1/7/20 Diego Coello PD 7

1/8/20 :)

Diego Coello    Period 7

Group 3 (Apple Friggers) Norse Mythology Presentation 

Gaiman’s Norse Mythology Pages 127-151

Aim: What can we learn from studying Norse Mythology?

Do Now: Has the purpose of poetry changed from the past compared to now? Prepare to share out.

Hello! I am in Group 6 (Valhallelujah) and we talked about poetry in the past usually being center around storytelling, most commonly to preserve culture for future generations. In the modern-day, we said even though poetry still tells stories, it is more used for entertainment. Mrs. Fusaro entered our conversation and said that poetry is more popular today in the form of music, which indicated how large of an impact it has since mostly everyone listens to some type of music.

The discussion was opened to the class and Allan was the first to add. He described poetry as a tool of expression used in the past, a “way to share emotions”. Many different types of messages are conveyed through the use of poetry.

Billy took the conch and said that in the past, poetry was used to tell stories and agreed with Allan’s view of poetry being a form of expression.

Steven mentioned poetry’s use for “cultural self-preservation” and how in the modern-day, this has poetry’s purpose has shifted more towards individual expression.

“I disagree,” said Kelly, and she took us back to the beginning of the semester when Mrs. Fusaro said that most forms of media, including our Internet memes, serve as our own mythology for our own culture, and said that the songs we listen to serve as mythology, telling the story of a whole culture or generation.

After this discussion, Group 3 proceeded with the lesson and reviewed the important details from the reading:

Creation of the Mead:

Kvasir, wisest of the gods, was created by the Venir and Aesir gods’ spit in their war treaty. Kvasir came down to Midgard to answer people’s questions with his wisdom and ran into two dwarves that led him to their house where they killed Kvasir. From his blood, they made mead that would gift the drinker with Kvasir’s poetic skill and wisdom.

Odin and the Mead:

Odin hears about the mead and disguises himself to search for it. The giant Suttungr hid the special drink in a mountain guarded by his daughter Gunnlod. Using his shape-shifting ability, Odin transformed into a charming giant and tricked Gunnlod into letting him drink the mead. He drank MUCH more that he should (he drank the whole thing), and ran off, or should I say, flew off by changing into an eagle, dropping drops of mead along the way. Those who drank the mead would be talented poets unless the mead came from an unpleasant side of the eagle Odin…

Independent Work

Answer these questions by yourself and prepare to share out.

Does Kvasir’s journey remind you of anything else?

Despite being frowned upon, Odin uses lots of trickery to get the mead. How does this represent Norse values?

In answering the first question, I connected Kvasir to Jesus Christ. Kvasir, who was a God, came down to answer the questions of the people and teach them, and Jesus, who is the Son of God, was delivered to the world to teach people the way to heaven. Also, near each personality’s death, they both knew it was coming and potentially had the ability to stop it, but they didn’t and just let it happen.

Shannon added on to the similarities by talking about how both Kvasir and Jesus, were both expected to be resurrected.

Putting the second question into play, Waren sheds light on the fact that Odin in this story resembled Loki, with his shape-shifting and trickery. Kelly thought it was interesting how characters that are portrayed to be almost opposite of each other use the same abilities. The all-father of the gods being a shape-shifter and tricking others perhaps suggests that the Norse paid attention to what trickery is used for: they did not think it should be used for bad, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be used at all.

Ryan took the conversation back and emphasized the similarities between Kvasir and Jesus. From each of their deaths came something good for humans, like the mead that spread Kvasir’s wisdom or the Holy Spirit and teachings of Jesus.

Following this, the presenters talked about the Havamal, which is accredited to Odin and teaches people how to live their life. We analyzed two stanzas of poetry and tried to take the message from them.

The miserable man and evil minded

makes of all things mockery,

and knows not that which he best should know    (First stanza)

that he is not free from faults.

Best have a son though he be late born

and before him the father be dead:

seldom are stones on the wayside raised        (Second stanza)   

save by kinsmen to kinsmen.

What do these excerpts from the Havamal tell you about the Norse?

Iandra responded to this question with the fact that every man has faults, even if they don’t realize it, and that the Norse didn’t put much emphasis on faults.

Ryan explained how the Norse were aware that everyone has flaws, but that they actually did give them importance. The Norse thought it was better to be humble and not judge others (similar to the Greek’s idea of hubris).

Taking it to the second stanza, what Kelly took from it is that it is better to have a son, even if it is late, and that it would be ideal to have its father die before the son.

Ryan again further clarified the ideas of the discussion, mentioning the idea of legacy and having a son to be remembered and pass on traditions, to not bet forgotten on the side of the road like a lonely stone.

Student Reflection:

I think Norse mythology is my favorite type of mythology, so this was yet again another interesting lesson for me, well-taught by Group 3. We were able to further dig into the culture of the Norse by analyzing their myths and the ideas ingrained within those stories. Today we were able to practice comparing different cultures and their similarities and discuss the importance of mythology and how it is still prevalent today, keeping our culture alive for generations to come. From this lesson, I have learned how important it is to maintain a legacy, to keep a culture alive because it gives us clues to how many of our morals today came to be and continues to demonstrate how different cultures really have so much in common.