11/26/19 Nicholas Russo PD1

Nicholas Russo

Period 1

11/26/19

Modern Mythology 2020

    Aim: How does the paradox of blindness illuminate Oedipus’ tragic flaw of hubris?

We began class by choosing between two options written on the board, these options reflected whether we would rather have all truths discovered or using truths as they are beneficial to us. This brought up the topic of morality and ethics, and whether truth should be known in the real world. The class than learned about the premise of paradoxes with visual examples such as:

We then looked at the example of Ignore this text which I learned is a special type of paradox known as a paralipsis, or a lyrical paradox. We learned about paradoxes in order to apply them to how they help reveal how Oedepus is hubris in the tragedy. It is paradoxical considering a man stricken with blindness reveals the truth, yet blindness is lack of sight. The topic of paradoxes applies to greek mythology because it begs the question of whether a prophecy is what makes itself true or whether it was always going to happen. It is impossible to know because if the prophet does not say the prophecy we don't know it so we don't know whether it comes true.

Clara Lu Period 5 12/19/19 Blog 2

12/19/19
Clara Lu
Period 5
Blogger 18

Aim: When juxtaposed against Macbeth, how does the characterization of Macduff, and the themes of the play, ​illuminate the societal pressures placed on both genders?

During the beginning of the period we went over the Macbeth Acts I-III Exam and clarified some confusing questions.

After going over the test, we continued reading Act IV from yesterday and answered question about scenes II and III.
Some notes as we were reading were that towards the end of the act, Macduff finds out that his family were all "savagely slaughtered (line 241)". After he heard the news, he began to cover his face with his hat. Also, in line 259, Malcolm tells Macduff to use his this grief and turn it into revenge. Since Macbeth killed his family, it is no longer about the country, but a person matter between the two. Macduff, however, responds that he will, but he is also a man because he feels the sadness that he does. Shakespeare is creating a new definition for masculinity. In the beginning of the book, Lady Macbeth constantly said her husband was too weak and would not be able to become king. But here, Macduff shows emotions, showing that he is Macbeth's foil character and that his reactions are completely normal because he just lost everyone that he loved.

Then we answered questions

1) In scene 2, right before the murderers show up which is comic relief. The scene also shows the innocence and purity of the boy and the relationship he and his mother have. They are showed as a regular family and it would be inhumane to kill them. They also have no reason to be killed because Macbeth is after Macduff, not his family. Lady Macduff also thought that her husband left and abandoned them. She died thinking her husband wasn't a good person, while he was actually out trying to save his country. Macbeth also killed them while the husband was not there to protect them, which is similar to Duncan's death, where he was murdered in his sleep.

2) Some indirect characterization of Macbeth is that he became more crazy and murderous and the theme of unchecked ambitions comes up again. Macbeth had spies in Macduff's home and had everyone killed. Macbeth no longer needed his wife to tell him the plan and has no hesitations to do so. Similar to the first question, Macbeth being suspicious of Macduff had nothing to do with his family. He is simply killing anyone he thinks might be in his way and doesn't care who he hurts cause he wants to secure his power.

3) The conversation between the three characters show the expectations of men during that time to be more manly and show no feelings and emotions. However, Macduff says that he is more of a man because of his reaction. Having feelings is opposite to Macbeth, where his wife constantly said he was too soft and had to show no emotions.

4) Macduff response to Malcolm's "Dispute it like a man" shows how Shakespeare is trying to create a new definition for masculinity. "But I must also feel it as a man. I cannot but remember such things were that were most precious to me". His response indicates how it is okay to have emotions and be sad. His family was just all killed and it would be a normal reaction to be devastated and in shock.


Reflection
Today in class, we learned about how Macbeth's character can be clearly seen as dynamic, with no one expecting the drastic change in the beginning of the play. For example, Duncan said how he trusted Macbeth, yet at the same time he talked about not knowing people's true thoughts and intentions. By Act IV, Macbeth was ready to kill anyone in his way, even an innocent family. In the beginning, Macbeth felt so guilty for killing Duncan and before he even did it, he hallucinated a knife, but was able to question if it was real. With Banquo's ghost, Macbeth was instantly terrified and was sure the ghost was real, showing that he has become crazy. In real life, people can always change. You never know how or when it will happen. Macbeth is a perfect example to show a change it characterization. We also learned about what is seen as masculine. Men can show their emotions, both in today's time and as Shakespeare wrote for Macduff.

Gregory Lipkovich Blog

Gregory Lipkovich 12/18/19

PD. 5

Aim: When juxtaposed against Macbeth, how does the characterization of Macduff, and the themes of the play, illuminate the societal pressures placed on both genders? 

The class discussed societal pressures of the opposite gender. I discussed the cultural pressures each part of the world place on different genders and how people may feel or react to that. My group mates discussed that women and men should act a certain way and should conform to societal norms. Other groups said that there are double standards and that men have to look a certain way, and women do too. Jake said that standards are often hard to reach for certain people. Mark said that there are “package deals” that come biologically with each gender. 

Ms. Fusaro mentioned that throughout the play Lady Macbeth and Macbeth change from their original self. Macbeth turns to toxic masculinity and Lady Macbeth asks to “unsex” herself so that she can become less feminine.  

Then we read Scenes 2 and 3, Act 4. Ms. Fusaro says that Macbeth reaches a point of hubris that the warnings do not matter to him. Macbeth plans to kill all of Macduff’s household while he is in England, planning to overthrow Macbeth. I mentioned that if Macbeth kills all of Macduff’s family members, his plan will become more on a personal level. 

Kevin Chen 12/17/19 PD7

11/17

Kevin chen period 7

AIM:How does Norse mythology compare and contrast with Greek mythology?

Do now: on google classroom, write or comment whether the Greeks or Morse are more relatable to contemporary society. 

We watched a film about 25 facts that we didn’t know about Norse mythology. At least some of the hidden facts. 

Odin-son if bor and bestla 

Leader of the aesir gods

Has one eye as he sacrificed it to drink from fountain of wisdom. 

Rules over Valhalla

Makes sacrifice to mankind 

Knowledge of wisdom and poetry

Considered mankind’s benefactor 

Best compared to Cronus/Prometheus 

Balder-som of Odin and frigga

Accidentally killed by hodor with mistletoe 

God of love, peace, forgiveness, justice, light, or purity 

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Unit attaches and penetrates he branches of a tree by a structure called a haustorium, through which they absorb water and nutrients from the host. 

What is connection between Loki and mistletoe?

Why does it make sense that the Norse would have mistletoe destroy balder. 

Mistletoe attaches and absorbs onto their host. Loki is similar to the parasitic plant because he is the god of trickery. In some way, Loki “tricks” hodor, who gave balder the mistletoe. Loki always lets someone else to do his bidding and he hides in the shadow. Loki never fights straight on. He fights by letting others do his dirty work. 

Honor is major factor in Norse. So whoever kills by being a coward is considered dishonorable. 

Thor-Nordic god of thunder, lightning, storms, oak tree, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility. Wields a hammer called mljnoir only picked up by Thor. Strongest of gods. Best compared to Zeus. 

Freyr-associated with sacral kingship, virility and prosperity, with sunshine and fair weather. Brother of Freya. Freya is famous for her fondness of love, fertility, beauty and fine material possession. She is considered a pretty girl in aesir. 

The characters we learned today relates to what we learn in modern society because it kind of relates to Greek mythology. We learned their roles in Aesir. We learned how the mistletoe and Loki is related: they are both mischeavous and trickster-like in their own way. 

Kevin chen #7

Modern mythology 2020

Henry Chen 12/17/19 Period 2 - Blog #2

Henry Chen, Blogger #7

12/17/19

Gods, Monsters, and the Apocalypse (Period 2)

Aim: How does Norse mythology compare and contrast with Greek mythology?

Today's lesson opened with a question for discussion: between the Greeks and the Norse, which group is more relatable to modern society? Though more students argued in favor of the Greeks, arguments for the Norse sprang up in no small quantity. One major point which many students gave is that the Greeks valued sophistication (as far as culture goes) and reason more than the Norse (although the Norse valued wisdom to some extent), while the Norse placed excessive emphasis on honor and valor in combat. In addition, the Greeks defined good and evil more than the Norse did, like how today's society has ingrained good and evil into common sense. On the other hand, the Norse had a more grim, realistic outlook on life and death that contemporary society has accepted. Norse women were also more equal to Norse men than Greek women were to Greek men. 

A video featuring the words of famed author Rick Riordan (whose works Mrs. Fusaro does not have any disdain for, in fact) gave a brief overview of Norse myth. It ended with the fascinating detail that Santa Claus is a sort of fusion between Odin and Saint Nicholas. 

Then began an overview of the central gods of Norse myth. 

Odin

The most famous of the Norse gods (at some point) was Odin, the Allfather, leader of the Aesir (to give all of the many names of this god would take until Ragnarok). He suffered greatly, losing an eye and hanging while impaled for nine days, for the sake of finding wisdom. On this task he succeeded; for example, he uncovered runes of power, which he gave to empower the race of men. Odin is considered the benefactor of man in general. 

Odin made sacrifices to postpone Ragnarok. One could argue that Odin, who knew Ragnarok was an inevitability, made these sacrifices in futility; after all, if the end cannot be truly stopped, is there any use in delaying it? But then again, we're all headed for the grave too, aren't we? Should we jump in early because of that knowledge? 

Wednesday is named after him.

Balder

A god of love and purity (and justice, oddly), Balder was beloved by almost all the universe. At some point, his mother, Frigg, discovered that he was doomed to die, and forged pacts with all the things in the universe to prevent them from harming him. She chose not to forge a pact with the harmless mistletoe plant, however, and Loki saw opportunity to work evil; when the rest of the gods hurled various objects at Balder for fun (as the projectiles would refuse to strike him), Loki convinced Hodor, Balder's brother, to hurl a twig of mistletoe at him. This Hodor did, and the twig struck Balder with such force that he dropped dead. 

Why mistletoe? Because, in fact, mistletoe is a parasite that feeds off of other plants, despite its harmless appearance. It embodies deception, just as Loki does, and the Norse hated deception. There was no honor in using trickery to harm others; better to brutally tear someone to shreds of flesh than to stab them in the back or poison them. Thuys, there was no end for Balder more fitting, more horrible than weaponized mistletoe, guided by the words of Loki. 

Thor

Thor, god of thunder and storms, possessed strength beyond that of all the other gods. Only he could wield the hammer Mjölnir, and only while wearing the iron gloves known as Járngreipr. Except thieves stole the hammer on several occasions, and the thieves didn't need gloves of any kind. 

Thursday is named after him. 

Freyr and Freya

Freyr, brother of Freya, was a god of kingship, virility, and good weather. 

Freya, sister of Freyr, was a goddess of love and fertility. She taught the gods and men (the race, not the sex) how to perform seidr, the magic that evokes the power contained within the runic language (which wasn't used for communication). She also took men who fell in battle to Fólkvangr, where they prepared for Ragnarok just as those in Valhalla did. 

Friday is named after one or the other. 

Frigg

Frigg, greatest of the Aesir goddesses, was the wife of Odin. Her character is difficult to define, since most accounts of her give only few details to work with. 

Loki

Loki, the "black sheep" of the gods, was born the son of a giant, not a god. He was selfish and cowardly, and his tricks caused immense trouble for the gods. But though he was not actually part of Odin's family, he was a sworn brother of Odin. To the Norse, these "sworn" ties mattered far more than actual blood ties. As such, despite his unruly behavior, the gods tolerated Loki on most occasions (Loki had some poison poured on him for killing Balder) to preserve the bond between he and them. 

It is important to note that Loki was not evil. There existed malignance and nihilism in him, but he proved himself helpful to the gods on several occasions as well. Though Loki acted for his own benefit, and did so with dishonor more often than not, good sometimes came out of his actions. Loki's capability for good deeds probably contributed to the gods' tolerance of him. This can extend to not just godlike figures like Loki, but also to real people; there is arguably the capability for benevolence in everyone, even if an individual may seem to do nothing but wrong (I prefer to argue that the opposite--that everyone is evil--but I will save it for another day). 

Alas, Loki and his children will fight against Odin in Ragnarok. Despite what we have said of him, he will side with evil in the end days. 

Tyr

The god of War Tyr was not always a minor Aesir figure; he used to be the greatest of the gods in Norse myth. He lost that role to Odin when the Viking Age came around the corner. 

Tuesday is named after him. 

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Student Reflection: The Greeks and Norse had drastically different views, cultures, and religious beliefs. Regardless of which has affected today's society more, it is foolish to assume that said society would be the same without the influence of both ancient societies. 

The gods of Norse myth are revered for many things--strength, wisdom, purity--but they will all fall in the end, when Ragnarok comes; there is no trait so great that will save a man, giant, or god from his doom (unless you are the being that succeeds Odin after Ragnarok; you have it easy). But even if the end must come, we don't have to give in to it. 

Be wary of things and people that seem harmless; the most seemingly-harmless things can end up being the most deadly. 

Just as you aren't completely good or evil, neither is anyone else. Have some faith in those who seem lost, but don't let that turn into naiveté.  

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is real mythology. 

---

Oh, and Santa Claus's red suit is a product of Macy's design. Highlight of the day. 

Kevin Chen 12/16/19 Period 2 - Blog #2

12/16/19, Kevin Chen, Modern Mythology 2020 Pd. 2 

Aim: How can we introduce Norse mythology by studying their philosophies?

For our do now of the day, we were asked what we thought about the following quote. Given a Padlet link, the students typed in their responses so that others may view their thoughts.

• “All the best Northern tales are tragic, about men and women who go steadfastly forward to meet death, often deliberately choose it, even plan it long beforehand. The only light in the darkness is heroism.”

One very well-written response from Padlet comes from Baizhen, who said that the Norse believed in an apocalypse which meant to them that death would come eventually and when it did it’s how they died that mattered whether that be heroically or not. He thinks that if this is their way of thinking then many wouldn’t be afraid of death. In the class discussion, Joshua was saying how if you die a hero, you would be sent to an honorable place known as Valhalla. Vice versa goes if you died a dishonorable death and didn’t accomplish much during your life, then you would end up in a much more grim and hellish destination. Ms. Fusaro summed up the discussion by saying how if you were to die, you might as well go in with guns blazing. Those who died through sickness or natural causes were believed to go to Hel rather than those who died through honorable combat, who entered Valhalla. 

After discussing the Nine Worlds, which are the homelands of the various types of beings found in the pre-Christian worldview of the Norse and other Germanic peoples, we held a whole group discussion where we were asked: “what is the point of creating a land of gods where defeat is sure?”

Gaudi said how even if you knew you were going to be defeated, it would be better to fight honorably to the end during the combat rather than not try at all during the fight. He brought up that the gods were similar to humans in a way that both knew the end was coming and death was imminent, but the way they approached death depended on the person themself. Ms. Fusaro summarized by saying how a result of the Norse living in a cold climate was that death was very common in society. If you were to survive past childhood, you had to make sure you could fight to survive. With little to eat, tribes fought each other and ensured their own survival. This can be related to Norse mythology where combat and fighting play a major role, which can explain how the Norse people lived and struggled to survive.

After, we were given the following to discuss via pair-share:

• A study in diction. Valhalla is described as the “hall of the slain.” Look up the definition of  “slay” (slain is the past-participle form) and discuss the meaning attributed to the use of that specific word for Valhalla.

The first result you acquire from Google is “kill (a person or animal) in a violent way.” Benjamin said how you couldn’t just poison someone to kill them, you had to violently kill them through combat and sword fight. Through many other points made by a few students, the general theme that was being discussed was that you either fought and died honorably in combat (to have a chance to fight for Odin in Valhalla), or you died a coward’s death and end up in Hel. Ms. Fusaro had to clarify that you couldn’t just enter Valhalla through death via any combat, the fight had to be all out. Standing still and allowing yourself to die by one’s sword rather than fighting to the end would mean you took the coward’s way out.

After that pair-share discussion, we had another whole-group discussion in which we were asked the following, “How can you elaborate on this description of women? What does it highlight about Norse philosophy?”

Unsa said how the women were important in Norse society because the Valkyries were able to decide who would die and who would live. Those who were chosen to live were sent to Folkyangr, the mead hall where Freya ruled over. Another good point brought up in the discussion was how women’s role in Norse mythology differed from that of the Greeks, where women were more subservient to men, or they either were beautiful or viewed as monsters with the most hideous traits. To wrap up the discussion, Ms. Fusaro said how women and men were pretty much equal in society, but women were on a more elevated level because they were able to bear children and serve in combat. Freya, the goddess of fertility, ruling over Folkyangr had equal importance and level of power as that of Odin ruling over Valhalla. This showed how both served the same purpose, to recruit only the most honorable soldiers to fight in Ragnarok. 

Reflection:

Today was the first day where we started to discuss Norse Mythology and there were just so many new ideas and key details to know about the Norse. We were told to read some pages of our books prior to class, but the lesson clarified some things that I was confused about. First, Ms. Fusaro made sure to get the point out that Valhalla was meant to be a mead hall where the deceased had a chance of entering, only through honorable combat, and have the opportunity to fight in honor of Odin against the imminent apocalypse, known as Ragnarok. Before class, I had the idea Valhalla was more of a heaven-like destination similarly to that of Judeo-Christianity, or that of the Egyptian field of reeds. I learned that the Norse took a great deal in honor through combat and fighting, where they knew that death was bound to happen, so they would ensure each fight they got into might as well be their last. Norse mythology takes a whole new approach as to how people viewed the world in the past, which is completely different than Greek and Egyptian mythology. In Norse society, we learned that women were viewed as equal, if not more crucial in society given that they were capable of bearing children, serving on the battlefield, and more. In other societies, things were more patriarchal where the men had more power and authority than women, who were viewed as less superior. This lesson was a great introduction to Norse Mythology and it will greatly help during upcoming lessons in the unit since many confusing issues were clarified and went over in class. 

12/17/19 Helen Huang Period 8

Modern Mythology 2020

12/17/19  

Helen Huang  

PD8  Blogger #8

Aim: How does Norse mythology compare and contrast with Greek mythology?

For the Write Now we had to answer the question of “Are the Greeks or Norse more relatable to contemporary society?”

An example of our responses is Chloe’s:

“The Greeks are more relatable to contemporary society. As we learned yesterday, the whole Norse philosophy is based on being brave and courageous. The Greeks however are more like us, especially in stories where they are jealous or petty. We can relate more to the stories of their flaws than the Norse stories of bravery.”

We were shown a clip where Rick Riordan (author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians series) was the narrator and Ms. Fusaro explained that he was someone that although created inaccurate books, has gotten the young generation interested in mythology in the first place.

Video: 25 Facts About Norse Gods Hollywood Won’t Teach You

Ms. Fusaro announces that she wants us to interrupt with whatever questions we have throughout the slides to help better understand the topic.

Lucas read aloud the 1st slide that explains who Odin is

Odin hung himself from a branch of Yggdrasil, pierced himself with his spear, and peered downward into the shadowy waters below. He forbade any of the other gods to grant him the slightest aid, not even a sip of water. He stared downward and called to the runes. He survived in this state, where the living is separated from the dead, for no less than nine days and nights. At the end of the ninth night, he at last perceived shapes in the depths: the runes! They had accepted his sacrifice and shown themselves to him, revealing to him not only their forms, but also the secrets that lie within them.

• Joshua asked about the significance of numbers in these stories. In many cultures, numbers are presented repeated showing importance such as the number 7 in the Bible.

• There always seems to be one god that has one great sacrifice in order to be able to give to people. A parallel to Odin is Prometheus, in order to give people fire he had to be tied to a stone and suffer. Every day an eagle tore at Prometheus's body and ate his liver, and every night the liver grew back. Because Prometheus was immortal, he could not die. But he suffered endlessly.

Ryan read the 2nd slide about Balder and Mistletoe 

Pair Share:

• What’s the connection between mistletoe and Loki?
• Joshua says they are both corrupt.
• Chelsea says the norse don’t honor Loki because he is not honest and straightforward.
• Sarah said that what they thought was harmless really wasn’t.
• Loki is not a god but has a sworn brotherhood with Odin, acting simultaneously as an insider and an outsider. He is like mistletoe because he benefits off of the other gods and it teaches people to not undermine people.
• Ryan suggested that Loki is similar to the two sided concept of bravery and cowardness.

• Why does it make sense that the Norse would have mistletoe destroy Balder?
• Joshua says it’s because Balder is seen as love, peace, and justice so this symbolizes that he can only be destroyed from the inside out like the things he represents.

Joshua read aloud this slide about Thor who is best compared to Zeus

• Oak trees were superior because they were very water repellent.

• Likes Hercules what Thor lacks in mind, he has in strength.

• The norse believed in magic that in a way connected them to the ground known as divination.
• Divination is a skill set that is only passed down in women.

• Mateusz asked, How do we know Frigg is the highest of them all and at the top? It is assumed because she is married to Odin.

• Tyr is known as the god of war and presides over matters of law and justice.
• The story of Tyr is important because we can see the christianizing of communities.
• For people who aren't even particularly religious, they still believe in something related to an afterlife because it’s easier to hold onto an idea for afterlife that is not constantly mentioned in your life.

Reflection:

From today’s lesson I learned more about the significance / purpose of these characters in Norse mythology. We learned about this because the role they play is also shown in other cultures, allowing us to relate them to each other even though they occurred in different places at different times. Odin is closely related to Greek Mythology’s Prometheus in the fact that they sacrificed themselves to help people. Thor is connected to Zeus, Hercules, and even the Hulk. The divination shown in the story of Freyr can be connected to the belief that all evil magic doers were witches/women. I will use this knowledge to connect different origin stories because I now know about the similar aspects of them and the significance of certain roles/characters. While digging deeper into Norse mythology, the understanding of these characters is crucial in understanding why an event plays out the way it does.

12/17/19 Julissa Liang PD5

12/17/19
Julissa Liang
Period 5

Aim: How does Macbeth’s second encounter with the Witches establish Macbeth as a “tragedy?” 

Before we started the act, we were assigned roles to put the scene together. Majority of the class participated and every role given was relevant to the development of the play. With the assistance of lightning sound effects and a dark atmosphere, the room was set for the play to begin.   

In Act 4 Scene 1, the three witches are surrounding a cauldron, while providing strange spells and ingredients into it. Suddenly, Macbeth enters and demands a further explanation of his prophecy. The apparitions appear: armed head, bloody baby and a crowned child. Each have a different meaning and further embellishes Macbeth’s fears. The armed head is a caveat about Macduff. The bloody baby indicates that one not born by a woman will threaten Macbeth’s success. The crowned child shows that Malcolm will find his way to defeat. Lastly, a line of kings walk down. Macbeth wants to know the meaning behind the kings, however, the witches miraculously vanish. Lennox enters the scene and reports to Macbeth about Macduff’s flee.

While reading the strange spells and objects provided by the witches, we find that some of them are extremely bizarre in current standards. “Liver of blaspheming Jew,” is a obvious offensive line, the audience at the time was mostly Christians. There is an obvious cultural shift. “Nose of Turk and Tartar’s lips,” these were stereotypical features. These lines were seen acceptable at the time but it was certainly offensive.

	Apparitions 1	Apparitions 2	Apparitions 3
Describe the vision	An armed head	A bloody baby	A child crowned
What does the vision say?	Beware Macduff, it is straightforwardly saying that Macbeth should be afraid of Macduff.	SPOILER: Macduff was born a C-section, which indicates that Macduff is the one who will take him down.	Macbeth is not the true king, Malcolm was destined to the throne.
Describe Macbeth’s reaction  to the vision	He is not completely afraid, he brushes it off that the witches are providing him these apparitions.	He is unafraid, since he believes that everybody is born from a woman.	He grows fearful. His anxious thoughts are occupying him now.

This chart was very helpful because it allowed us to deeply analyze the relevance of these apparitions. We can understand that the apparitions depict Macbeth’s future prophecy. However, his reaction towards the witches’ vision displays his unchecked ambitions. Macbeth is too prideful and constantly seeks for more power. His temptations and evil manifested in him causes him to commit acts of violence to manipulate his prophecy.

Reflection:

Based on the lesson, I learned that temptation continues to play an important theme in many stories. Similar to Lord of the Flies, Macbeth seeks for growing power and never feels satisfied with what they already possess. This theme is shown continuously in Macbeth, especially in Act 4 Scene 1 where Macbeth interacts with the witches. The witches show Macbeth’s future prophecy with visions of armed head, bloody baby, crowned child and a line of kings. Macbeth’s overload of pride causes him to dismiss these apparitions, however, he continues to take actions to guarantee his royal position. Once again, this demonstrates the “serpent” (biblical allusion) that lies behind Macbeth.

12/16/19 Ryan Chee PD7 (Late)

Ryan Chee

12/16/19

Aim: How can we introduce Norse mythology by studying their philosophies.

First we did the do now:

We went on the link and responded to the quote with our own thoughts and interpretations.

Many students had agreed that in mythology, heroes are often self sacrificing and choose to give up their lives for the greater good. Other perspectives were that it was better to die making an impact and facing your reality than to just give up. To give up would be to basically lose your purpose of living. To the Norse, dying in battle was the best thing that could happen to you. Being brave and honorable by fighting for your people in a war would get you into Valhalla.

Next we read about the different world in Norse mythology:

Jotunheim is actually the land of the devourers, not the giants. This was probably a translation lost in time. The people of Jotunheim are just regular people. 

Also Niflheim and Helheim are both the same place. They are both ruled by the goddess Hel.

Whole Group Discussion:

The creation of a land of gods where distraction is inevitable can be seen as a glimmer of hope for humans. Eventually, everything will end so why not live your life to the fullest right now. If you know that you will die eventually, it’s better to leave a legacy or make any imap t on the world. You have to make due with what you have and make the best of it. Another point brought up was that the Norse have always endured for most of their lives. They are born in a cold climate where survival is tough. To have made it past childhood is already a tough feat. Just imagine what they could do as a full grown adult. 

Pair Share:

To slay is to kill in a brutal way. Valhalla is deemed hall of the slain since those who want to enter must have died fighting, usually in a war to protect their people. The existence of Valhalla proves to be motivational for the Norse to die in battle. It can be considered a reward for their hard work, to be respected by others for their deeds. To die fighting is very honorable and their is no higher reward in their mind then to die and go to Valhalla. There they will get to fight together with Odin during Ragnarok. 

Niflheim was hell for the Norse. The Christians has took the idea of hell from the Norse and turned it into a place of destruction and inferno. To the Norse however, eternal coldness was a much more harsh punishment. Those who did nothing in their life(did not fight or die a brave death in battle) were sent here to be punished. Here they would continue to laze around and suffer a never ending freezing torture.

Whole Group Discussion:

Women depicted by the Norse were more important to men. In comparison to the Greeks where women were treated as possessions, Norse women had numerous responsibilities. On top of having to take care of the home and children, they would also volunteer to fight as well.

Reflection: 

The Norse have a very interesting outlook on life. Most of their life consists of fighting and enduring harsh conditions. What I find interesting is their idea of an afterlife. In order to get to the afterlife, there is no need for having done good deeds or having good morals. What they considered most important was to have died bravely and honorable. If you sacrificed yourself and went into a war despite knowing your imminent death, you were respected and allowed to go to Valhalla. Even in the afterlife, they would still continue to prepare to fight. It is just a never ending battle however they never give up. To them, giving up would just mean that their life has basically ended and there is no more meaning to living.