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).
If I were to place Voluspa into a specific genre, I would say it was a myth. According to Collins English dictionary, the meaning myth, is defined by a story containing mythological beings or supernatural beings. Also, a key component of a myth is the involvement of gods or demigods. This is confirmed when the Volva, insights the name, Odin (king of the gods), or when it is mentioned at the beginning of Voluspa, “Hear my words, you holy Gods”.
ReplyDeleteVoluspa is a myth of epic proportions, it not only describes the creation of earth and its nine other worlds, but it also goes into detail on how the destruction of these worlds and their gods.
Well though out Aaron. The Vulsunga is called a saga. Why isn't Voluspa called a saga? what is the difference here?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Collins English Dictionary, the word "Saga", is defined as a story written in Icelandic, recount the events of a hero or their family. "Voluspa is a single poem. The Volsunga Saga covers more than one main plot or theme over 40 chapters. In the post below, I answer one of the question 4 of this post.
DeleteWell answered, Stewart.
DeleteWhat genres do the following texts belong to?
DeleteFor the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, these seem to fall into the epic fantasy genre, one could also argue that these stories created the
modern use of the term epic fantasy. Whereas, Beowulf is in this same mold (fantasy) it is also considered an epic poem, this has a lot to do with the age of the writing.
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ReplyDeleteWhat genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteVoluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and The lord of the Rings
Ans: In my opinion, Voluspa is belong to myth. Voluspa is telling about creation of the world and it related by Odin (the god of the Norse mythology). According to the Oxford dictionary, myth means to a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon. Moreover, we can find out Volva talk to the god Odin in the beginning of voluspa, “Hear my words, you holy gods, great men and humble sons of Heimdall”, so I believe that Voluspa belong to a myth.
Second, I think Volsunga Saga also is belonging to myth. According to Oxford dictionary, Saga means ‘A long story of heroic achievement, especially a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse or Old Icelandic’. There are 43 chapters in Volsunga Saga. Moreover, the central characters of the Volsunga Saga are Sigurd and Regin. Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology and Regin is foster father of Sigurd in Norse mythology.
Third, I will think Beowulf, The hobbit and The lord of the Rings are belonging to Fantasy. Although the poem of Beowulf is set in Old Norse, the story fulls of fantasy, for example, the dragon and the monster, Grendel. These characters do not exist in the world, it’s by people’s fantasy.
It’s same as the hobbit and the lord of the Rings.. We can find out the dragon in The Hobbit looks like the dragon in Beowulf. Moreover, these two stories (the hobbit and the lord of the Rings) appear many different characters and ethnicity, such as the hobbits (Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins), Maia (Gandalf, Saruman), Elf (Legolas Greenleaf, Galadriel), Dwarves, Ents and Mans. Also, the world of the stories is middle earth, it’s a fictional universe, but it’s a large, magnificent worldview. These above are fantasy, not a myth.
Reference: https://autonline.aut.ac.nz/bbcswebdav/pid-3175435-dt-content-rid-5192089_4/institution/Papers/166101/Publish/Desire_Critical%20Reader_2014.pdf
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/myth
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/saga?q=Saga
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I removed my comment because I need to edit it again
I really like your post and to say how they each fitted into a genre type.
DeleteIn my opinion beginning to see similarities in all forms of literature, I see the patterns more clearly laid out. These patterns are how they are structured. Games like Mario, Zelda, Sonic and others are heavily influenced by these older texts. Still with the hero overcoming the great villian while being tested along the way. Making the journey the most important part of all.
For you to say that they each belong to a specific genre or group is fine but I find such labels do not do them justice. To label something, you put it into a group of which you may have very little to a lot of understanding of. The problem with this is that definitions change and the labels of the times do also.
It could be said each of Tolkiens texts should belong in their own genres or under one mega genre, the B.V.V genre. The continuing of using common themes from these texts in newer ones.
This is all food for thought though.
Here are some additional of Beowulf
DeleteBeowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem, difference between poem and epic poem is usually the length of narrative difference where an epic poem is much longer. Beowulf describes the heroic man, Beowulf. The mention of heroes are as follows: “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. ......… ; as was the dragon, for all his long leasehold on the treasure.”(p.74)
A good answer, Dave. I was interested in your idea that Beowulf is fantasy. Fantasy is a modern genre, as defined, but I think you are right and that Beowulf was like the fantasy of its day. We can't be sure however, that those listening to Beowulf did not take it as truth in a sense that nobody believes in Hobbits!
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete5. 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).
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).
These texts desire (how do they want to be received) + Tolkien uses tradition vs modernism
Tolkien as we all know wrote some famous books like The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings among other stories. What I am going to discuss is how the language used differed from techniques of modernism and what makes these texts desirable.
Modernism is the term describing the period from around early to mid-20th century. In this period from the events of war and catastrophe, writers and literature changed. Changed from the romantic stories of old like Shakespeare to works of deeper meaning. A meaning of what to each of us makes us who we are and what we decide to do. His books were written in this period but did not completely reflect it. He almost refused the newer way of telling stories and stuck with what gave him such an influence in the first place. From my readings and interpreting his work, he drew a great deal from older texts like Beowulf to the Volsunga Saga. However he did in some areas of modernism. He took in and showed in his work his inner self. Perhaps trying to deal with what he had to endure in WW1.
His fusion of pre all the way to post modernism literature helped him to craft these books. But what draws us in to wanting to read on, to read the next page. In my mind these texts are trying to be received in a way of retelling some of the oldest texts in English or Latin language and putting a modern twist on them. A modern twist by incorporating what is happening around his and his views. Some could say that they are completely unique works that denote his literary genius. Others could say exactly what I said or see it in whatever way they want. What makes us desire to read books of any kind or of any form (graphic novel, movie, video game) is a personal connection. A connection to someone or ourselves in our lives. Perhaps we want to be like the main characters or villains, making a character or group of characters someone to be aspired to or we want to get lost in a world of fantasy to escape our own world problems. Reading is a form of escapism as it is narrative in any sense even if it is fiction or non-fiction.
I could be wrong and I accept that. The main thing is that I tried and put forward my ideas as in my opinion I would rather have many opinions to come to a conclusion than only one or from only one side.
References
CliffsNotes. (2014). What are characteristics of Modernist literature, fiction in particular? [Webpage]. Retrieved 15th March 2015, 2015, from http://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/literature/what-are-characteristics-of-modernist-literature-fiction-in-particular
Society, T. T. (2015). J.R.R. Tolkien Timeline [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.tolkiensociety.org/author/timeline/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwuI-oBRCEi87g0K3O8OoBEiQAb25WAcgxV4RohMu0wqLqEzaKl3SYmXkOiqfyJwm4n1sikIgaAta48P8HAQ
An okay post but you don't really describe 'how the language used differed from techniques of modernism and what makes these texts desirable.' You give no examples. Keep your answers specific. Opinions need to well grounded in the other secondary texts.
DeleteI will keep everything you said in mind and try better in future to give better answers to questions I choose. I hope is that my newer answers to questions will have more well grounded examples to back up any statements and explanations I have made. Thank you Mike.
DeleteI like your comment and how you showed the difference between a poem and epic poetry. You are right that Beowulf is described as a hero but a hero is again one of those labelling terms. No one man, especially in modern stories or movies is good or evil. They are all a shade of grey in the sense that each do things that they justify. It is the context and how society sees it that makes it acceptable of not. In this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVfBnZPgXC4&list=WL&index=2 by Kiri Calligan, it goes into how we see people now.
ReplyDeleteAgain, this is all food for thought.
Stewart, you are right about the ambiguous nature of many modern 'heroes' but in the Beowulf's story there is no ambiguity. The goodie is the goodie and the badie is the badie! Just like Tolkien who could be said to be pre-modern in that sense.
DeleteI am answering to the question 1.
ReplyDeleteThe genre of The Voluspa is a mythological poem. This is story indicates creation of world. I was able to guess this story is a mythological poem from those sentences. “Then the holy gods met to give judgement. They holy gods took counsel together: They named night and night’s children, gave names to morning and night afternoon and evening, ordered time by years.”
Heroic epic is defined as “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand event.” In Beowulf, Beowulf is a hero with brave to battle against monster, Grendel. He defeated the monster and save Hrothgar’s life and others. We can catch Beowulf is a great legend or warrior from these sentences. “I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning.”
Volsunga Saga is focused on hero as well as Beowulf so that, I would say that is one of epic poem. “Few may have victory by means of that same countenance of terror, for whose comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all.
The Hobbit and The lord of the Rings are similar each other in many facts such as adventures, imaginary world and magic so on. However, I could see some differences between them. Even if they are fantasy novels, each has own focus for readers. Hobbit is set up in dwarf’s world with comedic magic that are popular for children but The Lord of the Rings are more adventurous and dangerous as like high novel fansy.
Well answered KS. A careful, accurate answer. Make sure you reference quotes such as the definition of heroic epic. Where did you get this quote:“a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand event.” ?
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DeleteReference
Deletehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/epic+hero
Sorry I had forgot to write the reference.
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteMyths were created about in B.C so that, most of myth places have been destroyed already. Maintaining places for more than 3,000years is hardly possible. However, the difference between Greek mythology and others is that Greek mythological places are still exited such as Athens, Knossos and Delphi. How is it possible to maintain places for more than 3,000years? I think their place names have not changed at all and their stories have still told many people through word of mouth, play or movies. In addition, Lumbini that is the Birthplace of the lord Buddha can be one of examples.
Reference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/666
This is true enough but very limited. How do these myths live on in the modern world?
DeleteAthens, Knossos and Delph I mentioned are still in the places and visitors are possible to visit and see what there are and they are about. Not all myth places are allowed to visit to protect them originally but in Greek, the myth stories are told and explained to people to protect their myth. The stories or explanation make people very careful.
DeleteTrue, KS, but think also of how these myths are still active in movies, stories, computer games ....
Delete6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, old myths also are an important part of every country/place. Old myths can show the history of the countries. For example, the Greek mythology reflect the ancient Greek religion and political, civilization. We can know more the history through the old myths.
On the other hand, old myth still is important in the modern society. I believe that many young people will not recognize the old myths directly, but they still can touch the old myths indirectly. For example, the movie, ‘Thor”, it’s a story which about the son of Odin, Thor. We can find out many characters which are god in the movie, such as Loki, Odin, Sif… Although the story of the movie adapt, it’s not the original story of the myth. However, it still makes audience interest in it. Moreover, even book writers look back on myths to get the inspiration of their book when they write. Old myths become the culture/ literature in the modern world nowadays.
Dave, Your first paragraph is a bit vague and general, but your second paragraph hits the topic. The idea here is that myths somehow represent or dramatize internal psychological forces known as archetypes, so therefore, in a sense, the myths are still 'true' or active. Look up archetype. Do these ancient myths still tell us something about human society and culture, or are they just good for entertainment?
DeleteI think the archetype myths still telling us something about human society and culture. Archetypal myths show and explain the nature of the life and the world. We can see the features through the archetypal myths. However, as I said, Old myths become the culture/ literature in the modern world nowadays. We usually think that it's only good for entertainment when we touch myths in different way, such as book, movies, games.
DeleteBut if we really want to research myths, we still can find out that messages and different cultures behind old myths.
My first post - Split into 2 posts.
ReplyDelete4 - 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.
Tolkien draws inspiration and influence from Old Norse and Old English like the Volsunga Sagas and Beowulf in all sorts of ways.
Specifically for Tolkien’s novel, “The Hobbit”, he drew one of the main plot lines from a scene for the Epic, “Beowulf” In the scene of Beowulf, the protagonist removes the “gem studded goblet” from the fortress guarded by a sleeping dragon. In the hobbit, this scene is mirrored where the main character Bilbo steals a golden cup. A goblet and cup are only slightly different, can be considered the same.
Another way both stories share a similar plot structure is where both Bilbo and Beowulf, acting both as thieves fail making the dragon awaken angered and seeking revenge.
Quote - The dragon began to belch out flames and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow that scared everyone – Beowulf (Beowulf, cited in Critical Reader, Week 1, p.5)
In Beowulf, the dragon seeks revenge by killing Beowulf’s immediate party but in the Hobbit, Bilbo narrowly escapes but the dragon still seeks revenge and fires away to burn down a nearby lake-town of Esgaroth.
Quote - Before long, so great was his speed, they could see him as a spark of fire rushing towards them and growing ever huger and brighter. (Tolkien 1937, p.27-28)
For both the Hobbit and Lord of The Rings stories, a recurring theme of an all mighty ring runs through them. This source of this idea Tolkien’s got for his Hobbit and Lord of The Rings stories comes from the Volsunga Saga.
More specifically in where Loki pays off a family in which he killed the family member “Otter”. He paid the family in what is called “were gild” to prevent revenge upon him from happening. In addition to this were gold, he gives the family “Andvari’s cursed gold ring” also as payment. This cursed ring twists each person, the person who do not possess it, kills for it. The person who possesses it will kill others to protect it for all costs (this is how I interpreted it, if I am wrong, please tell me).
“Otter were gild paid by Loki with Andvari’s cursed ring; Fafnir slits his own father’s throat to get the ring, and forces Regin to drag the treasure into a secret cavern under the mountain of Mirkwood. Regin flees.” Fafnir becomes a ‘serpent’ (i.e. dragon). (Summary of Volsunga Saga, p.4 above)
Tolkien took this idea of a cursed ring and expanded on it and made it a central theme of his Lord of the Rings stories but gave it an origin in the Hobbit story.
DeleteTolkien’s Gollum character – A character from Old Norse tale who killed a person near the river for possession of the cursed ring.
It is revealed in The Lord of the Rings how the water-hobbit Gollum (once Sméagol) murders his brother Deagol over a ring they have found near a riverbank. Gollum retreats deep into the Misty Mountains and becomes a strange, amphibious creature living on raw fish who obsesses over – and happily murders – for possession of the ring.
Tolkien also got an idea for one of the opening of the Hobbit (Both present time in Hobbit and near present time for the Lord of The Rings stories) “The scene for a feast” from Beowulf. In the Beowulf story, this idea comes from in the story where the character Beowulf feasts and boasts about his “great deeds”. This is in some ways mirrored in the Hobbit but taken in a different way, where he is the one who is quiet and the guests are loud and overbearing.
Note these are only a few ways in which J.R.R. Tolkien drew inspiration to help sculpt his “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” novels. Ancient tomes like Beowulf, the Volsunga Saga and other stories helped him.
Feedback or input on my post would be greatly appreciated.
References
Beowulf Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin, pp 70-80.
Volsunga Saga Morris, W. and Magnussun, E. (Trans.) (1888). The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga). London: Walter Scott Press, pp.58-62.
Lecture 2 – Lecturer’s Notes and Slides given in class.
Excellent answer Stewart. Great examples. You are hitting form now!
Delete4. 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.
ReplyDeleteWe all know Tolkien’s works, ‘The hobbits’ and ‘The lord of the Ring’. We can find it out Old Norse and Old English texts in his marvellous works. For example, Tolkien used an Old English name ‘Saruman’ in ‘The Lord of The Ring’. The name is from Old English, searu. It mean clever, skilful and has associations with both technology and treachery that are fitting for Tolkien's portrayal of Saruman, the "cunning man". (Hugo, 2012) .By knowing what ‘searu’ means, the reader can then question the intentions of the character. It makes the understanding of reader’s more distinct.
Also, the world in the hobbit and the lord of the Ring, ‘Middle- earth’ also is from the Old English word, middangeard. Middangeard is one of the Nine Worlds in Norse mythology, and it’s the land of human habitation. However, we can find out many different types of characters in the Middle- earth. Tolkien created a mythical land in his works. Moreover, Tolkien used many Old Norse’s name in The Hobbit, such as Gandalf, Gloin, Groin, Bifur, Bofur… We also can find these names have a similar rhyme.
Tolkien also used some elements from Beowulf. The character of the dragon in Beowulf is similar to the Dragon of The Hobbit. In both stories, the main characters also need to steal the treasure from the dragon and slain the dragon. To sum up, we can find out evidences that Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Ring.
Reference: Hugo Joly Morin (2012), ''Beowulf'' and the Influence of Old English on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Retrieved 16 March 2015 from
http://www.academia.edu/1567195/Beowulf_and_the_Influence_of_Old_English_on_J.R.R._Tolkien_s_The_Lord_of_the_Rings
Middle- Earth, Retrieved 16 March 2015 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle-earth
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ReplyDelete7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
ReplyDeleteBefore answering this question I needed to define of problematise. According to the Oxford dictionary, problemaise has a definition as "Make into or regard as a problem requiring a solution" So that, I have thought If I catch the points or differences between the Beowulf of myth and the film Beowulf and Grendel, I would be able to solve this question 11.
First point is that no dragon is shown in the film "Beowulf and Grendel". Defeating Grendel, Grendel's mom and dragon makes Beowulf heroic but I don’t think that is not what a direction tries to tell. Probably direction has tried to tell Grendel’s poor situation so the first scene which is Grendel’s dad’s death is shown. I think direction tries to show Grendel's poor situations in the movie by no shown dragon
Second point is that Beowulf of myth is focused on hero Beowulf but the film is focused on Grendel more than Beowulf. The movie displays why Grendel killed the people and what happened to Grendel when he was a child. Maybe, when audiences watch the movie they may understand Grendel's mind.
Reference
Wikipedia . Beowulf and Grendel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_%26_Grendel
Wikipedia . Beowulf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf
Oxford dictionary . problemaize
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/problematize
You are getting there, KS. the modern movie elicits our sympathy for the 'monster' and shows him losing his father and displaced from his lands by invading conquerors. There is none of this in the original tale.
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ReplyDelete4. 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.
ReplyDeleteJ.R.R Tolkien had a vast knowledge and great love of European mythology and Old English texts. His works on Middle Earth are heavily influenced by Norse/German mythology. Such influences include Beowulf and The Volsunga Saga.
In Beowulf vengeance is the main theme that drives the narrative forward. Beowulf is the main protagonist and hero who on his own accord seeks out vengeance against the monster Grendel for terrorising Hrothgar, the King of the Danes. In this case vengeance is portrayed as a pure and heroic motive. Beowulf then goes on to kill Grendel’s mother for killing one of Hrothgar’s people. This is where the motive of vengeance becomes more complicated and less admirable because the mother was only seeking retribution for her son. After Beowulf returns home and becomes King himself, an enraged dragon goes on a fiery rampage after a golden cup was stolen from his lair. Beowulf manages to slay the dragon but at the cost of his own life.
In The Hobbit vengeance is what drives Thorin and his company to reclaim their home land and lost treasure guarded by Smaug, the Dragon who destroyed their home and murdered their people. Vengeance and greed is shown in negative light as it corrupts Thorin almost to the point of madness. Bilbo awakens the Dragon when he steals a great cup from his lair, Smaug then proceeds to lay his wrath upon Lake-town. The Dragon is slain and a great battle ensues over the lonely mountain of Erebor.
It is said that the idea of the all-powerful and cursed ring in Lord of The Rings comes directly from the Volsunga Saga. In one of the stories Loki kills Otr, the son of Hreidmar the Dwarf King and in reparation gives Hreidmar a cursed ring that can produce gold. Hreidmar is later killed for the ring by his own guards. In Lord of The Rings the character of Gollum kills his own brother for the one ring and it ends up consumed by it. The character of Gandalf is also based on Odin, the father of Loki and a deity. They are both old and have a long beard and they both have similar qualities such as righteousness, wisdom, supernatural powers etc.
Beowulf
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans).Beowulf: a new translation.London:Penguin.
Volsunga Saga
Morris, W. and Magnussun, E. (Trans.)(1888). The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga). London: Walter Scott Press
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit
This post is a two part response to questions 1 and 3.
ReplyDelete1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
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).
Voluspa is considered the most famous poem of the Poetic Edda, a series of texts by unknown authors based primarily on Norse Mythology and German heroes. Voluspa belongs to the myth genre because it explains the creation (and eventually destruction) of the universe and the origin of man through the legend of the great Norse God Odin. It tells the story of how before time there was nothing until Burr's sons (Odin and his brothers) lifted the Earth from the Sea and created Midgard, the land of men. Myth is also defined as beliefs that are widely and historically held but are known to be false, hence the supernatural aspects.
"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."
The destruction of the Earth as described in Voluspa is where man turns to complete anarchy and chaos and the world is burning. Brother slays brother, kin betrays kin, and demons rise. Earth’s defender Thor, son of Odin, mortally wounded defeats the giant serpent but the human race no longer has a home. Until of course the world is reborn anew. This central incident is similar to central incidents in Beowulf and The Hobbit. In the story of Beowulf Beowulf slays the Dragon in the lair at the cost of his own life, and in The Hobbit Thorin and his company awaken the Dragon and reclaim the mountain of Erebor, which ultimately leads to Thorin’s death. So in each case the monster is killed but the hero ultimately dies.
Volsunga Saga also belongs to the myth genre because it is an epic saga which tells the historic tales of Odin and his decedents, the Volsung family in a series of 40 sagas which depicts the rise and fall of the Volsungs, the stories of Sigurd and Brynhild and destruction of the Burgundians. The main themes include envy, greed, wrath and the power struggles of Kings. There are also dragons and the cursed ring of Andvaranaut and lots of other cool things. Odin appears throughout the saga as a wanderer and a mentor, similar to Gandalf in The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings.
Question 1 and 3 continued
DeleteThe Saga starts off with Sigi, the son of Odin, who is branded as an outlaw for killing his hunting partner over a kill. With the help of Odin he becomes king of Hunland after a series of raids and battles. Sigi gives birth to Rerir who takes his father’s place as King. The wife of Rerir could not give him sons so they prayed to the fertility Gods and Odin and his wife answer. Rerir's wife was with child for 6 years and in that time Rerir dies. Volsung the son of Rerir is born by caesarean section at the cost of his mother's life. King Volsung had 10 sons and a daughter. The daughter attracts the interest of King Siggeir of Gautland who goes to the Volsungs to marry her. At the Wedding Odin arrives disguised as a beggar and thrusts a sword in to the tree Barnstock and says anyone who can remove it may keep it. All but Sigmund the son of Volsung failed at removing the blade. Envious King Siggeir offered to buy it but Sigmund refused. King Siggeir later ambushes and kills King Volsung and his men when they journey into his homeland. Only Volsung's 10 sons survive but they were held captive and killed one by one until only Sigmund remained. Sigmund eventually escapes with the help of his sister (the wife of Siggeir). Sigmund's son Sigurd goes on to slay Fafnir the dragon.
"So whenas Fafnir had his death‐wound, he asked ʺWho art thou?
And who is thy father? And what thy kin, that thou wert so hardy
as to bear weapons against me?"
"He answered, Sigurd am I called, and my father was Sigmund."
In the cases of Voluspa, Beowulf, and The Hobbit the killing of the monster ultimately lead to the death of the Hero. In the case of Volsunga Saga the monster Fanfir asks for the identity of his killer so he may place a curse on him and his family. In The Hobbit the dragon asks Biblo who he is, where he comes from and why he is intruding. Bilbo is a ‘burglar’ and a hero in his own right.
Beowulf is a Fantasy story in the sense that there are magical creatures such as the monster that is Grendel and the Dragon. There are quests the hero Beowulf goes on with his super strength to slay Grendel and the dragon. It is set in medieval times but there is no attempt to explain the universe or the origins of man which kind of separates it from myth, although this story has been passed down from generation to generation. In a way it is a myth and a fantasy of its time, which was a long time ago.
The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings are modern fantasy stories set in medieval times with mythical creatures such as hobbits, dragons, elves and orcs etc. There is a quest to slay Smaug the dragon and reclaim the mountain it guards and there is another quest to destroy the all-powerful cursed ring. In these stories there is little attempt to explain the universe and the origins of man but there is thousands of years of history in Middle Earth portrayed in The Silmarillion explaining the origin of Middle Earth and the first men.
Voluspa
Völuspá, from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Völuspá
Volsunga Saga
Extract Morris, W. & Magnussun, E. (Trans.). (1888). The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga
Saga). London: Walter Scott Press, pp.58-62.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/volsungsaga.html
Beowulf
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans).Beowulf: a new translation.London:Penguin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf
The Hobbit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobbit
I forgot to mention Yggdrasil, the world tree in Voluspa. It is a colossal tree central to Norse cosmology which reaches the heavens, roots the underworld and branches into the nine realms of the Universe, it is considered very holy. It's just another way Voluspa explains the universe.
Delete"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 (Yggdrasil) rises."
The idea of a world tree such as Yggdrasil is present in several European and Asian mythologies.
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.
ReplyDeleteOne example of Tolkien drawing from an Old Norse tale, comes from the Volsunga Saga. When Loki, kills the Otter whom is Fafnir and Regin's brother Otr, an agreement is settled for compensation. The brothers demand the otters skin filled with gold, and with this gold comes a ring, a cursed ring. Loki offers up the ring last but he is the only one who know it is cursed. The ring and gold taint Fafnir, because in the night he slits his fathers throat and takes the gold to a cave. He is also transformed into a dragon.
One can see the obvious resemblances with Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (L.O.R). Firstly the cursed magic ring, mentioned earlier was given as compensation to Fafnir and his family. This happens at the very beginning of L.O.R, where the great rings are given, three given to the Elves, seven to the Dwarf Lords and nine rings given to the race of men. However, they have been tricked, like Loki tricking Fafnir, there was another ring which ruled them all, Sauron's ring.
Furthermore, the ring and gold given to Fafnir taints him and drives him mad, and thus Fafnir kills Father and heads to a cave. This same taint happens in Tolkien's, The Hobbit, where Thorin, once reclaiming his gold, has been tainted and suspects the others are trying to take it. Thus the idea of cursed or tainted gold is used in both the Volsunga saga and The Hobbit.
Another clear example, is the use of a dragon slumbering over a mass amount of treasure, and the dragon must be killed in order to regain or acquire the gold. In the Volsunga Saga it is Fafnir whom slumbers over the gold and is in the end killed by Sigurd. In The Hobbit it is the might Smaug whom slumbers over the vast wealth of the Lonely Mountain, and in the end it is Bard who kills Smaug. An interesting correlation is how Smaug is killed in The Hobbit and how the dragon, in Beowulf is killed. Both Dragons are killed by the use of a weak spot in the scales.
How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels?
ReplyDeleteLastly, the use of serpents as representations of evil.
Serpents be it flying or swimming, are used in in Voluspa and in the Volsunga Saga, and Tolkien has followed suit drawing from both. The serpent Jormungand, in Voluspa poem, is used to represent one of the evils of Ragnarok. This can been seen because he is the foe of Thor, the champion of Midgard (Earth).
In the Volsunga Saga, as mentioned earlier it is Fafnir whom is the evil serpent. Tolkien has used Smaug as the evil in the Hobbit in which the Dwarves must overcome. This use of serpents/dragons as evil beings is a western theme, whereas, in the east dragons are viewed as power, immortality, activity and good fortune.
References:
http://vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Volsunga%20saga.pdf
http://www.slideshare.net/angelchoi909/symbolic-meanings-of-dragons-between-east-and-west-pols-3620
http://www.yorku.ca/inpar/Beowulf_Child.pdf
How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
ReplyDeleteTo begin, the hero-myth of Beowulf paints the picture of exactly that a hero. Beowulf's soul purpose is to test his might,prove his worth and to be the barrier in which evil has to go through to enter the world.
However, right from the start of the film it changes the story arch of Beowulf. Instead of him trying to prove his worth by racing Breca, which he does in the story, in the film Beowulf's boat is capsized. Thus, missing the crucial build up of weak to strong of the hero-archetype. We as an audience are simply told he is a hero, at the beginning of the film, by the fisherman who asks blatantly "so what's it like being a hero?"
This problematic approach of structure is compounded when they show Grendel. Grendel is shown in the opening scene in the movie as a young boy playing by his father, his father is then chased by armed men and in his attempt to save Grendel hides him. The father is then killed, leaving Grendel an orphan. This approach from the film adds to the confusion in regards of archetype. As Grendel is a boy in which unfortunate circumstances happen, it is hard to see him as blatantly evil and thus gains our sympathy. This sympathy leads to a diminished view, when viewing Beowulfs supposed heroic deed killing Grendel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1QDTFFmqKg
http://www.yorku.ca/inpar/Beowulf_Child.pdf
What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteA myth is referred to as a traditional story, which may often describe the creation of the world and people. Often myths are an attempt to explain cultural traditions, supernatural events and mysteries. Myths often involve Gods or other creatures and at times can represent reality in a somewhat dramatic way. Now a days Myths are often slightly changed to fit the different cultures of people and their experiences.
What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
As we are aware, myths are omnipresent across the globe between countries and cultures. Every single society has its own myths, often these different myths are retold with the inclusion of archetypal stories that have been slightly altered to fit the different cultures and experiences of people.
• Many people would often think that myths are not as popular as what they were back in the days. However, surprisingly they are still read by different people and age groups around the world.
• Often some myths can be used to help us in this day and age. For example in my culture there is a myth about how the coconut came to be. Long story short, there was a girl named sina that had a pet eel, the eel grew and fell in love with Sina, every where sina ran to the eel always followed. The village men killed the eel, before the eel died he asked sina to plant his head in the ground and that is how the coconut tree came to be. When you drink the coconut, there are three holes, symbolising the eels eyes and nose. A lot of Samoans are familiar with this myth, everytime I go samoa and when I drink a niu from the coconut tree, it always reminds me of the myth about sina and the eel. So I guess its true, even in todays context often people will still remember the myth and still tell the next generations of how the coconut tree came to be.
• Some myths can be stories which may teach us life lessons, such as having to create stories of who we look to as heroes. We look to these people to help us be inspired by them. It can be anyone to your heroes who may be athletes, stars and so on that are making a difference in the world through the work they do.
• Myths are also used as a form of entertainment, as I’ve mentioned above about how the coconut came to be in my culture. Stories of how certain things came to be, for example often all attractions at a certain place or country have a story behind it. How it came to be, the name and so on. These myths are told to this generation and so on, often used at some attractions and are performed for tourist.
• Morals are also peresent in myths to help us make sense of the world we live in. Being able to look at certain stories and have to come up with the moral of the story, which can/may help us in this day and age.
• Lastly myths can educate us, telling us a story behind this and that, such as people from different cultures to ourselves, the history behind the different countries an so on. Although I was raised in NZ my whole entire life, I think its important to know and understand where I came from, our cultural traditions, cultural values to help us be connected to our origins. By being aware and educated about these things, going to Samoa to visit our families, it’ll be easier for us to adapt to the way of life there, because we are aware of such things. What I’m tring to say is that, being educated by our cultural beliefs and values, help the old and younger generation to connect with one another of coming to an understanding about who we are as people in this world.
Reference:
About Education. (2015). Defining terms: myth, folklore, legend, etc. Retrieved May 01, 2015, from http://classiclit.about.com/cs/10th14thcentury/a/aa_definemyth.htm
Enotes. (2015). What purpose do myths serve in society. Retrieved May 01, 2015, from
http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-purpose-do-myths-serve-society-402123
Wikipedia. (2015). Sina and the eel. Retrieved May 01, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sina_and_the_Eel
What genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteVoluspa
Is a Mythological poem, describing the creation and doom of the world. It also contains the collection of old Icelandic poetry, known as ‘the poetic Edda’
Volsunga Saga
Is a legendary saga, it’s a story about the heroism as well as the tragedy of two families.
Beowulf
Falls under Epic poetry, written in alliterative verse, which is basically a form of verse, which the first half of the line links to the second half, through the resemblance in initial sound.
The Hobbit
The genre for The Hobbit is Fantasy/Fantasy novel
Lord of the Rings
Is a High fantasy novel, Lord of the rings was a sequel to Tolkien’s fantasy novel ‘The Hobbit (1937), but grew immensely in to a much larger work
I’ve watched ‘The Hobbit: The battle of the five armies’, although I haven’t seen the previous films and had no idea what was happening, I actually enjoyed it, I haven’t seen Lord of the Rings as well.