T is for Thor.

No mysteries why Thor has been chosen for the A-Z challenge of Norse Mythology. He is the most loveable of all the gods although he does a lot of killing, (of giants).

Thor is famous for his hammer, Mjollnir (see the M post) which he uses against giants. But he is also the protector of thralls, that is humans. Thor always had a soft spot for the human condition and actually took two humans, Roskva and Thialfi to Utgard, where he planned to kick some giant butt. 

In the story Thor and Loki had stopped the night at a poor family's sod home and slaughtered his goats for dinner to share with the starving family but on the condition that no-one break any bones, (he was going to bring the goats back to life in the morning).

Below an excerpt from the 4th grade play, The Contest:

The family of humans

ate well that night

But all warnings were forgotten

After that first bite

Thialfi cracked a thighbone

To suck out the marrow

And for this temptation

He drew fate’s arrow

 


Thialfi, who had a gift for running, was brought to Utgard and raced against a giant named Hugi. What no-one knew was that Thialfi was really running against Thought, a contest he could not win.

S is for Sleipnir

Sleipnir is Odin's horse in the Norse Myths. Sleipnir has 8 legs and is the fastest steed in all 9 worlds (see previous post N for a list of all the 9 worlds).

Early on in the Norse tales the Aesir and Vanir gods had a battle in which the wall of Asgard (the Aesir stronghold) was demolished. The two forces made a truce but the wall was trashed. The gods in Asgard were concerned that without fortification the giants might take advantage.

One day a man came promising to build the wall for the Asgard folks but at a hefty price, the hand of Freya (the most beautiful Fertility goddess) and the Sun and Moon. The gods initially balked at this price and Freya was furious. But Loki (the mischief maker) persuaded them to agree but with restrictions, that the builder must have no help and that the work must be completed in 3 seasons. The builder agreed but asked for the use of his horse. Reluctantly, it was agreed.

The gods were alarmed at the rate at which the builder's horse was able to haul massive stones and suspected there was afoot. Three days before the completion of the wall Loki decided to intervene (with serious pressure from the Aesir). Suddenly there was a pretty filly in the fields outside the castle walls who tempted the builder's horse to leave before the work was done.

When the builder was not able to finish the wall in time he became furious and turned back into his giant form all bets were off. Thor (the thunder god and wielder of the hammer Mjollnir) kills the giant. Loki returns from his little horse "affair", (Loki had turned himself into the pretty mare and got himself pregnant by the builder's horse), with the resulting offspring, Sleipnir the eight legged horse.

He gave Sleipnir to Odin and everyone was pleased with the wall (nearly completed) and Odin's new horse.

R is for Rune








This is the runic alphabet, the letters that make up the Old Norse alphabet, which is part of my theme this month (Norse Mythology).

As mentioned before, Odin took up the runes and found their power. From Runes- Wikipedia:

The poem Hávamál explains that the originator of the runes was the major god Odin. Stanza 138 describes how Odin received the runes through self-sacrifice:

Veit ek at ek hekk vindga meiði a netr allar nío, geiri vndaþr ok gefinn Oðni, sialfr sialfom mer, a þeim meiþi, er mangi veit, hvers hann af rótom renn.

I know that I hung on a windy tree nine long nights, wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows from where its roots run.[22]

In stanza 139, Odin continues:

Við hleifi mik seldo ne viþ hornigi, nysta ek niþr, nam ek vp rvnar, opandi nam, fell ek aptr þaðan.

No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn, downwards I peered; I took up the runes, screaming I took them, then I fell back from there.[22]

Q is for Questions

In Norse Mythology the way to wisdom (which to the Aesir is worth more than gold) is by sacrifice, hardship and seeking. Asking questions of the dead or the wise was one way to find wisdom.

When Odin traveled to Hel, land of the dead, he conjured up the ghost of a dead seeress (clairvoyant witch).
He began to ask questions in order to find out the fate of the troubled Baldur, the most beloved god in Asgard.

"Who has forced me above ground and awakened me from my death?"
"Vegtam the Wanderer. Why is Hel adorned in gold?"
"For Baldur the bright.Now I must go."
"No. You must tell me, who will slay Baldur?"
"His blind brother Hod. Now I must go."
"No. You must say, who will avenge his death?"
"Vali will be one night old when he carries Baldur's killer to the pyre."
"Who are the maidens who toss their scarves to the sky?"
"You are not Vegtam. You are Odin, old as time."
"You are a liar. You are not a seeress. You are the mother of three monsters."

As I understand it, the correct question is as important as the wisdom contained in the answer.
Who is the mother of 3 monsters?

P is for Prose Edda (Front page of the Prose Edda shown above)

The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of prose in sections excerpts from earlier Scandanavian or skaldic poetry containing tales from Norse Mythology. The work is often assumed to have been written by the Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220.

It is different from the Poetic Edda which was written earlier and anonymously. But it is certain that Snorri Sturluson used a good deal of the Poetic Edda as a basis for his Edda.

The picture above shows Odin, His two ravens thought (Hugin) and Memory (Munin) Mjollnir the hammer, Heimdall with his horn, Audumla the life-giving cow, Sleipnir (Odin's 8-legged horse) and Fenrir Wolf.


Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. All images used are either in the public domain (like the image above) or belong to me.

O is for Odin, father of all the gods in Norse Mythology

"I hung on that tree for nine nights pierced with a spear, an offering..."

You would think reading this Odin was being tortured but he did this and more to HIMSELF in order to gain knowlege and mastery of the runes.

Some of the spells Odin learned:

Help from pain, sorrow and sickness
To Blunt an opponents weapon
Unbinding
To arrest a speeding arrow
To stop the fire that will burn his comrades
To uproot hatred in a man's heart
To protect a child from death in battle
To win the heart of a maiden

Some of the names of Odin:
Grim, Gangleri, Raider, Helmeted One, Thud, Ud, Death Blinder, Spear Thruster, One-eyed, All-Father, The Hooded One, Glapsvid, Fjolsvid, Long Beard, Vidur when in battle, and at the council of the Gods Thror.

N is for The Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

This book has served me extremely well throughout my Norse Mythology blocks with three separate classes. This book has a wonderfully accessible introduction. The stories show a great deal of humor (similar to William Buck's Ramayana) and are very well researched giving historical references, and varying interpretations of the Norse tales and how they may have related to myths from other cultures. There is also a very helpful glossary and footnote section at the end.

N is also for Nidhogg, the dragon that lives down in Niflheim and who gnaws on the corpses of the dead.



N is for the three Norns (Urd- fate, Skuld-being and Verdandi-necessity) that weave the destiny of all who live within the 9 worlds.

The Nine Worlds in Norse Mythology are:
Asgard- Home Of the Aesir Gods
Alfheim- Home of the Light Elves
Vanaheim- Home of the Vanir Gods
Midgard- Home of the humans
Nidavellir- Home of the Dwarves
Jotenheim- Home of the Giants
Svartalfheim- Home of the Dark Elves
Niflheim- Home of the Dead
Muspelheim- Land of Fire

Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

M is for Mjollnir

In Norse Mythology, (my theme for the A-Z challenge), Mjollnir was the mighty hammer that was made by the clever dwarves Brokk and Eitri, for Thor to protect Asgard and fight giants. It was an effective weapon against the hard skulls of the giants and rarely failed to deliver.

On one occasion Thor's hammer collided with the hone of the vengeful giant Hrungnir. Hrungnir was killed instantly but a piece of the hone was imbedded into Thor's head and the giant fell onto Thor pinning him.

Luckily, Thor's son Magni, who was three days/years old, came out to give his dad a hand and pulled the giant's body off of Thor. It is important to note that even Thor needs Mjollnir, his gauntlet glove and belt of strength to fight giants. While Magni was born with strength surpassing all the gods of Asgard.

The hone piece was never dislodged permanently but only loosened by an absent-minded witch named Groa who stopped in the middle of the job of taking the hone shard out because she was preoccupied by the homecoming of her missing husband.


Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

L is for Logi

Logi is a giant and servant from Utgard, who is put to an eating test against Loki, the cleverest of all the Norse Gods. Below is an excerpt from the Play, "The Contest (in which Thor tries to beat the Giants on their own turf)" This is a Norse Myth play I am in the process of writing for my Fourth Grade class at a Waldorf school.

Loki:

I am hungry, kind host

And not ashamed to say

I’ll out-eat anyone here

Who is brave enough to play

Utgard-Loki:

I have a servant Logi

Who eats well enough

Let us set you each at the end

Of our banquet's eating trough!

Loki and Logi eat every last scrap of food but Logi has eaten the bones AND the trough.

Utgard-Loki:

Now Logi won’t you learn?

Tho’ I know you think it funny

When eating through the dishes

But this dinnerware costs money!

And to you, so sorry Loki

Your eating skills are neat

But Logi has eaten the vessel

Both the chaff and the wheat!

Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

K is for Kvasir

An enigmatic fellow Kvasir. Known both as one of the Vanir, (traded to Asgard when a truce was reached after the feud between the Aesir and Vanir) and a god created from the spit of all the Vanir and Aesir combined.

Whatever his origin, he was well-known and beloved for his wisdom and counsel. Many came from far and wide to share their worries and ask for advice. No one who consulted with him was disappointed. So great was his fame that it reached the ears of two very wicked dwarves, who were jealous of his merit. The dwarves Fjalar and Galar invited Kvasir to their home, fed him well and then killed him with conviction. The blood that poured from his body was collected and brewed with honey to make a special mead. This mead was later called the Mead of Poetry because anyone that drank it became instantly prolific and poetic.

The dwarves continued their reign of terror until they murdered the giant Suttung's parents. Suttung was ready to repay the insult but agreed instead to take the Mead for payment for the misdeed. Suttung was unfortunately a braggard and news got out that he had the mead made from wise Kvasir's blood.

When Odin heard the news it was only a matter of time before he used his powers to take the mead (by not altogether honest means) and keep it in Asgard, mostly for himself.

Blood is a singular fluid, is it not?


Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

J is for Jormungand




In Norse Mythology, one of Loki's offspring is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent or World Serpent, so named because when he was fully grown he circled Midgard (home of humans) and grasped his own tail in his mouth.

In one of the funnier Norse tales, Thor goes fishing in Jotenheim, (the dwelling region of the giants), with the giant Hymir and to show off, Thor snags Jormungand and tries to pull him onto the fishing boat. Hymir begs him to let Jormungand go, which he does.

In the play that I am writing, Thor tries to lift a giant's cat and fails to lift anything but the cat's paw off the ground. What Thor finds out later is that he actually lifted the serpent Jormungand in diguise.


Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

I is for Idunna.

Idunna was a youthful and innocent goddess in Asgard home of the Norse Gods. She was the caretaker of the golden apples that maintained the gods' youth and health. The giant, Thiazi kidnaps her in order to make life difficult for the gods but she is rescued by Loki in Freya's Falcon cloak. Thiazi is killed by the gods as he tries to take her back and his daughter, Skadi wins the hand of Njord as payment for his death.

The son's of Ivaldi are the makers of the treasures of the gods;
The golden hair of Sif which was made of gold and grew instantly to her head (to replace her real hair which Loki cut off as a prank).
Skidbladnir a marvelous ship for Freyr whose sails fill instantly with wind and when it is not in use could fit into his pocket.
Gungnir A spear for Odin which never misses its mark.

Note* My theme for the A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology. Last year I did a Waldorf alphabet book which can still be found on this website under April 2011 postings.

H is for Heimdall

the god of nine mothers, (presumably the nine waves or daughters of the sea). His name means, "the one who illuminates the world".

He was known as the purest of all the gods. He is the watchman or gatekeeper of Asgard, stationed at the Rainbow Bridge between Asgard and the heavens. He loathed Loki more than any other of the Aesir. Heimdall is also associated with Rig, who fathered the three races of men (the peasants, the craftspeople and the royalty). Heimdall carried the horn Gjallahorn which was designed to warn all the gods of the arrival of Ragnarok. He is one of the survivors of this great battle.

H is also for Hod, Baldur's blind brother who innocently kills him with a sprig of mistletoe and the friendly help of you-know-who (Loki).

Hugi is a young giant who will make an appearance in our Fourth Grade Play, "The Challenge of Utgard". He is pitted against the human Thialfi in a race. Thialfi seems to nearly beat him but Hugi is "Thought" in disguise and can not be beat by god or man.

Odin's two ravens are Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory).

G is for Gimli

The survivors of Ragnarok will live in Gimli, the most heavenly of places on earth.

G is also for Geirrod, a foster son of Odin's who did not turn out so well.

As the tale is told, young prince Geirrod and his slightly older brother Agnar, were lost at sea and rescued by Odin and Frigga (disguised as island farmers). Both gods took one child "under their wing" and taught them all they could. When spring arrived they were sent home on a sea-worthy boat.

Through treachery Geirrod became the next heir to the throne. And Odin teased Frigga about Geirrod being the superior foster child. But Frigga was disgusted and told Odin that Geirrod was a cruel king with a terrible temper. Odin did not believe this and so he went to find out if this was true. Disguised as a begging magician, Odin comes to Geirrod's hall, is tortured and taunted and finally Odin wreaks vengeance upon him. Strangely, it was Geirrod's son Agnar, named after his brother, that showed kindness to Odin and who eventually won All-father's favor.

F is for Fenrir

Why is Loki such a rascal? Well to start with he sired some pretty odious creatures. Angrboda, his girl-friend-giant and he, gave birth to Hela, who lives in Hel, the underworld in Norse Mythology. She is, stomach and upwards, relatively normal looking, but waist down she is a rotting carcass. Loki also sired Jormungand, the serpent who encircles midgard. But most alarming is Fenrir. Fenrir is a giant wolf with more malice than anyone can say. So frightened were the gods that they tricked him into trying out a chain, made by the crafty dwarves with binding spells, that is unbreakable. Fenrir will be chained up until Ragnarok, the battle that pits all the gods against every evil creature in existence within all 9 worlds.

E is for Evil

Among all the gods in Norse Mythology, this describes Loki pretty well. But because he is really central to the stories he is more like a necessary evil. He makes things happen and gets things moving. He is also quite charming and at times very funny.

"Evil creature, good companion."

This quote would probably sum up Thor's relationship with Loki and will also be one of the first things Thor says in our play, "The Contests of Utgard". It starts out like this-

"It is open season in Jotenheim (the domain of the giants)", says Thor.
"You will need sharp wits," replies Loki.
"Sharp wits?!" responds Thor.
"Yes. Yours are as dull as your hammer."
A beat.
"Evil creature. Good companion."

And so the two journey to Jotenheim in Thor's chariot pulled by his two immortal goats. And eventually arrive at Utgard where Thor is put to his tests and Loki joins an eating contest he cannot win.

D is for Dragon and Dwarves

Dvalin's Delight is the name the dwarves in Norse Mythology give to the sun. Dvalin was a dwarf who was turned to stone by the light of the sun. So dwarves have a sense of humor. And a deep love of gold and beautifully designed metals. Much of these are hoarded and at times stolen by dragons.

One of the most famous of these hoarding dragons can be found in the story of Sigurd, a Norse hero. Fafnir is found in the Norse tales as a magician's son who's brother is accidentally killed by Loki. Loki pays a hefty ransom for the payment of this killing. Fafnir kills his father for the treasure and becomes Fafnir the dragon.

In The Hobbit, by JRR TOLKIEN, the dragon Smaug has a hoard of dwarf treasure and many of the dwarves named in his book share the names of dwarves in Norse Mythology, (Dvalin being one). Another interesting similarity is the ring that topped Fafnir's treasure which cursed any who held it except its maker, Andavari. A cursed ring is central to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

C is for Cauldron

The gods were running out of Mead, a thick and potent drink. Aegir was the only one who could make enough mead for everyone but he insisted that the Gods provide the cauldron.The Cauldron of Hymir was the only one large enough to hold the mead needed for a feast for the Gods. Hymir was a giant who really hated the Aesir race (Norse Gods in Asgard), but fostered Odin's son Tyr, the god of war who was able to convince his foster father to let a disguised Thor compete for his favors.

The cauldron features in many stories about witches and magic spells. It is a place for creating medicine that is beyond the understanding of this world.

There is no cauldron in the play I am writing but there is a contest between Thor and some giants. The title of the play will be, "The Contests of Utgard".

The cast includes:
Thor
Loki
Thialfi (a poor farm boy)
Roskva (a poor farm girl and sister to Thialfi)
Skrymir (The king of Utgard in disguise)
Utgard-Loki (The king of Utgard)
Hugi (Thought disguised as a giant)
Logi (Fire disguised as a giant)
Elli (Old age disguised as a giant)
Jormungand (disguised as a grey cat)

My class size is limited so the children may have to take on 2 roles.

Following the theme of Norse Mythology, Baldur is the son of Odin and Frigga. He and his wife Nanna are the embodiment of goodness and beauty. Their son Forseti is the embodiment of Justice (or truth). These are the foundational themes of Waldorf education; Goodness, Beauty and Truth.

Beauty and Beingness

I call her Beauty
Not just because she is but because
She makes me feel it.

But what is that? What does that mean, and why would it matter
Since noone can agree what beauty is.

Perhaps beauty is a sense of harmony with the beingness of that
Which elevates us.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter.
But it seems much of what surrounds us appeals to our lower nature.

The corporate “grim reaper” with eyes that shine like the glint of clean stainless steel appliances,

Or

Chat rooms and comments that solicit meaningless and sometimes violent banter

The face of George Zimmerman
And the defeated look on the faces of the parents of the child he murdered.

I prefer to spend my time focusing on those things that strike a human chord like
The feeling I got when I heard the president singing Al Green,

My students’ earnest explanations,

Or the discovery of a fairy garden made of found natural objects and magpie sparkles.

My stunning-brown-skinned daughter’s idea of beauty is a blond Disney princess and some of my students like to draw violent scenes of zombies and aliens and I am not sure at times how to respond.

But if I think about beauty enough, some of what I DO is beauty because then I am in the being-ness too,

admiring the strong, white teeth of the dead dog laying on the side of the road.

Welcome to the A-Z challenge and please note:

All the words and art displayed on this blog belong to me (unless otherwise noted) and is part of my practice of being a student/teacher/mom/wife/artist who is working out of Anthroposophy (the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner and the foundation of Waldorf Education).

The theme of my A-Z challenge is Norse Mythology as I am in the process of writing a musical play for my 4th grade students. This will be my help-mate.

The gods in Asgard were true artists- All-father Odin most of all as he hung on the tree for 9 days, sacrificing himself for knowledge, which for the gods was not a materialistic gain but a true embodiment of wisdom.


Artist
by 50 foot Queenie

You forgot the time
while the chalk and the glue
and the paint and the newspaper
gathered in increasingly potent arrangements.

The last verse must be left for editing later as the
Moment is not yet ripe.

Do not clean up.
Do not bathe.
Phone ringing is like background music to the meditation
Of this now-ness.

Rehearsal time belongs to the Call.
And when you hear it
All is nothing,
It is all.

Could you be someone else
In five minutes?
Could you transform your whole way
of seeing the world overnight?

This is the work.