The Origin and Structure of “Middle Earth"

Question 1

The Old Norse creation myths related by Snorri and earlier Norse sources start with a scene of?

Answer 1

Chaos and disorder that precede the arrival and existence of gods who will come to rule over the world. Matter first, divine spirit later.

Question 2

It is in all likelihood under the experience of the glaciologist-volcanic features of Iceland that Snorri has the world and its finest inhabitants arise out of a muster of ….?

Answer 2

Extreme heat and extreme cold in the great “yawning abyss” called ginnugagap.

Question 3

No life can exist in the Extreme heat and extreme cold so the creation of sufficiently temperate intermediate zone (between Niflheim and Muspelheim) becomes important. This idea is expressed in the idea of?

Answer 3

Midgard (Mistranslated as Middle-Eath) but more closely related to middle yard, enclosure, or homestead.

Question 4

The world created revolves around a central axis in the shape of?

Answer 4

the tree Yggdrasil

Question 5

There is talk of how many worlds located on the different levels of Yggdrasil?

Answer 5

9
But this may be learned addition by Snorri to showcase his classical knowledge.

Question 6

There is a tendency to spatially segregate or separate races or beginnings, into?

And the spatial distance is often enhanced by?

Answer 6

gods (two distinct families), giants, elves, dwarves (sometimes referred to as “black elves,” through the designation is not clear), and humans are each housed in their own world.

The spatial distance is often enhanced by natural barriers (seas, mountains). As in Greek mythology, the world is surrounded by a great sea.

Question 7

As in many other mythologies the early stage of the world is marred by conflicts between groups vying over control of the earth. In Norse Mythology we learn of an early struggle between?

Answer 7

God and giants, especially the first original frost giant Ymir, in the course of which almost all giants are exterminated in a great flood.

Question 8

Looking at the genealogy of the first gods (Odin Vili and Ve) you will notice that they are genetically speaking both … ?

But the Aesir gods put a lot of effort into … ?

Answer 8

Giants and gods!

Odin is the son of the giantess Bestla who descends from Ymir.

But the Aesir gods put a lot of effort into constructing a social distinction between themselves the the giants that is then enshrined as a racial distinction.

Question 9

Just as many languages are related because they descend from a common parent language, so are …. ?

Answer 9

The related mythologies!

It is possible to relate Norse creations myths to myths from other cultures and geographical regions because they are all descended from one common parent culture, the Indo-Europeans

Question 10

What killing reinforces the spilt between the gods and the giants?

Answer 10

Odin is a giant on his mother’s side. Odin and his brother kill an older generation thereby reinforcing the slip between god and giants.

Question 11

The Old Norse cartoon story of the original frost giant Ymir, Buri/Odin and the cow Auôumbla is related to?

Answer 11

A variation of an original PIE creation myth, which is more clearly on display in the great Sanskrit and early Iranian/Avestan accounts.

This story also has two closely related beings (“twins”) where one sacrificed the other and uses the body to create an ordered world.

This sacrifice is the first in a series: for the purpose of all following sacrifices is to renew the original act and thus keep the world as it was created.

Question 12

Basic features of the PIE creation/ordering myth?

Answer 12

• There are two closely related figures (“twins).
• Very often, one has a spiritual function (like Odin), the other a more worldly function (like Ymir).
• The core importance of a cow (Auômbla). This is not surprising given that we are dealing with either pastoralist or agricultural societies. In Iceland, cows are a status symbol.
• One of the twins is sacrificed by the other (the sacrificer). Frequently, the body of the former is instrumental in creating the world.
• Ever subsequent sacrifice re-enacts the original sacrifice.

Question 13

Why is the cow Auômbla important?

Answer 13

Without the cow Ymir would not have survived and Buri would not have come to ife.

Question 14

How does the PIE creation story related to the Romans?

Answer 14

The myth of the (twin) brother Romulus and Remus (the killing of the latter by the former) is not about the creation of the world but about the foundation of the city Rome. And a cow is just not mach enough! So they replace it with a she-wolf

Question 15

Which races/being do not have their own realm in Norse mythology and why?

Answer 15

The antisocial ones like trolls and ogres.

Question 16

Which being are between humans and gods?

Answer 16

Elves. There are superior to humans but do not belong to the gods

Question 17

Why are elves difficult to define?

Answer 17

Over time they’ve gotten mixed up with fairies.

Tolkien tried to amend this by making them more formidable, but it is unknown is this is closer to what the Norse believed.

Question 18

Why should we not apply ‘scientific’ taxonomic categories to mythical beings?

Answer 18

These concept did not exist at the time.

We should not project Linnean categories back into the Middle Ages and earlier.

Question 19

Why do we have to be mindful of the agendas and biases of the accounts of Northen mythology?

Answer 19

The old pagan Scandinavian societies left virtually no written testimony of their native believes. So we have to depend on outsider accounts, most of which few written after Norse Paganism had passed into history.

Question 20

Describe the seemingly shamanistic practice, Thornier Thorkellson (The speaker of the Law) used to decide which religion Iceland should follow and how this was later used?

Answer 20

Thornier Thorkellson withdrew into his booth, crept under an animal skin, and stay there for 24 hours before announcing his decsion. He chose Christianity, but though the process he used it could be interpreted that the contacted the gods (Odin, Thor etc.) and that they informed him that they would willingly step aside.

Question 21

What is the most important source for our knowledge about the Norse gods?

Answer 21

Snorri Sturluson, in particular his Prose Edda.

Question 22

Tell us a little bit more about Snorri?

Answer 22

He was a prominent chieftain and a “Speaker of the Law”.

He was an accomplished poet at the time.

He was killed due to political intrigues.

Question 23

Iceland’s three main export products in Snorri’s days? And what kind of power did this give

Answer 23

1. Fish
2. Wool
3. Poetry (especially skaldic poetry full of kennings)

It is a kind of soft power = particularly in international politics, the ability to co-opt rather than coerce. It involves shaping the preferences of through through appeal and attraction.

Question 24

Why was Snorris skaldic poetry difficult to understand?

Answer 24

It was full of kennings, which are figurative compounds made up of densely packed metaphors. You must be familiar with Norse mythology to understand these kennings.

Question 25

Provide some examples of kennings related to norse mythology?

Answer 25

Lord of the Gallows = Odin
Baldr’s bane = Mistletoe
Wolf’s father = Loki
Yuma’s skull = Sky

Therefore poets and audiences need to be told about these gods and methinks.

Question 26

The Edda was not intended to be a collection of stories for entertainment purposes, but rather?

Answer 26

A kind of primer or instruction manual that
1. tells readers how to write skaldic poetry
2. provides authors and performers with background information about the Old Norse content.

“This is what you need to know in order to fully underhand and enjoy our great Icelandic poetry!

Question 27

Snorri’s Edda consists of 4 parts, but only the first 2 will be in the exam. What are they?

Answer 27

1. Prologue; Origins of Norse Mythology. Christian creation story and origin of the good from a very famous city.
2. Gylfaginning: On the creation and destruction of the world.

“The Tricking of Gyfi”: A Swedish king (Gylfi) travelling in disguise to Asgard meets three “gods: (“high”, “Just as High”, and “
Third”) in a big palace. The question each other about mythology; in the end, the “gods” and their balance suddenly disappear.

Question 28

Snorri was presented with a problem; he was both a proud Icelander and a Christian, meaning that?

Answer 28

He wanted the gods of his ancestors to be real, but he could not pass them off as real gods! He did not want to incur charges of blasphemy, but neither did he want to belittle his cultural heritage by implying that Odin, Thor and Trey are mere fantasy products.

Question 29

Snorri was facing the dilemma of making the Norse god real buuut still not too real you know. So what 3 strategies did he use? 1. Demonology

Answer 29

1. Demonology: The old gods appear to be demons and devils that kept unenlightened people from the Christian gospel. They impersonated “gods” like Odin in order to keep their believes from Christianity. Look at Gylfaginning: there is a lot of trickery and deceit on the part of the “gods” (probably only Odin split up into three parts) who are pulling off a kind of Wizard of Oz stunt.

Question 30

What is a possible Norse prefiguration of Jesus?

Answer 30

Baldr the Beautiful, the beloved god who dies and returns from death.

Question 31

Snorri was facing the dilemma of making the Norse god real buuut still not too real you know. So what 3 strategies did he use? 2. Prefiguration

Answer 31

2. Prefiguration: The OLD Norse myths are said to contain anticipations of Christian doctrine, thus proving that the old pagan Scandinavian societies were already on their way toward a true understanding of the world. We can therefore appreciate old pagan religions as precursors of the Christian faith. For instance, the death of the beloved god Baldr (more of whom in a few weeks) his return to Hel and subsequent return, is said to prefigure the fate of Jesus.

Question 32

Snorri was facing the dilemma of making the Norse god real buuut still not too real you know. So what 3 strategies did he use? 3. Euhemerism

Answer 32

3. Euhemerism: Myths and gods can be attributed to the deification of historical figures and events. The Old Norse gods were very impressive kings and rules who were remembered as gods after their death. Thus they were very real, but they wet not real gods. In fact, they are said to be descendants of the rulers of Troy (Thor is said to be a grandson of King Priam of Troy), who migrated to Scandinavia. Odin become a king of such renown that after his death he was remerged as a god. This puts the old Scandinavian kingdoms on a level with the Romain Empire, which according to legend was founded by the Trojan refugee Aeneas. And of course there’s a linguistic proof: Aesir looks like Asia, so the Aesir gods came from Asia. Complete nonsense, but Snorri pulls it off.

Question 33

Snorri’s Trojan Connection??

Answer 33

Snorri claims that the Aesir “gods” were humans who came from Troy on the continent of Asia. Thor is a grandson of Kin Priam of Troy.

He uses “clear and incontestable proof” Aesir sounds and looks like Asia -> pure BS

Question 34

So Snorri’s Edda is basically doing 3 things?

Answer 34

1. Supporting Snorri’s claim that he is a really good poet
2. An instruction manual that will serve for the future use of Icelandic skalds (poets) and thus be good for the country
3. A bit of medieval consumer engineering (teaching the audience what it needs to know to appriacte the product)