Angel Lee, Period 5, 2/3, Day B

For the past couple of weeks, we have been reading Norse myths and going through team presentations during class. Group 5 presented lessons on "The Story of Gerd and Frey" and "Hymir and Thor's Fishing Expedition." I found it interesting how Norse mythology also has a "Cinderella story." Logically speaking, if I was in Frey's position, I would not have give Sumarbrander to Skinir, knowing that Ragnarok was bound to happen. However, it does connect to the idea that love trumps logic and thought sometimes. When we were discussing Hymir's and Thor's journey to get the cauldron, I realized that Thor may not have been the hero that he was always portrayed to be. He killed 100 giants without thinking... because he wanted to keep a cauldron. He never seems to realize his flaw or feel remorse, because the gods' view of him as being their protector makes him feel superior. Also, he has never needed to take responsibility for his actions, because if something does go wrong, he default to two choices: blame it on Loki, or kill it! 

Group 6 discussed Balder’s death and Loki’s punishment for indirectly killing him. Loki and Balder represent exact opposites of each other. Loki is hated by everyone, Balder is loved. Loki is disloyal and cunning, while Balder is joyful and pure. One can see how Loki can be jealous of the attention that Balder gets. It is similar to an older sibling getting jealous of their newborn baby sister because the parents are focusing on the baby more. As Odin’s brother and the son of a giant, Loki does not truly belong on either side. Humans always seek a sense of security, and usually one’s one can provide that comfort. However, Loki does not have that. By helping both the giants and gods, he is not aligned with either, and thus, is not welcomed. While Balder receives love and protection by merely existing, Loki is despised. Despite helping the Gods fix their problems, take the blame, and obtain treasures for them, Loki gets nothing in return. Of course, the treatment from the gods does not justify how he killed Balder, but it broadened my perspective of Loki and the Aesirs as characters. Also, a friend and I discussed the loyalty and dedication that Loki’s wife showed. He was being tortured, yet she held the bowl to catch the poison so that he would be in less pain. He cheated on her with a giant, yet she still stayed by his side. We found it almost heartwarming, that a story filled with cruelty and murder would contain such heartfelt emotions. Although some Norse gods are portrayed as violent, cold, tough, they are still human and it shows when love is their ultimate weakness. 

From my group’s project, we investigated Loki’s portrayal as a villain and questioned whether it was justified. Based on the two myths that my group read, there could’ve been an argument supporting and rejecting the notion that Loki is a villain. It made me realize that there are multiple perspectives to every situation. Marvel’s influence on the general public has made everyone perceive Loki as a trickster and automatically assumes that Thor and Odin are heroes. However, Marvel’s series of movies about Norse mythology fails to mention Thor’s violence or Odin’s bias. It suggests that humans like having a clear, easy answer to everything. It is simple to assume that those that aren’t “heroes” are villains. However, what truly defines a hero? Does Thor’s good deeds justify his lack of regard for others? From doing the project, I understood how there’s a fine line between good and evil. Also, due to the god’s mortality in Norse mythology, I was able to reflect on the similarities of humanity and how certain themes are recurring in various cultures. It reinforces the importance of human connection, especially in today’s society. In a world where we are so physically disconnected from each other, it is comforting to know that there are still many beliefs that connect all of us.