Intro to the Saga Flashcards
What is a skald?
A storyteller
author
unknown icelandic skald
written when?
1200-1270 AD
Spread by…
oral history
How long has this been around?
Germanic stories from around 400 AD
When was this written after?
Many were early Christians so they wrote this down in prose or poetry
How is this similar to Beowulf?
- author is Christian relating Christian stories to background, but it does not have Christian elements. It only implies that all that happens has ceased.
What does this show us about the culture?
they were pagan
Setting
prehistory time of AD 300-400
Who is Odin?
Also known as Woden, the God of death, wisdom
What can they not comprehend?
love, justice due to culture of fear, death. A man’s life was nasty and short. NO hope.
What do monsters represent?
Evil, but reflects evil in culture
Dragon represents…?
greed and ferocious defense of possessions.
Werewolf?
Intense nature of Norse tribes
Norse Cosmology: How everything was formed?
- void
- North = mist and ice, South = fire
- Mist/ice and fire meet, creating Ymir, the frost giant
- Ymir produces giants from his ice drips.
- Cowlick (salt) makes the gods
- Gods ave children. Odin and others kill Ymir, drown giants in blood
- Blood makes sea
- Body makes land
- Flees become humans
What is heaven?
- Asgard section is Valhalla, where Odin feasts
What do gods and men do?
They fight giants
Norse Cosmology: ending of time
A great serpent chews the tree, everything comes down.
- Ragnarok - ending time where they have battle
- Man and woman come out from tree and replenish the earth
What did CS Lewis and Tolkein like about this?
gods/men unite to fight evil.
Who is Baldr?
the handsome sun-good who represents good and is loved but then dies because Loki (trickster and brother) throws the mistle-toe at Baldr, killing him. Evil is too powerful.
where do the people live?
Midgard
What ash-tree holds up the earth?
Yggdrasil
What’s at the bottom of the tree?
Nilfheim (Hel) and norns/fates
