Z is for Zealand


In Norse mythology, (my A-Z theme) the island Zealand in Denmark, was created by the goddess Gefjun after she tricked Gylfi, the king of Sweden, as told in the story of Gylfaginning.

As the story goes, Gefjun diguised herself as a beggar woman and treated the king of Sweden to a great kindness. As repayment he offered her all the land in Sweden she could plow in one day with 4 oxen.  She happened to have 4 great oxen as children (fathered by a giant) and brought them to plow a great plot of land. They plowed so deeply that the land was cut free completely from the earth. With the uber-oxen she removed the land and transported it to Denmark, and it became the island of Zealand.

Zealand  is the largest island (7,031 km²) of Denmark (the 96th-largest island in the world and the 35th most populous). Zealand is connected to Funen by the Great Belt Bridge and to Sweden over Amager and the Øresund Bridge.
The capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, is partly located on the eastern shore of Zealand and partly on Amager. Other cities on the island include Roskilde and Elsinore.

Gefjun is a fertility goddess especially associated with the plow.
Some of this passage was found on Wikipedia.

This A-Z blogging challenge was a great help to me, in inspiring me to work in a deeper way on my Norse Mythology play. Thanks to all the visitors and fabulous bloggers out there who put the A and the Z in AMAZING blogging.

Our fourth grade play will end like this:

A´s for the Aesir  (poem by Michaela Macha with some slight changes)  

A´s for the Aesir, to which we now sing,
B is for blot and the best that we bring,
C is the circle in which we now stand,
D for the deeds of our hand.

E is elation whenever we pray,
F is for Frigga and Freya and Frey,
G is the Guardian and Gjallarhorn's round,
H is for Heimdall’s pure sound.

I is Idunna, of Bragi the wife,
J is for Jord, who nurtures all life,
K is for Kvasir, the wisest of wits,
L for Lofn and love she permits.

M is for Midgard, the earth which we tread,
N are the Nornir who spin our thread,
O is for Odin, the Wanderer old,
and P is for poetry bold.

Q is for questing, for riddles and tales,
R is for Redbeard, the master of gales,
S is for Sleipnir the thundering host,
T for Tyr and the hand that he lost.

U is uniting of hearts when we meet,
V are the Vanir, the friends we greet,
W, well where wisdom is sought,
Xchange is what pays for the draught.

Now we have come to the end of our song

Next time I hope you can all sing along

Y is for Yggdrasil, mighty World Tree,
Z the zeal of you and of me.

All the cast:

By the love in Gimli land

By the strength of Mjollnir firm in hand

With the sight of Odin’s one good eye

(Pause) We wish you all

a kind Good-by!