweek.com/hobbit-jrr-tolkien-anniversary-inspiration-668989
Jahangir, R. (2014). The Hobbit: How England Inspired Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Retrieved 13th March, 2020, from
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-29787528
Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954). The Fellowship of the Ring. London, United Kingdom: George Allen & Unwin.
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ReplyDeleteVoluspa and orality
ReplyDeleteOng speaks of orality as something which reserves the spoken word to purely exist within the time that it is spoken, proposing that it is evanescent as opposed to permanent. There is no proper way to preserve its’ content, the only thing that remains is the memory of the sound. With this being said, there is still a lot to explore regarding orality, and Ong’s analysis goes beyond the obvious arguments which weigh out the differences between spoken and written word. Through his research, Ong found that the best way to truly understand the deep-rootedness of orality is by examining its parameters within certain cultures. Orality as a tool of storytelling existed for thousands of years, and this is because of the prominent interconnectedness that surfaced within oral cultures. This bond can be explained as an intimate connection within the culture, between individuals and their environment. Because of this interconnectedness, literature existed as a collective art form with the ability to transcend social and demographic differences. Within the strong bounds of the collective, there is no opportunity for distanced or abstract ways of thinking to take hold of the creative conscience. Learning took place through practical methods, such as apprenticeship and the roles of passing on knowledge were embodied by those who proved to have great leadership.
A defining feature of orality is its participatory nature, encouraging both parties ; the storyteller and the audience to engage in how the story is told, and its effectiveness.
When ancient scriptures, poems and stories began being recorded in writing, it was common for these early texts to reflect residual, or secondary orality in their structures. An interesting example of this can be discussed through analysing the epic poem called Voluspa. The poem tells the story of how the world was created, how human life unfolded, and an apocalyptic end to it all, according to Norse mythology. Orality has undeniably close ties with mythology, and Voluspa is one of the earliest accounts of oral literature being recorded and structured into stanzas.
One of Ong’s observations is that “orality is more of an additive rather than subordanative” meaning there may be more words used to express and embellish meaning. Rather than just saying men, the narrator uses “humble sons of Heimdall”, adding more to the beginning of the poem as she addresses the audience. There is also a strong sense of all social ranks being included in an empathetic and participatory manner : “Hear my words you holy gods, great men and humble sons of Heimdall.”
Ong also explains orality to be “homeostatic” meaning that the narrators draw from often divinely inspired knowledge of traditional culture : “By Odins will, I’ll speak the ancient lore /the oldest of all that I remember.”
The narrator also alludes to how this poem is designed to be heard, aiding praise to memorised, oral authority rather than written knowledge.
All these references suggest that Voluspa is an oral text, traditions of its culture and elements of Norse mythology strongly engrained in the epic poem.
References
Ong. W. (1982) Orality and Literacy ; the technologizing of the word. London: Methuen p.1-15
Voluspa from Terry, P. (Trans) (1990-1966) Poems of the elder Edda, Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press
ReplyDeleteQ What place do the old myths have in the modern world ?
old myths hold different meanings and values in the modern world to many varieties of people. They are a form of culture and help us understand our history. They hold fundamental roles in our society today.They give insight into the values and perspectives of long gone cultures with their myths and stories giving us clues to how these people lived. Wisdom has been found in Mythological stories by the consequences of the actions of the mythological characters and their fate. Human kind is built on knowledge from history including mythological history. Humans wouldn't have progressed this far had it not been for all generations benefitting from the amount of human experience and knowledge acquired. One of the most important aspects of mythology is their symbolism which has not only shaped modern storytelling but also set the tone for stories in popular culture in today's society. For example the Star wars movies owe a lot of their inspiration to mythology as they have drawn on mythological elements to inspire their Narrative. Ancient myths have contributed to the creative design of Numerous stories and movies to date. The Tale of Phaeton who was son of the sun god helios which entailed Phaeton destroying most of the earth from driving the sun chariot and controlling the sun itself. Many argue the fact that the mythological piece was talking about global warming. The Tale of Phaeton has many symbolic meanings uncanny to our current global crisis. Therefore illustrating how mythological tails can still provide insight and still remain relevant to our current life style and issues. Mythological tales have had many important roles in today's times, artistically we wouldn't have the stories or ideas we have today. Films wouldn't have had the incredible imagination and tales without them.It's Unfortunate that insight into mythological tales have been neglected during our modern era due to lack of time and education, we need knowledge more than ever as our consumer society is severely affecting our world. Mythological tales and wisdom have an arguably important role to play in these times.They hold fundamental roles in practised religions to this day and are a form of culture for some. Its fair to say old myths are still and will continue to be a massive part of our modern world.
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteIf you were asked this question, you might answer that maybe they provide an insight into the social and cultural nature of the people that birthed it, maybe you would say that it invented a foundation for modern storytelling, you would be right.
When I first looked at this question I thought about modern tales peppered with the hints of ancient myth. Like a ghost that looms above us, casting its shadows over us, whispering its influence into our subconscious. Then I changed perspective, what if instead of the old myths being the thing that tinkers with us when we’re not looking, it's actually us that opened the door to let it in? and if that is the case, what happens when we’re the ones to cross the border between the old and the new? and are the ones that are subjecting the old myths to our influence instead? In my opinion that is the true role of the old myths in our modern world, something for us to look at and then appropriate.
When we think appropriation of the old myths, we might first look towards the christain scholars who took the old stories and likely changed aspects of them to more fit their own ‘truth’. And although I am talking about something similar for the modern world, they aren’t exactly the same. Luckily there exists some convenient terminology to help me categorise and describe the different ways that we use old myths in the modern world.
Firstly there is Adaptation. Taking stories from one medium and trying to recreate it for a different medium. The place in our modern world where adaptation shines in particular is within visual mediums such as film and animation. Troy for example is an adaptation of Homer’s The Iliad. Troy just like the Iliad depicts the invasion of Troy as well as the rivalry between Achilles and Hector. What makes Troy an adaptation rather than a retelling however is that the film makes significant changes to the narrative of the Iliad. Not to fit with their own ideals but to make the narrative suitable for film. The major changes are that the invasion of Troy lasts ten years in the Iliad while in the film it only lasts a couple of weeks, and that the ‘sack of Troy’ at the end of the film doesn't actually happen in the Iliad. These changes were made in service of making Troy better for film on paper.
Next is Modernisation. Taking a myth and retelling it in a different context/setting, one that is often after the time of the original myth. Modernisation is once again often found in film but is also found in less immersive mediums such as comics, literature as well as others. O Brother, Where Art Thou? Is a modernisation of Homer’s The Odyssey. The plot is similar to the Odyssey in terms of premise, our protagonists need to return to a place that one of them has been to before (Odyssey returning home vs. finding buried treasure) with the pressure of something bad happening (Penelope marrying a suitor vs. the place where the treasure is buried getting flooded). They are given a prophecy but they ignore it. However the film ends up being incredibly different from the Odyssey almost to the point of being unrecognisable. This is due to the modernisation of the Myth. instead of being set in ancient greece, it is set in mississippi during the great depression. Instead of the protagonist being a legendary hero they are a bunch of convicts, a choice made to fit the setting, this choice of modernising the Odyssey has resulted in something almost entirely new despite the intended connection between the film and the myth.
DeleteFinally there is Subversion. When a story is taken and modified so that the content ends up contradicting what the original portrayed. Vinland Saga is a japanese manga/anime with inspirations from several pieces of Icelandic mythology including The Flateyjarbók, The Saga of the Greenlanders and The Saga of Eric the Red. Vinland Saga is a direct result of the modern world's general perception of 10th century vikings in what is now modern day Nordic countries. The view that vikings were violent raiders in a near constant state of warfare is intentionally used against the reader when it turns out that the end game of the story is to try and avoid war and end the story’s main conflict peacefully using clever tactics.
If there was one way to describe the place of old myths in the modern world it would be a cave full of crystals. There are all of these crystals in the cave that if mined will be valuable, but the cave can actually provide more than most can see, because if you look at the individual crystals from a different angle you find that they reflect a whole different kind of value waiting to be used all over again. The old myth’s place in the modern world is to be the vein that we can all collect from and stimulate ourselves with, and when the time comes, we reinvent.
i think The old myth is illustrated and narrater to make blockbuster movies. These film and books are a testament to how ancient myths are being depicted in modern world popular culture.
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ReplyDeleteTo this day Norse mythology remains a place of inspiration for writers. Within the past decade alone we saw countless examples of television, film and video games that borrowed from or were in some way influenced by Norse texts. Examples range from Mad Max: Fury Road with its war boys fighting for entry into an afterlife known as Valhalla, Marvel Studio’s Thor related line of films, as well as the most recent entry in the video game franchise God of War.
DeleteIn the case of God of War, a franchise better known for its depictions of Greek mythology - the shift to a Norse setting is an obvious departure but one that revitalises it beyond a change in setting. On the surface, God of War can be viewed as another action game that revels in its players overcoming enemies who withstand more blows to the head than humanly possible (Powerpyx, 2010). However, instead of another entry which sees its protagonist on another quest fuelled by vengeance, the developers have opted to use its Norse setting and expectations for the series as a trojan horse of sorts to tell a tale which speaks about the difficulties of fatherhood. Using its newfound setting not only as a primer for the Norse pantheon, but also as a direct means of conveying the growing bond players see between Kratos (the protagonist) and his son Atreus. When Kratos (who is of Greek origins) discovers a shrine that depicts a Norse myth or encounters a new foe. He turns to his son for guidance, who we learn was raised almost exclusively by his late Jötunn (giant) wife on these old myths.
Video games along with other forms of “nerd” media have only recently managed to penetrate the mainstream pop culture bubble - that for visual mediums at least was exclusive to television and film. Part of this can be attributed to the connotations the medium held when it came to the narratives that came from it. Often either text dense role-playing and adventure games that were exclusive to expensive computers, or games that received scrutiny from traditional media for gameplay and story related aspects that would make many parents concerned upon news of it (Wilbur, 2016).
The inclusion of these old myths in God of War gives the franchise and its protagonist a fresh start, allowing it to be accessible to both newcomers and long-time fans, connoisseurs of Norse texts as well as those who have only heard of them in passing. At the same time however it allowed the developers to transform one of the most hyperviolent video game franchises of all time into a tale about fatherhood. One that was directly influenced by the development team’s own experiences over the years (Wahl, 2018). Which itself is an achievement given the critical and fan reception and how adverse segments of the video game fanbase can be to change or the inclusion of progressive themes or ideas in video games (Romano, 2020).
References
Powerpyx. (2010, March 27). God of war iii - Bossfight Zeus (titan difficulty) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXy2iBG_jew
Romano, A. (2020, January 20). What we still haven’t learned from gamergate. Vox. https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/20/20808875/gamergate-lessons-cultural-impact-changes-harassment-laws
Wahl, J. (2018, May 22). The father in you: A conversation with Cory Barlog. Mega Dads. https://megadads.org/2018/05/22/the-father-in-you-a-conversation-with-cory-barlog/
Wilbur, B. (2016, April 7). Attorney Jack Thompson and his personal vendetta against video games. Inverse. https://www.inverse.com/article/12633-attorney-jack-thompson-and-his-personal-vendetta-against-video-games
Question answered: Identify some recent films, tv shows and/or games which have brought back some of the old gods and heroes from obscurity. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
DeleteLIT AND DESIRE BLOGS:
ReplyDeleteDragon Slayers: Week 1 – 3
Q1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Voluspa also known as the Song of the Sibyl is an example of a Mythological Poem based on Norse mythology, that exploits the words of Gods, the song of the Prophetess which tells us about the creation and also the end of the world, Ragnarök, and its second coming. "Hear my words / you holy gods' "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (Terry,1990) This particular poem supposedly dates back to the 10th century where the author was likely to have infused religion and belief of the God’s within the poem, based on the time period.
Volsunga Saga, is legendary saga that is also based on Norse mythology in the 13th century which was inspired by heroes. This saga tells us of the downfall of the Volsunga clan and the dangers that come with being greedy and therefore the antagonist gets transformed into a Dragon. This text also talks about Gods and how the powers of Gods can control oneself.
Beowulf is an example of Epic genre an old English Epic Poem that tells us the story of a kingdom that is being terrorized and how he rules keeping peace for fifty years before he meets his fate while trying to protect the kingdom from a Dragon. This Poem presents an unhappy ending. “Then he addressed each dear companion one final time, …. I would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way to grapple with the dragon and make good my boast as I did against Grendel in days gone by….” (Farrar, 2000)
The Hobbit is an example of Epic genre, It is a Fantasy Fiction piece of literature that involves a dwarf named Bilbo Baggins who is on a quest to reclaim the Kingdom of Erebor.
Lord of the rings The two towers is also an example of Epic high fantasy genre that is set in the same setting and universe as The Hobbit. This movie also involves a quest to destroy the Ring that could bring grave danger upon everyone.
All of these readings are mythic fiction and fantasy fiction and have connections in the plot of going on journeys and overcoming danger that involve God’s, Mythic creatures and life changing scenarios that not only affect one person but can affect the entire world. All of these texts are also highly influenced by Norse Mythology where there are no happy fairy tale endings and the texts show the World as the real and harsh world that it is.
References:
Mountfort, P. (2019). Literature/Desire. Lecture, AUT.
(2019). Retrieved from https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeletePop culture borrows a lot from older texts, and especially recently we have seen works like; “Sword Art Online, DanMachi, Thor” and many more. The use of Norse Mythology usually uses the names of major Gods like Odin, Loki, and Thor, but places Them in different situations be it, in the future, in a video game, or even in a different universe. In the modern world, we have taken the concept of the sky father, the tragic hero and the trickster and have boiled them down so far that each character has become basically its own archetype, and example would be the “Loki” character aka the “trickster” has changed into the “Joker”, a wild card who just exists to cause chaos with no other purpose or reasoning. Although the trickster character exists in the mythos of many cultures like Anansi, and Prometheus, I am focusing on those in the Norse mythos as that is what the text I am referencing is based on. The use of characters like this brings new life to those dying old gods and allows an entirely new generation to read about their exploits, hijinx and lessons told through these old myths.
Myths and the old gods they talk about are not only a time capsules of an entire civilization and culture, but they also show us what was important to them. Almost all creation myths contain a sky father (Zeus, Odin, Uranus, Ranginui, etc...) and an Earth mother (Gaia, Frigg, Terra, Papatūānuku, etc...). It is thought that people made the concept of the sky father and an earth mother as farming became more mainstream and the success of the crops could either save or kill your family depending on the weather, hence why the earth and sky are regarded as benevolent gods. The sky father is usually the king of gods in polytheism and is the strongest out of his siblings ruling the earth with benevolence, and is related to rain, thunder, fire and sometimes war. Like Odin and Zeus. and the Earth Mother is mostly related to life in crops and fertility and is usually the wife or mistress of the sky father examples would be; Gaia and Frigg. These four archetypal gods show where the importance lied with for those living in this time as their two most important gods are based around rain, fertility, life, good crops, and war. What is more, interesting is that these characters existed all over the world sometimes with civilizations that had no contact with each other, places like Egypt, Rome, Greece, and India have similar gods who fulfill the same tasks and have the same powers. This shows us that despite coming from different backgrounds, deep down we all believe in the same core values and have the same needs.
People today are able to look back at stories of old and myths to form their own opinions, and for some people who desire fresh new stories, the re-imagining of these gods provides a new and fun way to engage with the text and its meaning. Its always important to strive for a better future and to look forward, but as the saying goes those who don’t read history are doomed to repeat it. And many of the gods of old, especially those on polytheistic religions, the gods were just as, if not more like humans, they made mistakes, crimes, killed, get drunk, and would even commit adultery. What I am able to take away from this is that unlike gods in monotheistic religions where man was created in the image of God, in polytheistic religions however gods were created in the image of man. This would seem like the best theory as myths like this almost always had a moral in the story, something to take away and integrate in your own lifestyle, be it; drinking too much, or sticking your nose in other peoples business, or the downsides of adultery, there was a myth for every scenario and every scenario had a god who was typecast to make the same mistakes. This would have been helpful for people back in the day because if they were smart enough they would heed the advice of the myth. Despite being old, these stories could still be applicable in certain scenarios and are available to whoever likes stories of gods and morals.
DeleteTo conclude; in the modern world, myths are still very influential, as they have gone on to create and dominate the new pop culture scene with superheroes and supervillains basically re-skinned versions of gods. Myths can be used as windows to the past where we can see what people thought and prioritized in their lives at that time no matter where they were. And finally, myths can be used as lessons, where we can see first hand that our actions can lead to dire consequences.
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteIn the modern world, we see the resurgance of these old myths in various forms of media. Games such as 'God of War 4' and 'Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice's world is drenched in Nordic mythology. In the world of GOW4 (God of War 4), Thor has been killed and we play in the world as a result of Ragnarok. We fight valkyries, dragons and draugr. We meet gods like Baldur and explore the temples and ruins of the god Tyr. In modern cinema, we see the god Thor being part of the Marvel cinematic universe. Modeled on the classic archetype of the shallow prince, turned humane by fighting alongside humans and falling in love with a human woman.