Dustin Cong, 1/3/21, Period 2, Day A

Dustin Cong

1/3/21

Period 2

Modern Mythology 2021

Write about your thoughts regarding the most current reading.

For my blog post today I will be talking about our most recent reading, which is "Introduction to Norse Mythology" by Edith Hamilton. This reading was about how much is lost on Norse Mythology and that it is very different from other types of mythology. The main thing that stood out to me was the idea of heroism. We usually perceive a hero as someone who saves the day, is courageous, and defeats the villain, but the idea in Norse Mythology has some of these ideas like being courageous and brave but it differs greatly because the hero doesn't technically win. The hero has to die, but their true victory is also death. Unlike Greek mythology heroes like Odysseus who needed to overcome obstacles and actually saves his people in the end, triumph in Norse mythology isn't about being the one who saves everyone, but about being someone who faces evil and never yields knowing they will die. The gods and the heroes know of this certain destruction known as Ragnarok yet they keep fighting. 

I also read other stories for the reading like "The Stories of Signy and Sigurd". I noticed in Signy's story there wasn't technically a hero, but the protagonist, Signy, still succeeds with her plans and commits suicide in the end, dying with her husband who she wanted to kill. I didn't really understand the lesson for the story or why she stayed with her husband for so long or the motives behind why her husband wanted to kill her father and her brothers, but I did notice the pattern in many deaths in Norse stories. Like in Signy, the main protagonist who is actually a hero died, but due to a misunderstanding. Sigurd saved Brynhild, but because of jealousy and not understanding the full situation, Brynhild planned Sigurd's death, which resulted in many feeling sorrow and Brynhild killing herself. 

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception. 

I would like to reflect on this idea of Norse Heroism and put this perspective in my own life. Throughout my years in middle school and high school, failure is always something I fear. Failing a test, not making it into a sports team, not being cast the role in a school play, etc. is all something really scary that we don't want to happen, but after reading about Norse Mythology, I'd like to see these "failures" in a new light. I'd like to see each person as their own hero in their own stories and as heroes we should never give up. Even if we know we will fail, we should never yield and try because failure is only when you stop trying. One low test grade shouldn't stop us from trying, but instead push us to keep moving forward and do better on the next one. 

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

I'd like to apply this lesson to something all seniors are going through, which is applying to college. Some may see applying to Ivies and these big-name schools as impossible to get into, but we can't give up. We won't yield to the competition or our own fears because if you don't try you will never know. I'd also like to see not achieving some of the things we want and "failing" as some type of destiny. As heroes in our own lives, we were destined to go on whatever path life puts us on, and not getting into one college or not making it onto a sports team could be the better option. Through the unexpected route, we can find things even better than what we wanted and learn lessons we actually needed. Norse mythology is definitely one of my favorite mythologies we have learned about so far and I will take this idea of being a hero throughout my entire life adventure.