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 cite 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 cite 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).
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.
ReplyDeleteAccording to C.S. Lewis, Tolkein’s main influences for The Lord of the Rings franchise stemmed from Old Norse myths and Christianity. Tolkein read Old Norse myths as a child and he also had a deep faith in God. He believed that God was the creator all mythological ideas throughout history. As he grew up and read more stories and novels that were based on Norse myths Tolkein grew to love them, he also really liked the setting of most of the stories; Scandinavia. “His favourites were those written by George MacDonald, those about Arthur, and especially the Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang which contained the story of Sigurd and Fafnir: “This was the tale of Sigurd who slew the dragon Fafnir: a strange and powerful tale set in the nameless North. Whenever he read it Ronald [Tolkien] found it absorbing.”
As he got older Tolkein’s interest in Norse mythology grew. The source of his piqued interest were Sagas and epic poems. They soon became his second major influence.
“His own mind and imagination had been captivated since schooldays by early English poems such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Pearl, and by the old Icelandic Volsunga Saga and Elder Edda. These were all the literature that he needed.”
Another great example of how these epic poems and saga’s influenced Tolkien’s work is he used the name “Midgard” which translates to ‘middle earth’ –he took this name from the poem Voluspa. He then proceeded to use the translated name; “Middle Earth” to name the kingdom that his character’s in LOTR inhabit.
“The realm of humans is called Midgard, or Middle Earth, as Tolkien also calls his earth. Inside is Asgard, the realm of gods, and outside it is the realm of giants. It all seems perfectly ordered.”
Also in the poem there are a few magical dwarves named, one of them is “Gandalf”.
Another Old Norse myth that influenced his writing was Beowolf.
One of Tolkein’s very renowned lecture’s was on this epic poem. Anyway so how did he use Beowolf in his work? He infused the spiritual and physical conflict that is evident in the poem and uses a similar theme in LOTR and The Hobbit.
As stated by Jane Chance (a professor of English arts) in her book “Tolkeins Art”
“Because the Fellowship is burdened with the responsibility of bearing the Ring and because its presence attracts evil, the greatest threat to the Fellowship and its mission comes not from without but within. The hero must realize that he can become a monster. The two books of the Fellowship trace the process of this realization: the first book centers on the presentation of evil as external and physical, requiring physical heroism to combat it; and the second book centres on the presentation of evil as internal and spiritual, requiring a spiritual heroism to combat it… ”
References;
Birzer, J B. (2014. July 17) The Mythology of Tolkien: Recording Not Inventing [online essay] Retrieved from http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2014/07/mythology-of-tolkien.html
Humphrey Carpenter, Tolkien: A Biography, (New York: George Allen & Urwin, 1977), p. 24.
Humphrey Carpenter, The Inklings, (Boston: Houghton Mil(lin Co.. 1979), p. 25.
https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/cultural/centre-for-nordic-studies/mimirs-well-articles/rings-dwarves-elves-and-dragons-j.-r.-r.-tolkien2019s-old-norse-influences
University of the Highlands and Islands. (n.d) In Mimir's well Retrieved from https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-enterprise/cultural/centre-for-nordic-studies/mimirs-well-articles/rings-dwarves-elves-and-dragons-j.-r.-r.-tolkien2019s-old-norse-influences
National Geographic.(n.d) The Myths that inspired Lord Of The Rings. Retrieved from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngbeyond/rings/myth.html
Excellent answer! Why was Tolkien's lecture renowned? always back up such claims!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIn 1920, Tolkien had started teaching at the university of Leeds. He had a wife and children, so obviously he needed money. Many people suggested to him that he translate Beowulf, but he did not want to at first.
DeleteEventually he did get to work and translate Beowulf However it took him 6 years to finally complete it, then he goes and puts it in a drawer and decides NOT to publish it.
[However it was passed on to his son and was published by him in 2014 on the 22nd of May - (Wikipedia)]
Also Tolkien was quite proficient in the Old English language so I think that because of this his lecture about Beowulf became quite well known.
"Tolkien's academic work on it was second to none in its day, and his 1936 paper "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" is still well worth reading, not only as an introduction to the poem, but also because it decisively changed the direction and emphasis of Beowulf scholarship."
References;
Acocella, J. (2014, June 2) Slaying Monsters, Tolkien's Beowulf. [Online Blog]
Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/02/slaying-monsters
Garth, J. (2014, March 22) JRR Tolkien's translation of Beowulf: bring on the monsters. the guardian
Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/22/jrr-tolkien-translation-beowulf-monsters
6) What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteFirst of all what exactly is a myth? Myths are stories that have no basis or no way of telling where they came from, what time period they came from or who told them originally, also myths contain supernatural events and they seek to explain natural phenomena in some form or another. They are usually traditional or religious stories and have some form of supernatural beings or deities mentioned in them; for example; in Maori mythology- the Taniwha or Ranginui.
Myths in today’s world are important because they give us, as humans some sort understanding into things that may (or may not have happened) before most of us walked this earth. They makes our various cultures better and give us something to choose to believe in.
They also have a role to play in keeping up tradition. Many maori myths (and legends) are passed down from one generation to another. Imagine what the maori culture would be without all those myths. Their culture and beliefs would not be the same. Also another good example; is the chinese mythology revolving around dragons, dragons to them are good creatures, they bring abundance and prosperity, unlike the negative view dragons have in western culture; that all dragons should be killed or locked away,because they are vicious creatures, not friendly and wise like Chinese mythological dragons.
Here some examples of films that have been made over the years to portray myths from Greek and Roman culture.
Clash of the Titans -(1981 and 2010 remake)
Wrath of the Titans - (2012) These two films are based off the Greek myth of Perseus.
My Son, The Hero - (1962) Italian Mythological ‘sword and sandal’ film.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief - (2010) based off of Greek myth.
Stargate - (1994) It mixes Egyptology with sci-fi and is based off myths about Egyptian gods.
Princess Mononoke - (1997) based off Japanese folklore.
Hercules -(1997) Roman interpretation of Greek mythical being “Heracles”
Immortals -(2011) based off Greek myth of Theseus
Thor -(2011) based off Norse Mythology.
The Hunger Games - (2012) based off Greek myth of Theseus as well.
Jack the Giant Slayer - (2013) based off Cornish folk tale of Jack the Giant Killer to the fantasy kingdom of Cloister.
Moana - (2016) based off the legend of Maui pulling up the islands
*I am going to expand my answer further and discuss whether myths teach people morals and values, but I will do this another time and in another post. Also I will have a reference list in my follow0up post from this*
Decided that I am Not going to expand and write about Whether Myths teach morals and values. I have too much other work for Other subjects, that I Need to do.
DeleteA good start here. your sentence: 'Myths are stories that have no basis or no way of telling where they came from, what time period they came from' is too vague and generalized to be true. And, do we have a hunger for archetypes that needs satisfying in the modern world?
ReplyDelete1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteThese five examples belong to a range of different genres, to start with we have Voluspa which belongs in the Mythology genre. This myth is telling the story of how about the earth was created and how it ended. Quoted from the text, “Then Bur’s sons lifted up the land and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling.” “Midgard’s defender dies triumphant, but the human race no longer has a home.” We can tell this text is discussing myths as they often refer to Odin and Thor which are commonly known as the gods and hero’s. We then have the Volsunga Saga; this belongs in the saga genre as it has 3 parts. The first telling the ancestry of Sigurd, explaining his father Sigmund and mother signy’s ‘children of Volsung’, the second being about Sigurd and his heroic conflicts, and the third part being about Sigurd’s wife and brother-in-laws. In Beowulf it can be very easy to confuse the genre between epic and mythological as there are themes throughout that co-inside with mythological as there are strong themes about the the hero beating the dragon pointing towards mythological when actually it is an epic because it more or less discusses men and not gods. In The Hobbit’s genre is recognized as a children’s fantasy novel with themes throughout relating back to Beowulf and Volsunga Saga through as they were some of the major influences. Lastly the text Lord of the Rings would belong to the genre Epic High Fantasy, it was noted that there was a very prominent bad vs good theme throughout with Gandolf fighting Saurin throughout.
Some good ideas here. Mythology itself is not exactly a genre. All these early stories are myths. Voluspa, for example, is a creation myth.Beowulf is a hero myth. The saga still has ab mythological subject matter.
Delete6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteOld myths have a very special place within the modern world. People believe that a myth is often something that has been made up off an event that happened in the past and as it has been past down through generations has changed and altered during time, some often believe that is myth is completely made up and is just a story.
Mythology comes from our elders sharing tales that they have been told by their parents and grandparents. Mythology has been derived from the Greek work ‘mythos’ which means story of the people, showing exactly how myths are kept alive because unlike stories which are written down myths are carried down generation by generation by voice rather than written story’s. Most of the time Myths are tales about how the world came to be and often have storylines to do with the gods and supernatural beings. (Mark, 2009)
The place that myths have within the modern world are that most cultures use myths to pass down their beliefs and values throughout the tales, often involving a heavy religious storyline within the tales as this was one of the ways to put the gods and supernatural beings into a way that would give the listeners hope and excitement and something to believe in during their life. This is still seen now as many people turn to movies, books and poems as all of these in some way or another relate back to the first myths that were told of hero’s and supernatural beings, giving humans something greater to look towards.
Reference:
Mark, J.J. (2009). Mythology
Retrieved from: http://www.ancient.eu/mythology/
The subject of myths being based off of an actual event is an idea that Japanese culture firmly believes in. In fact Ishida (1974), argues that mythology is fundamental in understanding Japanese history, culture and traditions, because it mixes elements of folklore, and history, and explores the link between man and god. We can look at the Kojiki and the Nihonji, which essentially capture the history of Japan. These texts are the main sources of Japanese mythology, with the primary function to record evidence of history, and provide proof that the ancient emperors were linked to divinity (Ishida, 1974). Japanese mythology teaches of how the world was created (like Voluspa), it also teaches about ideal behaviorism towards nature, piety, elders, beauty, as well as beliefs, including the Shinto religion, which was then later adapted, and Buddhism was created. Shinto religion believes that everything in life has some form of spirit - suggesting that it is the spirit of deities living amongst men in modern society.
DeleteThere is a story of a celibate monk, and although the tale is a myth, the historical nature and consequences of the story if you will, praises the beliefs of Japanese culture. There was a woman in love with this monk, and she had to cross Lake Biwa a bunch of times in order to be with him. On her last trip however, she dies during a hurricane (Piggott, J. 1969). The myth not only highlights Japanese religion of Shinto and Buddhism, it also demonstrates the Japanese ideas of how men and women should behave. Since a monk has to remain celibate, had the woman reached him, it would have thrown off the natural balance of life and harmony. There are also myths of heroism, murder and revenge. All of which, again while myths, through characters demonstrate ideal characteristics that the Japanese people hold valuable today (Pelzel, John C. 1970). Such values include, beauty, courage, loyalty, and honour to name a few.
We can also look at the effect of Japanese mythology in modern culture, in terms of fashion. There is the story of Yama-uba, witches or old women, who live alone in the mountains and lure travellers into their home and eat them. They are depicted as wearing ripped clothing, heavy makeup and having bleached blond hair. Yama-uba’s look is now actually a fashion style in Japan, called Ganguro, although those who go to extreme measures are referred to as Yamanba (derived from Yama-uba). People often paint their skin brown, have heavy makeup, wear bright coloured clothing, and have bleached blond hair. Much like Western modern culture has its own fashion trends (Gothic or Scene fashion), the Japanese created this fashion style, except from ancient myths (Konishi, 2000).
Reference:
Ishida, E. (1974). Japanese Culture: A Study of Origins and Characteristics. (T. Kachi, Trans.) Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii.
Konishi, Y. (2000). A Study of Ganguro/Gonguro Gyaru (gals): The Meaning of Blackness in Contemporary Japanese Society.
Pelzel, John C. (1970). Human Nature in the Japanese Myths. In T.S. Lebra & W.P. Lebra (Eds.). Japanese Culture and Behaviour. (pp.7-28). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Piggott, J. (1969). Japanese Mythology. New York: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited.
Why not look at old myths used in the modern world from a different angle, where mythology is used in marketing, as well as entertainment and media like you mentioned.
DeleteMany current companies have used mythical creatures or stories as their logo or ‘backstory’ for their products. Let’s look at Starbucks for example, and its logo of the siren. In Greek mythology the siren is a symbol of obsession, addiction and death. The sirens were these mermaid like creatures who through their beautiful voices and songs, cause men at sea to crash and ultimately die because they became infatuated with the sirens and basically lost control of their ships (Theoi Project, 2017). What makes Starbucks coffee different to other brand coffee? Arguable nothing (coffee is coffee), except the higher prices, and it’s ever growing success and fame, thanks to its logo being branded everywhere from newspapers and television, to social media (Davis, 2008). It is because of its logo that there is an obsession and addiction with Starbucks coffee - we live in a world were being associated with a well known brand, is held of high value.
A similar example we can look at is high-end fashion brand Versace, whose logo is the head of Medusa. In Greek mythology, Medusa was a woman so beautiful that she managed to seduce Poseidon, god of the sea. The two engaged in wild, adulterous behaviour in Athena’s home. Out of revenge, Athena turned Medusa into a woman so ugly that men turned to stone when they looked at her (Theoi Project, 2017). So, is Donatella Versace then saying; buy my clothes and you will look so good that you will seduce men, and be the envy of women? Perhaps. As a third example, let’s look at Trojan condoms. The symbol of a Trojan depicts strength and masculinity - a perfect ploy if you will, in selling condoms. If you know about the story of the Trojan war however, you would be familiar with the famous wooden horse, in which the Greeks hid inside, and used to enter the city of Troy, and then kill the Trojans. Essentially letting the horse inside caused mass murder - bit of a far stretch here, but by using Trojan as a name for a condom, could the company be saying that their product is so strong that what is inside cannot get out? If you know what I mean. There are probably hundreds of other companies who have in some way borrowed a name or an idea from mythology for themselves in some way shape or form. Other’s companies include the likes of Amazon, Apollo, HTC, Volkswagen, and even Nike, whose name came from the Greek god of Victory.
Reference:
Davis, L. J. (2008). Obsession. doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226137797.001.0001
Theoi Project. (2017). Greek Gods & Goddesses | Theoi Greek Mythology. Retrieved 2017, from http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/greek-gods.html
To expand on your point of mythology being in modern media, we can also look at the use of mythology in Hollywood. Off the top of my head, I could probably name ten films that have been retellings of old myths (Clash of the Titans, Black Orpheus, 300, O Brother, Where Art Thou? etc). Evidently, the stories told in old myths, are very much still fantasies for audiences today, with the exception that they have been somewhat adapted to appeal to current societal values, systems and beliefs (i.e. O Brother, Where Art Thou, is a retelling of the Homer’s Odyssey, an epic poem about Odysseus’ adventures travelling home after the fall of Troy. O’ Brother, Where Art Thou is an adapted, modernized version, about the journey of three escaped convicts and their adventures during the Great Depression). We can also then go onto discuss how old myths have influenced the creation of perhaps what we could call 'modern day myths'. Characters in old myths were figures who had higher power and abilities, or were perhaps divine. Looking at comic book characters, we can make a comparison to a character like Spiderman or Wolverine or the Hulk, even Superman, who in one way or another have supreme abilities. Again, it’s about taking ideas and abilities, from old mythological characters, and creating modernized versions of them for our pleasure today (Romaniello, 2013).
DeleteFurthermore, there is the argument of how modern media is appropriating certain ideas or characters from ancient mythology, such as J.R.R. Tolkien did with his parallels between The Hobbit, and Volsunga Saga. A prime example would be the Rick Riordan’s book series of Percy Jackson. The series follows the adventures of demigod Perseus “Percy” Jackson (who’s mother somehow, was impregnated by Poseidon). Throughout the book series, we come across characters who are the same characters that we hear about in ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, and in fact the same events that occur in several ancient myths, also occur in Riordan’s book, although retold with an added twist, and a different outcome.
Reference:
Romaniello J. (2008). The Essential Influence of Mythology and Superheroes. Retrieved from http://romanfitnesssystems.com/articles/mythology-and-superheroes/
Lana, you have the idea, but your answser is very generalized. What are some of these movies books and poems you mention? What aspects of these ancient myths has the modern world picked up on. Try to be more specific.
Delete* edited
DeleteFor example, there were may movies and books that have been taken off ancient Myths, like Thor, Clash of the Titans, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. These are just a few of the movies that have been based on ancient myths that the media has picked up on in modern society.
1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
ReplyDeleteVoluspa
Genre: Old Norse Poetic Genre
Plot: It talks about how the world was created, and it’s coming end. The poem is something like the Bible where the book of Genesis speaks of the creation of the world, and the book of Revelation is talking about the signs of the world coming to an end.
Example:
(Creation of the World) “Then Bur’s sons lifted up the land and made Midgard, men’s fair dwelling.”
(End of the World) “Midgard’s defender dies triumphant, but the human race no longer has a home.”
Volsunga Saga
Genre: Legendary Saga/ Epic Prose
Plot: Volsunga Saga is about the deed of Sigurd who killed Fafnir
Examples: “So whenas the worm crept over the pits, Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts; then up leapt Sigurd from the pit and drew the sword back again unto him, therewith was his arm all bloody, up to the very shoulder.”
Beowulf
Genre: Epic Poem
Plot: Beowulf is an epic poem about him and how he became heir to the throne of Danes and had a one on one battle with Grendes.
Examples: “Beowulf was quickly brought to the chamber: the winner of fights, the arch-warrior
came first-footing in with his fellow troops to where the king in his wisdom waited,
still wondering whether Almighty God would ever turn the tide of his misfortunes.”
The Hobbit
Genre: Children Fantasy
Plot: The Hobbit is a Children fantasy novel about the quest of Bilbo Baggins to find and win the treasure that was guarded by Smaug the dragon.
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteFirst, what is a myth? Well, a myth is a collection of stories about people, groups, beliefs and places. Myths help shape today’s society because every culture has its own unique myth and legends to tell. Some culture use myths as a foundation for their religious views like the differences between good and evil and the morals brought about in these tales. Growing up, I remember my Grandma telling me about the myths and legend of Sina and the Eel which is about the origin of the coconut tree. I was 5 back then and had no idea what my Grandma was telling me about. But as I grow older, I knew every word to the tales and realised that this myth was not only to entertain and became my fascination with the stories but to educate me on the symbolic message behind it. It teaches me that myths are always part of my culture heritage and I should be proud of it. Without a doubt, mythology does have a long-lasting impact on modern society regarding culture, religious views, books, films, cartoons, comic books to only name a few, and it will continue to affect the future generation.
Reference
Wikipedia The Free Encyclopaedia (n.d.). Mythology
Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology
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).
ReplyDeleteThe nature of the creation myth is, as the name suggests, to tell the story of creation. Volsupa, like many creation myths across dialects and locations across the globe are intended to be orally recited and passed down. Creation myths come from across the globe, and oral recitation of creation stories is considered 'the single most dominant communicative technology of our species' (Mackay, 1999 pg. 1) In Volsupa, the proof that the myth is intended to be recited rather than read is in the beginning stanza, where the speaker calls directly to the holy gods,
"Hear my words, you holy gods,
great men and humble sons of Heimdall;
by Odin’s will, I’ll speak the ancient lore,
the oldest of all that I remember."
The desire of the text is to explain and inform as well as entertain members of the Nordic tribe. Before the invention and accessibility of common media, storytelling was the most common presentation of entertainment. Since Ancient Greece the theatre has been a key example of storytelling on mass to a significant audience however the telling of myths would have been passed down from generation to generation before physical records of such things would have been kept.
The story is being told by the Volva, a recurring motif in Norse mythology. The ‘character’ if you will is a female seer or shaman. The Volva was held in high esteem and believed to possess such powers that even the father of the gods, Odin himself, consulted a Vǫlva to learn what the future had in store for the gods.
The text desires the tribesmen to listen and to remember, as well as to show reverence to the gods that they worship. To understand the story of their own creation and to be grateful for life. By explaining the story of the creation of the globe and by giving credit to Odin and Thor and the gods of the Nordic mythology, it suggests that the purpose and desire of the myth is not only to pay reverence and give thanks to the gods but also to teach and inform others their reason for being on the earth.
References
Terry, P. (Trans). Völuspá, (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
Mackay, E. (1999). Signs of orality (1st ed., pp. 1-2). Boston: Brill.