Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Basic Outline for my Final Paper: FERN GULLY & THE GODDESS

Fern Gully -- Traces of the goddess:
Fern Gully Trailer!!

Stages of the goddess:
·         Maiden – Waxing
·         Mother – Full
·         Crone – Waning
o  Queen Fairy: Magi “Lune”
Gaia Hypothesis: Earth is a whole system within itself attempting to return to a stasis/balance
Matrifocal & Matriarchal society
·         Magi passes on her place & powers to Krysta
·         Seek to protect Mother Earth – of which all things have been created into being
·         HUGE Matrifocal elements (less matriarchal)
Elements of femininity:
·         The Womb
o   Reside in trees
o   Krysta emerges from a womb like flower => new life
o   Fern Gully Tree twists together in a spiral motion, creating a safe haven within itself
§  Fairies initiate its formation by flying in spiral-like circles
·         Water
o   The lake = unconsciousness, falling away from reality
·         Intuition & emotion
o   Connection with nature; feel the pains of nature
Axis Mundi:
·         Trees
o   Enchanted tree Hexxus (Spirit of Destruction) escapes from
o   Center/Home of Fern Gully
o   Final tree which entraps Hexxus finally
·         Mountain
o   Mount Warning – where supernatural meets mortal realm: Krysta discovers Zak

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Edda Material

As we are nearing our next and final quiz, I thought it might be a good idea to heed Charity's warning about the Edda material that will show up on the test next week.  So here is a documentation of what has been deemed "good to know" in class thus far:

Ymir - giant; first man generated from random energy/creation (p14)
Niflheim - "dark world" (p12)
Muspellsheim - "Southern region"; end of days (p12)
Yggdrasil - World Tree (xxvii)
Odin - Fatherish, Ravens (Thought & Memory), Wolves, One-eyed, Wife is Frigg
Thor - Hammer & Iron Glove, Thunder, Strength (belt), Goats
Baldr - Wisdom, Whiteness
Njord - Sea/Fire, North, Wind
Frey - Rain, Sunlight, Peace, Brother of Freyja
Freyja - Love/Beauty, Cats, Warrior deaths, Sister of Frey
Try - War (lost his hand to a Wolf p41)
Bragi - Poetry ("brag" - eloquence)
Heimdall - watchman/guardian over rainbow/bridge, Possesses a Horn for warning
Loki - Evil Children (Fenris, Hel, Midgard Serpent), Trickster
Valkyries - Decide winners and losers (dead), Valhalla - goat => mead, eat boar, fight (for entertainment)

Norse Mythology has a distinct beginning (birth of each god) and distinct ending (death of each god)

Competitions:
Loki VS Logi - Eating Competition
     - Trickster vs Fire; need to control appetite
Thjalfi VS Hugi - Running Competition
     - Warrior "intern" vs Thought; Mind over Body
Thor VS Horn - Drinking Competition
     - Etiological myth: Thor drinks the ocean, but it fills up again ~ Tides
     - Horn = Ocean (water = unconscious)
     - Cannot escape the unconscious (attempt to drink your sorrows away, but they're still there in the morning)
Thor VS Kitty - Strength Competition
     - Kitty = Midgard Serpent (huge symbol of goddess)
     - Cannot escape the goddess / constant battle against the "goddess" aspects of life
Thor VS Little Old Lady (lol) - Wrestling Competition
     - Cannot escape death / old age, not even the gods

Side Notes:
--Mjolnir = Thor's Hammer
--Baldr's weakness & ultimate fate: mistle toe (food for thought: why is mistle toe popular at Christmastime?)