Here are the questions for weeks 1 - 3. Please use the comments section to post your answers. Do not make a new blog:
1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
The main place the old myths have is serving as inspiration.
ReplyDeleteStarting with novels there are several examples of this influence, including J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit, Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards series and Rick Riordan's various works.
One of the major influences in Tolkien's work is the epic poem Beowulf. In the lecture 'Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics' given by Tolkien himself he acknowledges an inspiration for the Hobbit. "It had these two primary features: The dragon and the slaying of him as the chief deed of the greatest heroes" (Tolkien, 2002, p.113).
A series which finds its inspiration from the old Greek myths is the Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch. In these novels the world has a religion that consists of a pantheon of twelve gods, each responsible for specific elements of daily life and a thirteenth god on the outside of the main group, referred to as the Crooked Warden. This is exactly like the gods of Olympus of which there were also twelve with Hades serving as the thirteenth outsider.
Another author who draws from the old myths is Rick Riordan. He has written two highly successful young adult series based of the classic Greek and Roman myths like Hercules and Achilles, another series based off the Egyptian mythology and he is reportedly working on a new series on the Norse myths as well.
Film and Television also have many influences and direct references. Many films have been made about the myths themselves from the 2007 film Beowulf stretching back to the 1957s Hercules and 1981s Clash of the Titans.
In the Marvel cinematic universe, arguably one of the most successful franchises the modern era, has multiple references to the Norse mythos. Films like Thor and The Avengers feature many prominent characters, as mentioned in the Voluspa, like Odin, Thor and Loki.
Television is also filled with the old myths. Hercules and Xena warrior princess are excellent examples of the old Greek myths in TV and the New Zealand series The Almighty Johnsons was filled with the Norse gods.
Old myths influence isn't just limited to the western world either. In the Japanese anime Fate/Stay Night the Irish mythological hero Cú Chulainn is one of the 7 legendary spirits that take part in the holy grail war as is Medusa and Circe from Greek Mythos.
The Smithsonian American Art Museum has an entire exhibition dedicated to the myth and modern society which includes the 1961 Enchanted Rider by Bob Thomspon and Romare Beardens 1976 The Return of Ulysses.
The Enchanted Rider is a depiction of the Greek myth of Bellerophon flying toward Olympus and being struck down by Zues and Beardens piece is of the final act in Homer's Odyssey, the myth of Ulysses and his journey home.
Video games are the most recent medium of the modern world and are also filled with the old myths. Games like God of War and Dante's Inferno are direct interpretations of the old myths, using characters and plots taken directly from the source. While games like Shadow of the Colossus and Skyrim borrow themes and creatures like the titans and dragons.
The old myths are prevalent throughout all mediums of entertainment of the modern world either through direct translations or through influence. They also sources of scholarly research at most universities.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (2002). Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from http://producer.csi.edu/cdraney/2011/278/resources/Tolkien%20-%20The%20Monsters%20and%20the%20Critics.pdf
African American Artists Affirmation Today. Myth and Modern Society. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from http://americanart.si.edu/education/pdf/myth_modern.pdf
Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved March 5, 2015 from https://autonline.aut.ac.nz/bbcswebdav/pid-3175435-dt-content-rid-5192089_4/institution/Papers/166101/Publish/Desire_Critical%20Reader_2014.pdf
Excellent post. Shows a wide knowledge and understanding. I suppose the next question is, why are these ancient texts still being use. It suggests these myths and archetypes are still active in the modern human mind.
ReplyDeleteTo establish what place old myths hold in the modern world, we must first analyze the prevalent themes within mythology (specifically Norse mythology) that are still apparent in modern times. We must then try to distinguish the definition of the term "myth", which will vary depending on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to):
ReplyDelete- religion
- culture
- ethnicity
We must then attempt to disambiguate the perception of literal truths and symbolic truths. Arguably, most people nowadays would perceive the texts as symbolic, but we cannot definitively state that these texts were not once thought to be a genuine chronicle of life in the Early Middle Ages.
For the purposes of this post I will be specifically be referencing Voluspa and Beowulf, with reference to other prescribed texts.
Firstly, let's consider the personification of nature; "there is an ash tree, its name is Yggdrasil, a tall tree watered from a cloudy well". This ash tree is thought to "have nine roots which form nine worlds". Now this vast tree had branches that reached into the Heavens, and enabled the Gods to travel between worlds. So, it was essentially a transporting mechanism. But, to someone proficient in the art of dissecting literature, this is not meant to be taken literally, and rather as a metaphor for a collision of worlds. Or, perhaps, to humbly remind us that we are all connected to one another.
The reference to human beings as 'children'. For example, "sons of Heimdall" meaning "human beings". If you choose to invest in ancient mythology, then human beings are the children of the Gods (though sometimes we're treated more as their pets - if Homer's Odyssey is anything to go by), but a more symbolic analysis is that we are all small and vulnerable and in need of guidance and nurturing. It is a universal and timeless truth that human beings have an explicable yearning to feel a sense of belonging in the world, and to take refuge in the belief that an almighty saviour is watching over us and helping us to overcome personal hardships.
Evil manifests as literal beasts. We've all heard of the 'big, black dog" as a metaphor for depression (I suppose that could be considered an urban myth). Well, in mythology we've got people battling dragons left, right and centre. Now don't get me wrong, nothing impresses a lady more than a man who has gone out and slayed himself a dragon, but we can't overlook the lesson we're being taught here; dragons are bad > dragons are greedy (they hoard treasure) > greed is bad. Furthermore, what provokes the dragon in Beowulf is the fact that someone steals his goblet (don't ask me what a dragon wants with a sodding cup, because I really don't know) so we can also deduce from this that stealing is bad. Oh, and killing is bad too. Dragons are just a manifestation for all that's wrong with the world, and hunting/killing them is basically a war on crime/terror.
....which brings me to my final, and possibly favorite point; the quest for the Holy Grail/Goblet/Shiny thing. WHY DO MEN LOVE RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR A GLORIFIED CUP? (Or a ring.) Vogler's theory on the "Hero's journey" dictates that the quest for the Holy Grail is essentially a hero's coming of age story (though he refers to it as 'seeking an elixir' which is more selfless than greedy). Monty Python explores the possibility that it's all just complete and utter nonsense. Freud would probably theorize that the goblet represents a mother's breast and it's all a subconscious and repressed need to breastfeed again. Or, it's possible, that the Holy Grail is a tangible thing that represents a much less tangible concept; the quest for happiness and gratification.
If you wanted to you could also do a superficial analysis of the quest for the goblet/grail/shiny thing. The item represents an insurmountable task and one could argue that the "Hero" undertakes the task out of hubris, for the right to say I am the best as I am the only one who could do this task. Most often the Hero does go to slay the dragon or find the thing out of a desire to protect their people but there is always the undertone of ego running rampant (perhaps another reason why it is always a man who goes on the quest since women tend to be in better control of their egos).
DeleteI forgot to include references in my original post...
DeleteMythology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology
Norse mythology. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythology
Yggdrasil. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yggdrasil
I see the quest for the grail/shiny thing as, ultimately, a quest for spiritual transformation. Like Alchemy, the quest for material symbolizes the quest for the immaterial. You mention Freud and breast fixations, why not mention Jung and his quest fixation? Religious quest.
DeleteWell referenced.
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ReplyDeleteWhat Genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteTo be able to place a text into a genre, we have to first define the genres and the difference between them as some are quite similar, such as a saga and an epic poem.
STARTING with a myth: A myth is any story in which a god or gods serve as the protagonists. They often deal with the origins of the world or the great deeds of the gods and how they came to be.
Saga: A saga is a prose narrative (usually of Nordic origin) that is focused on one family or social histories and legends.
Epic Poem: An epic poem is an extended narrative poem, traditionally elevated in dignified language, which focuses on A SINGLE hero and their episodic feats. The hero is usually human or demigod.
There are many similarities between a saga and an epic poem such as they were originally told before a written language existed so the copies we have today are merely translations of the original text.
The major difference, aside from the country of origin are that a saga is told in prose while an epic is told as a poem or song and that a saga will focus on a families entire history while an epic will only tell the episodes of the great deeds.
Fantasy: A more modern genre, is a factious story told of a heroes quest. The world usually has some form of magic or fantastical beast like a dragon. Fantasy was also written rather than told orally.
These are just basic definitions of large an expansive genres in which some of the greatest stories in history are told.
Now to place the texts into these genres.
Voluspa: Myth - The Norse gods are the protagonists and the great battles between them.
"Far-famed Thor, the son of Earth, the son of Odin, goes forth to fight the snake."
Volsunga Saga: Saga - Nordic in origin, it tells the story of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild and destruction of the Burgundians).
"Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts."
Beowulf: Epic Poem - Tells the tale of the great deeds of the human hero Beowulf in an episodic fashion.
"I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight."
The Hobbit and LORD OF THE RINGS: Fantasy - A modern novel with a non-godly protagonist going on a quest to destroy a great evil. Set in an imaginary world with magic and fantastical beasts and was originally a written text.
"Then Bard drew his bow-string to his ear. The dragon was circling back, flying low, and as he came the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his great wings."
References:
The Difference Between. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://the-difference-between.com/saga/epic.
Voluspa. Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Volsaga Saga. Morris, W. & Magnussun, E. (Trans.). (1888). The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga). London: Walter Scott Press, pp.58-62.
Beowulf. Heaney, S. (Trans). (1999). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin,pp 70-80.
The Hobbit. Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The Hobbit, London: HarperCollins, pp.ix;233-242.
Clear. Excellent breakdown. Especially as words like 'epic' and 'saga' have looser modern connotations.
DeleteI would put forth that the place Myths hold in the modern world is the exact same as they did in the ancient world. The only difference between them would be the fact that in the ancient world these myths were often believed as literal truth.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the place myths hold stays the same through out history in that they are ways of expressing humanity's thoughts, fears and desires on a cosmic scope as they regard Gods, supernatural creatures and spiritual issues.
These narratives are arguably a way to wrestle with the deepest questions and thoughts of humanity in a palatable way. Fears of the end of the world, such as Ragnarok which we can read about in the Völuspá are dealt with in a poetic sense as a way to evoke true thought in the reader, while allowing them to explore abstract concept.
Myths have been and always will be an important aspect of our lives. The reasoning being, that without them humanity would have no way to create in the abstract. Christopher Booker writes in his book “The Seven Basic Plots” that
“Our Passion for story telling begins from another faculty which is itself so much part of our lives that we fail to see just how strange it is: our ability to ‘imagine, to bring up to our conscious perception the images of things which are not actually in front of our eyes.” (Booker, 2004, p. 3)
I bring up this quote only to help solidify my argument that Myth in it’s most basic form is the key or the seed to imagination. Without Myths (which are the earliest form of story telling) it could be argued that great works of literature could not exist. Myths are the seeds to growing imagination.
So the purpose of myth in the modern world is two fold. Firstly, the purpose of myth stays the same as it has always been - as a way to think about abstract, spiritual or cosmic aspects of the world we live in, a way to unpack ideas and evolve ideas on these topics. For example, one could look at the verse in the Völuspá and see it as a primitive form of scientific theory for that culture:
“There is an ash tree – its name is Yggdrasil – a tall tree watered from a cloudy well dew falls from its boughs down to the valleys; ever green it stands beside the Norns’ spring.” (Terry, 1990)
Yggdrasil of course, being the world tree which connects all nine worlds together in Norse Mythology bears a striking resemblance to our modern day scientific theory of the Multiverse.
“I remember giants of ages past, those who called me one of their kin; I know how nine roots form nine worlds under the earth where the Ash Tree rises.” (Terry, 1990)
“The multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of infinite or finite possible universes (including the Universe we consistently experience) that together comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy as well as thephysical laws and constants that describe them. The various universes within the multiverse are sometimes called parallel universes or "alternate universes".” ("Multiverse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia," 2015)
...Without Mythology to encourage our thoughts on these topics, scientists would have arguably had a hard time uncovering this particular theory.
ReplyDeleteThe second purpose of Myth in modern world is in a way far simpler, it’s purpose is to be respected and appreciated. Appreciated as the source of inspiration for our increasingly complex ability to imagine and tell stories with meaning.
An example of this is JRR Tolkein’s The Hobbit. Note the similarities between the text of Beowulf:
“When the dragon awoke, trouble flared again. He rippled down the rock, writhing with anger when he saw the footprints of the prowler who had stolen too close to his dreaming head.” ((Heaney, 1999)
And the Hobbit:
“Fire leaped from the dragon's jaws. He circled for a while high in the air above them lighting all the lake; the trees by the shores shone like copper and like blood with leaping shadows of dense black at their feet. Then down he swooped straight through the arrowstorm, reckless in his rage, taking no heed to turn his scaly sides towards his foes, seeking only to set their town ablaze.” (Tolkein, 1997; 1937)
In fact, it is well known that Tolkein borrowed heavily from Beowulf and Nordic mythology to construct both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
In conclusion, Mythology is still relevant today, it is relevant in inspiring us to imagine and create in the abstract, it is to be respected as the seed that grew our creativity, all the way back in ancient times.
References
Booker, C. (2004). Introduction and historical notes. In The seven basic plots: Why we tell stories (p. 3). London: Continuum.
Heaney, S. (Trans). (1999). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin,pp 70-80.
Multiverse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2015, March 11). Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse#Bibliography
Terry, P. A. (1990). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The Hobbit, London: Harp
Satisfying comment, Nick, if a little vague at the end. What does it mean for a myth to inspire us? Is it because the theory of archetypes is true?
DeleteI like the comment "these narratives are arguably a way to wrestle with the deepest questions and thoughts of humanity in a palatable way".
DeleteI definitely agree that myths/metaphors are a powerful tool for digesting the heavier things in life. Of course, this can be a breeding ground for ambiguity and misinterpretation, but on the other hand - moralistic metaphors tend to have a fairly universal meaning and relevance.
Maybe we're just not as gullible nowadays?
I would also like to touch on something that could easily be overlooked, and that is the undertone of feminism.
ReplyDelete"Much wisdom, have three maidens
Who come from the waters close to that tree;
they established laws, decide the lives
men were to lead, marked out their fates."
I love this idea that it was a woman's role to establish law and dictate human fates. (These maidens may not have been paid the same as the male Gods, but they still got the job.)
This ideology is truly ahead of its time - in fact, it's so far ahead of its time that we still don't currently live in a time where it is feasible.
Greek mythology also has women Goddesses who are not confined by sexist gender stereotypes. Consider Athena, the Goddess of "wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic war, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill in ancient Greek religion and mythology." Then Roman Goddess 'Minerva' is identified with the same traits.
And yet, in the year 2015, very few countries allow female conscription during war time (though several allow voluntary enlistments). Yes, this topic opens a whole other can of worms, whereby some people would acknowledge that gender equality does not mean claiming there are no physical differences between men and women (i.e. is actually sexist to say that men are, generally, stronger and more physically able than woman?).
In further readings into Norse Mythology I discovered "Alfhild" - a young princess who concealed herself in men's armour and went to war to avoid marrying King Alf. This draws parallels with Lord of the Rings character Eowyn, whose famous line in the movie 'Return of the King' after slaying the Lord of the Nazgul (i.e a really, really bad guy) is "I am no man". It also reminds me of popular Disney heroine, Mulan, who trains as a soldier to prevent her elderly father from being drafted into war.
Furthermore, there is the Valkyrie, which Wikipedia (2015) defines as "a host of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live".
I think the following article extract accurately summarizes the representation of women in Norse Mythology and Literature, as being a product of the attributes required of them in those times. Where wisdom, bravery, strength and honour are more commonly associated with being inherently masculine traits, Norse mythology explored the possibility these traits could be possessed by women as well.
"The Norse ideal of a powerful female might be compared profitably with the simultaneous European ideal of a beautiful woman as captured in "the male gaze." Whereas Norse society felt compelled to construct an ideal female figure according to the needs of society, in France-where life perhaps was less precarious-male authors could afford to imagine an ideal woman according to a male vision of female beauty. Epitomized by the writing of Chretien de Troyes, this ideal has remained with us, but just as only a few modern women comply with the standards of Madison Avenue, so too only few Norse women met the requirements inherent in the ideal of male power. The category "woman" may not be useful in apprehending the status of a few Norse women, but the few admired women designated by attributes normally associated with males, cannot avoid the reality that the majority of women belonged to the powerless." (Jochens, 1995.)
Marks, D. (n.d.). Norse Goddess Names. Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/norse-goddess-names.htm
Valkyrie. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyrie
Conscription. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription
Jochens, Jenny. "Feminist Scholarship in Old Norse Studies" Medieval Feminist Newsletter 19(1), 29-30 (1995)
Don't forget perhaps the single greatest example of empowered females - the Amazons, they were one of the most powerful warrior races and the men were the stay at home type while the women did the fighting. I totally agree with you, in the ancient societies women were held in much higher respect. After all the myth revolving around how Athens, the most powerful city at the time, got its name was in a competition between Athena and Poseidon and the people chose Athena. Also despite the fact that the women technically could not vote in ancient Greece research has revealed that women held influence through their husbands. In the home they were the rulers and they were able to "advise" the men on what to do, perhaps influence by the idea of the fates being the keepers of knowledge and guidance. Some of the most powerful figures through ancient myths have been women as well from Isis in Egyptian, Freya in Norse, Hera in Greek, Nuwa in Chinese and Shiva in Indian.
DeleteCourtney, behind your wonderful humour there is a good point lurking. Maybe, just maybe some of the so called 'primitive' cultures were less sexists than our own!
DeleteTo understand these texts fully first we must put them in to their correct genres. Beowulf is written as an epic poem, but because what we are reading now is a translation it is not wildly known that it was originally written in alternative verse witch was the type of poetry that Anglo-Saxon’s used. Völsunga Saga, this saga tells tales of love, tragedy, betrayal and adventure through many generations. Voluspa is a myth telling the story of the world’s creation and its end. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are both fantasy novels written by J. R. R. Tolkien.
ReplyDeleteMyths still to this day hold a very important role in modern society, all though we now know them not to be true fact. Myths where just stories that where believed and re-told, changing as the years went on. As they didn’t have things like proper forms of documenting we cannot be sure of what was originally in the stories and how they have been edited and changed through the series of Chinese whispers that kept the stories alive. When the stories where written down and documented it is still hard because everything before they where written down is just what has been spoken from one person to another, it is not known for sure of what was the true actual fact of the original story. Residual orality is very prominent in stories such as Beowulf because at the time that the story was captured we don’t know what had happened before this time with the lack of writing, even the fact that we don’t have an exact date or author for the tale makes the orality of the story very hard. The hero kills the dragon. The hero saves the girl. The hero gets the ‘goblet, ring, gold’ back. Some story lines never change, this can be seen in many movies and books coming out in the modern age, with the traditional story line of the male character slaying some kind of danger to save and win the girl. If you look at Disney and the fairytales re-told time and time again to children it is obvious that the main basis of the tales is the typical man saves woman. The prince slays the metaphorical dragon, in most cases the ‘evil stepmother’ as such to save the princess who is unable to save herself.
The legendary stories of Beowulf inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels witch have become massively influential. The popular movies and books have spread around the world, to the extent of things like Hobbiton being built up to be a massive tourist attraction. This story contains both the idea of killing the dragon and a mission to get to the holy grail, this has been described as the young mans coming of age story, something he has to do to prove himself, weather in a selfish way or a selfless way. Myths were society’s way of dealing with the unknown, a way to answer the questions that people had no idea how to handle.
Tolkien’s novels where strongly inspired by Norse and Germanic myths, for example the descriptions of the dwarfs and elves where taken from two pieces of work, Prose Edda and poetic Edda. Tolkien described Gandalf as an ‘Odinic wanderer’, this shows how the character Gandalf was influenced by the Norse Deity Odin, an older man with a long white beard ‘The Wanderer’, both these characters are similar in looks and the ideas that they promote, knowledge, truth and justice.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete" 'Genre' [...] traditionally serves to indicate different
ReplyDeletekinds of literary and artistic works. Language
educators and linguists have extended 'genre' to
identify classes of language use and
communication in all areas of life." (Allison, 1999)
Although in general most people are comfortable with the distinction of "myths are stories about gods, epic poems are about heroes" we must consider the original purposes of these bodies of text and our understanding of the role of oral tradition in societies or civilizations before and after emergence of chirography, and in particular once Christian scribes took control of passing on meaning to later generations.
It is nearly impossible for us to imagine how a culture without writing has gone about passing on information to later generations. If we consider the vast range of knowledge a human being needs to possess to succeed in navigating social conflicts as well as physical survival in an environment reasonably less tamed by civilization, we have to assume that the body of texts passed on in these societies served many purposes, way beyond simple entertainment.
Since the Voluspa and Volsunga Sagas as well as Beowulf dates back to a period where genre expectations of the audience were obviously not influenced by modern scholarship, the determination of genre is - as in epic poem or myth - not as simple as one might think. Further complications come into play, if we consider that a Hero may be considered a deity but they do not necessarily perform "godlike" feats:
Sticking a sword in another human's or beast's ribs certainly does not require supernatural powers. The secondary nature of this orality, if we put it simply, the level of distortion by the recording Christian scribe, makes the distinction in the case of these sagas even more a matter of approach, which again would be influenced by personal opinion.
Tolkien's works in contrast are clearly novels. His innovation is that he constructs an imaginary world fully equipped with all aspects of culture: languages, mythology, religious beliefs, history and physical environment. For this reason many view him as the founder of fantasy literature. The influences on his world of Norse and Celtic mythology as well as the Beowulf story-line have been widely discussed and perhaps more often argued about then what one would consider to be constructive. His achievements in providing the reader with catarctic experience are not diminished by the existence of any antecedents of the motives.
5. Discuss how Tolkien’s use of “tradition” differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism?
ReplyDeleteBefore delivering the discussion on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “traditional” characteristics, it would be necessary to point out the background of his era. The author started writing myth novels since he served in the army in World War I. Researchers argue that the mythology he created was based on England, and the goal was to introduce various old sayings that had come down over generations without “introduction”. Note that meaning of words changes over time. Especially, it might be impacted significantly while the culture is conquered by others. For example, since England was conquered by Normans in 1066, many researchers hold that, various Old English stories were lost (Martinez, 2011) .
In order to pass down the English legends, Tolkien preferred using the words that had survived before the Conquest period to make up novels, such as The Book of Lost Tales, which, however, had not been accomplished. As Tolkien’s most important work, The Hobbit was published in 1930s. Until the masterpiece, he never finished putting together all of the pieces of old sayings with his imagination such as Middle-earth in the novel.
Therefore, people believe that Middle-earth is not only maps in the novel but more importantly a selection of tales on imaginary characters and events happened on an imaginary land. On the other hand, all of the senses are intended to demonstrate the real past of the world. As what has been explained in the novel, Middle-earth is an old English stands for habitable lands of Men.
Unlike modernism, Tolkien never gave up presenting something in the view of a real mythological world of the Old English people and even a part of northern Europe. Eventually, Tolkien achieved his original goal—to generate a mythology for England. The writer even expanded it by creating the mythological story for northern Europe or perhaps the entire world.
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteOld myths have influenced the modern world significantly. In order to clarify the effect, the application of Greek myth in Astrology is summarized in terms of zodiac mythology. In zodiac, most of the characters received their names based on Greek and Roman legends. Seven of the Greek-based constellations are:
• ARIES (March 21–April 19)
Aries is from Athamas, who was a king in the land of Croneus in Greek mythology. The king married his first wife Nephele, and they two children Phrixus and Helle.
• TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
Taurus is based on Greek mythology too. In order to chase Europa, Zeus changed himself into a beautiful white bull, which, later on, became the second constellation.
• GEMINI (May 21–June 21)
As the third constellation, Gemini stands for two heroic Greek twins Castor and Pollux. After the love affair Zeus had with their mother, she had four children: Castor, Pollux, Clytemnestra and the beautiful Helen of Sparta.
• VIRGO (August 23–September 22)
According to Greek myth, Virgo stands for the goddess lived on Earth.
• SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)
According to the Greek mythology, Sagittarius is Chiron, the kindest Centaurs, which were half man, half horse.
• AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18)
In Greek myths, there was a god known as the ‘Water Bearer’ or ‘Water Pourer’, who was also from one of the love affairs Zeus had.
• PISCES (February 19–March 20)
As the last constellation in the zodiac, Pisces is corresponding with Greek legend on Aphrodite and her son Eros.
Since constellation has practical meaning of defining the imaginary regions of the sky, Greek mythology involves in modern astronomy. Zodiac is considered as the energy of the major planets. Note that Astrologers also consider zodiac as the archetype of “cycles”, the signs being phases or levels of development within the entire cycle.
8. Discuss what you think any these texts desire?
ReplyDeleteIn order to carry out the discussion, I would like to explain the desire in the perspectives of the characteristics and the way it delivers. Note that the characteristics of a myth story might be summarized as:
• A story could be considered as a true explanation of the real world;
• Most of the characters are always non-human, including gods, goddesses, supernatural creations, and first people;
• Involvement of interplay between different worlds;
• Description of activities that not follow natural laws;
• Social actions based on real world, including the way of living, social values, and core meaning of individuals , families and communities;
• Duality of the characters, which reflects the basic structures in myths;
• Theme is ordered by language such as various lists, names and places.
In order to make reading more pleasure, we note that more and more heroines appear in today’s myth narratives. For example, the myth of Fa Mulan in The Woman Warrior wrote by Maxine Hong Kingston, a Chinese American author, and the mythic tendency Paradise that finished by Toni Morrison.
One of the most pleasurable aspects of myths is its world-creating and world-affirming. We note that myths have changed from traditional male-centered such as the story happens in a male dominated world to parallel centered or even female-centered backgrounds. On the other hand, myths are necessary in the era of identity crisis. Marta Weigle argues that “Significant psychic transformation–whether an important decision, critical insight, creative task, schizophrenic break, or change in consciousness–is heralded and expressed by cosmogonic myths and motifs in dreams and various verbal and visual creations” (Weigle, 1989).
Therefore, it is exciting to notice many female heroines are in the myth work of contemporary female writers. It has been demonstrated that myth novels are full of enjoyment in that they present rich resources to make sense in the real world.
References
1. Martinez, M. (2011). “How Did JRR Tolkien Create Middle-earth?”.
http://middle-earth.xenite.org/2011/12/20/how-did-jrr-tolkien-create-middle-earth/
2. Weigle, M. “Creation and Procreation: Feminist Reflections on Mythologies of Cosmogony and Parturition”. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1989.
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematize" the hero-myth of Beowulf?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1QDTFFmqKg
The film problematizes the hero-myth of Beowulf by compromising his portrayal. Firstly, the title "Beowulf and Grendel" gives Grendel an equal status, diminishing Beowulf as the major character and hero. The original poem has one hero. Though this production is not a Hollywood one, the film uses a similar approach, championing the underdog, giving a voice. Like Hollywood movies, it endears the audience to be sympathetic.
Though Beowulf is portrayed with archetypal hero qualities, the film gives his character a softer image. This appeals as an audience can identify with him because despite wondrous heroic feats, he is a mere mortal and has his moments of fear and self-doubt like the rest of us. In the film, he seeks the witch's counsel to know what Selma foresees. He seemed anxious about the final outcome regarding the king, himself and even Grendel. In the epic poem, it says he had a moment where he plummets into an abyss of deep anguish and despair and his blackened mood had affected his state of mind.
“It threw the hero into deep anguish and darkened his mood: the wise man thought he must have thwarted ancient ordinance of the eternal Lord, broken His commandment. His mind was in turmoil, unaccustomed anxiety and gloom confused his brain" (p. 7.)
In the epic poem, Grendel is cast in an unsympathetic light as the antagonist, a murderous troll. A monster gaining pleasure slaying men.
" in the fight with Grendel. He out-grappled the monster and his evil kin." (p.7.).
In the Icelandic production, Grendel's character is portrayed in a sympathetic light. The film begins with a scene showing him as a youngster watching as his father is killed by the Danes. He is then shown making his way down from the cliff to his father laying lifeless on the beach. There is a poignant moment when he tries to awaken his father then realizes he is dead (5.43). He is shown grieving over many years at a shrine he made in honor of his father. Selma sympathized with Grendel and believed he was justified in his revenge. In the movie, Beowulf is shown as conflicted in his views, he questioned Selma regarding Grendel's angst. Beowulf also questions the king, asking if Grendel had ever slain women or children or old men (47, 08). The king replied "He fights with a clean heart." but then argues that it doesn't matter that he spares the children, Beowulf asked King Hrothgar if anything had been done to the troll but the king replies "Who cares, he is just a troll!" The king finally confesses he killed Grendel’s father. (1.14.31). Beowulf's tried to understand why the troll was antagonistic towards the Danes. He yelled at Grendel to leave and save his life. The film shows him having protective instincts like keeping Selma safe from the Danes, also not wanting to slay Beowulf as his quarrel is with the Danes. Even the king says; “He fights with a clean heart.” Yet the poem casts him as a monster.
Beowulf spared Grendel's child's life and built a monument to him before sailing home. (1.30.36). the film was a good portrayal of Beowulf, a hero who cared for other's welfare and those who suffered misfortune. The film allowed the audience to see his vulnerable side. He was aware of his own mortality. After a mock duel with a Dane, he says ‘Fear has its place.’ A hero and a Savior with a conscious. A nice departure from an archetypal hero, who goes off to battle, brags about his feats and then to celebrate getting drunk at a banquet.
Reference:
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin, pp 70-80.
Beowulf and Grendel. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1QDTFFmqKg
"A hero and saviour with a conscience." (not conscious)
Delete8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
ReplyDeleteI believe one intention is to offer the reader a sense of connection: to the past, historical, spiritual or cultural. Many people are looking for a sense of identity and belonging. The social interactions between the individual characters are akin to the real world, where we share fundamental beliefs and values regarding families and relationships and social actions. At the time, the texts would have served as an explanation for the creation of the world and the universe (creation myths), especially in the times before people had converted from paganism to Christianity. For example: Völuspá (Song of the Volva).
Nothing was there when time began, neither sands nor seas nor cooling waves. Earth was not yet, nor the high heavens, but a gaping emptiness nowhere green.
Then Bur’s sons lifted up the land and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling; the sun shone out of the south, and bright grass grew from the ground of stone.
I believe one desire and intention in how they wish to be received is as if the texts were treated as though they were a journal account of a bygone era. A time when life was far simpler, just man and nature and survival. The texts desire may also have been to serve as a link to a one's ancestry (depending if the reader is from the countries the texts originated from). During 19th century, an archaeological excavation found evidence dating back to the time Beowulf was written. The discovery was viewed as a possible link to Beowulf' and the sagas.
"A man was found buried in a barrow (c 575). The remains included items of value, including a Frankish sword with gold and garnets. He was dressed in attire made of Frankish cloth woven with gold threads. The burial was befitting that of a king."
How they wish to be received? I believe the texts were written with the desire to be remembered. The texts are captivating and lure you into the plots combining intrigue, mystery, magic and mayhem. The story tellers of old, in relaying the original myths, legends and folklore were masters in their craft. Their stories to be retold through generations through primary orality, chirography and now secondary orality. These texts are enchanting, captivating and engage an audience so they're immersed in the texts regardless of whether it was based on fiction, factual people and events or an embellishment of the truth.
What pleasures do they offer? I believe the texts offer the readers a veritable smorgasbord of literary delights, whetting a person’s appetite and curiosity compelling the audience to want to delve further. The texts offer an escape from people's day to day reality, momentarily transporting them to an imaginary world filled with gods and goddesses, dragons and monsters, super natural beings, and so on. Story lines often involve an interplay between different worlds and a duality of the characters.
The texts can act as a motivational tool to inspire the reader to embark on their own kind of journey/ quest, something that has personal significance. The texts can serve as a lesson in letting go of fears, real or imagined. The desire of the texts may have been to have the audience in awe of the people that lived in that period, their lives, past glories, conquests, heroic feats real or imagined. Lastly, the texts can serve to teach people some kind of life lesson and/or used as a cautionary tale.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf
Norse Mythology. Retrieved on from http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/mythology.html
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_myth
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteMyths are tales representative of the past, symbolic of the way people in ancient times had lived out their lives and their perception of the world and the meaning of life; their beliefs, religious and cultural views, customs, values and rituals. Myths are thought to serve as an explanation of the origins of the world and the universe (cosmogony and cosmology). Marta Weigle believes the most important function of myth is its world-creating, world-affirming aspects. (Weigle 1982).
Nothing was there when time began, neither sands nor seas nor cooling waves. Earth was not yet, nor the high heavens, but a gaping emptiness nowhere green.
Voluspa Extract 1.a
Myths can serve as cautionary tales and as a forewarning of things that may come to pass. Both myths and the Bible offer people a sense of hope and confirmation of the meaning of life. People want to believe in a higher power, in something greater than themselves. Several passages that upon reading have similarities to some Biblical texts. The following sample text from 'Voluspa', is similar to a couple of stories in the Bible. The first part is a reminder of the Biblical story of Cain who through jealousy, killed his younger brother Abel. The words in the latter part of the text brings to mind the story of the family that was led out of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah just before God destroyed the entire city.
Brothers will die, slain by their brothers, kinsmen betray their close kin; woe to the world then, wedded to whoredom. (Voluspa. Extract 2)
Myths offer the reader an insight into the past, the myths origin, a reflection of the people in those times, their history, religious views and their perception of life and view of the world.. They are symbolic tales involving an abundant creation of supposed imaginary worlds with strange beings, fantastical creatures, mythical beasts and monsters, powerful gods and goddesses and fearless heroes as in Voluspa (The Song of the Volva). The myths encapsulate the era of ancient civilizations. Myths may have been influenced by /or revolved around ancient civilizations cultural traditions, spiritual beliefs, social customs and ancient rituals.
Myths also serve as a source of inspiration. Tolkien admitted, it was Beowulf that had inspired his work 'The Hobbit'. (Tolkien. 2002). The story tellers of old were grand masters in the art of weaving tales then regaling them, the audience like wide eyed children. Myths can also serve as lessons in morality, teach values and impart wisdom. Myths can serve as a catalyst to inspire a person to embark on their own journey that leads to a spiritual or personal growth or enlightenment and so on.
The ongoing use of myths have become increasingly popular over the years, especially in the age of 'secondary orality' (Ong. 2002) evident in both the film and television industry: films like 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief' (2010), 'Hercules' (2014), and 'The Avengers', (2012). Myths are also the inspiration for a variety of computer and console games like PS4's new release 'Apotheon'.
Myths are included in selected literature papers at major universities.
References:
Voluspa "The Song of the Volva" Retrieved from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lusp%C3%A1
Terry, P. (trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
What is Myth Retrieved April 18 2015 from:
https://faculty.gcsu.edu/custom-website/mary-magoulick/defmyth.htm
Norse Mythology. Retrieved April 9 2015 from:
http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/mythology.html
Extract: Heaney, S. (Trans). (1999). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin,pp 70-80
http://occupytampa.org/files/wcom/ong%20walter%20orality%20and%20literacy.pdf
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf?
ReplyDeleteThe hero-myth of Beowulf is problematised in the film Beowulf and Grendel mainly because we feel sympathy for the 'monster' Grendel. The opening scene is of Grendel watching his father being murdered. After this he grows up, by himself, in a cave on the edge of a beach away from everyone.
Shortly after Beowulf arrives he and his men are set the task of hunting down and killing Grendel. It is during this conflict between Beowulf and Grendel that we start to question Beowulf's heroic nature and whether it is in fact heroic.
There were a few moments when I found sympathy for Grendel. When Beowulf and Grendel get into an argument and Grendel can't speak English because he was left on his own and wouldn't be able to communicate with anyone around him. Probably the most crucial moment is when Grendel breaks into the house that Beowulf and his men are sleeping and starts knocking them off one by one. Whilst Beowulf is chasing him, Grendel gets his arm caught in a string of rope and ends up dangling from the house. In a moment of desperation he carves his own arm off to get away. In the actual myth I believe Beowulf is the one that rips Grendels arm off. You can tell at this moment that Beowulf is also starting to have second thoughts about who Grendel is and what his reason is for going after them. I also felt better about Beowulf in this moment because he doesn't just mindlessly keep hunting, he stops and questions the situation.
Characters that also bring sympathy to Grendel is the witch who lives outside the village and the son, you find out about towards the end of the film, she has with Grendel. Finding out that his mother is the 'thing' that lives in the waters around the village and is only attacking people to protect him humanizes Grendel.
All of these things make is harder to watch Beowulf do his 'duty' and call it heroic. In the myth you think of Grendel as this hideous beast and Beowulf as the strong, courageous hero but the film makes Grendel vulnerable and therefore relatable. Beowulf's heroism and humanity when he decides not to kill Grendel's son or rat out the witch help us to see him as more of a hero.
References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCR2SgkmVvw