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?)