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).
'What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?' & '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).'
ReplyDeleteVöluspá (The Song of the Volva) is an ancient Old Norse poem. It depicts both the beginning and end of the world, and although it exists in written form, that is not how it was originally intended. Völuspá is actually a verbal story, a poem that was spread by word of mouth. It was created at a time when orality took precedence. Stories, poems and all things alike were always passed down verbally (Mitchell, 2003). However, the Christianisation of Scandinavia brought about an end to all of this and with Christianity, came writing.
According to Ong, primary orality is observed in those who are “totally unfamiliar with writing.” (Ong, 1982, p.6). In this sense, sound is paramount. However, following Christianisation, the people of Scandinavia were no longer said to practice primary orality. Their stories, poems and other works were translated into written language and eventually the importance they placed in the spoken word was destroyed. However, remnants of their orality still remain and this is what Ong refers as “secondary orality.” (Ong, 1982).
According to Ong’s criteria, secondary orality is a “more deliberate and self-conscious orality, based permanently in the use of writing and print.” (Ong, 1982, p.133). Because Völuspá was originally in spoken form but it was then translated to written, it is obvious to see how secondary orality is contained within it.
For instance, in the first stanza, the lines “Hear my words, you holy gods… I’ll speak the ancient lore” clearly indicate that this poem was meant to be performed verbally. This conclusion can be drawn from the verbs “hear” and “speak”. Furthermore, although we can read the words, we will never truly understand the power of them because they will never again exist in a primary oral context. Ong also states that orality is “evanescent”, meaning that as soon as something is said, it passes (Ong, 1982). However, this written translation of Völuspá has attempted to crystallise orality, which some may argue, compromises its original power.
Another example can be seen in the first stanza when it is states “I’ll speak the ancient lore, the oldest of all that I remember.” Because the person is relying on memory to relay information, this proves that the poem was both created and performed at a time of orality, a time when information was only found in the mind and not on paper.
Another convincing example of secondary orality can be observed in the rhythmic and chant-like nature of the poem. For instance, “Brothers will die, slain by their brothers,... kinsmen betray their close kin;” The spacing between the words implies verbal pauses which is typical of orality. In addition to that, the alliteration (“brothers”, “betray”, “kin”, “kinsmen”) and overall rhythm would have been used as a strategy of memory.
DeleteOverall, Völuspá contains a vast amount of secondary orality as defined by Ong. However, it is more important to consider the implications of this. According to Julia Kristeva, all texts have desire. She believes it is more important to consider the semiotic meaning of words rather than the denotative meaning, because this way we can begin to understand the society in which a particular text was written (Kristeva, 1980). In Völuspá’s case however, this is difficult. We can never truly fathom primal orality on its own and therefore, when analysing secondary orality, the meaning we take from it is forever tied to our own society and time.
References:
Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in language: A semiotic approach to literature and art. Columbia University Press.
Mitchell, S. A. (2003). Reconstructing Old Norse Oral Tradition. Oral tradition, 18(2), 203-206.
Ong, J.W. (1982). Orality and Literacy. New York: Routledge.
Völuspá, Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Thank you for your comment, Thorne.
DeleteRegarding the individual post I made, I know we were meant to post in the comment section, but unfortunately it was allowing me to do so over the weekend. I figured I would just get it up to show I've done the work and will delete at some stage. It seems to be working now - so I am not sure what the deal was?
Back to the topic at hand...Myths and legends have always fascinated me. Growing up, my dad and I used to read a lot of classics and other stories of ancient heroism: The Odyssey, The Iliad, 7 Labors of Hercules, etc. They were always entertaining and escapist. As I got older and began watching movies like the Never Ending Story, E.T., Star Wars, The Matrix and almost every Disney movie, I realized that a lot of what I was reading was effectively being re-worked into these different materials.
I would also argue that myths and religion are inextricably linked. Both feature events that concern themselves with supernatural events and feature man worshiping god-like figures and deities. We only need to look at the book of Genesis in the Bible to see how this so - from the 7 days it took God to create the world, through to Noah's Ark carrying 2 of every animal. Parallels can be drawn with relative ease: God residing in Heaven and the Devil in Hell - Zeus the god of the sky and Hades the ruler of the Underworld. The classic notion of good battling evil is ever-present.
Fast forwarding to modern society and we have a whole host of new mythologies to indulge in (Griffin, 2017). Comic book characters seem like the most obvious example; especially now as younger audiences look up to these characters as our modern day equivalent to classical mythological and religious heroes.
Hi David. This feels like it's just off the top of your head. No research shown, no reference to myths in question, last paragraph mostly waffle. the Greek myths are not on the course.
DeleteHow 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 Robbins, J. R. R. Tolkien was a philologist, a professor and researcher of Anglo-Saxon Oxford University. Tolkien’s research into old languages, his delight in individual words – especially names also incorporated into his mythology and stories of Middle-earth. (Robbins, 2015, p 66)
According to Robbins, Tolkien also researched into Old Norse and Gothic by infusing into his mythology of Middle-Earth “certain aspects of ancient northern European culture, ethics, and worldview, notably from Beowulf, the Elder Edda, and other poems, sagas, and legends” (Robbins, 2015, p 66).
Gandalf is a reference from Old Norse God Odin the wanderer. They both have a similar pointy hat, long beard, and a staff. Gandalf presents like a mentor or someone who has high wisdom that guides the hero or someone on a journey. "Odin is the god of wisdom, especially the occult wisdom of seers and sorcerers. He was the patron and the divine prototype of seers and magicians" (Tolley).
There are many races in the LOTR and Hobbit universe. They originate from the Old Norse mythology of the Nine Realms. Alfheim is the home of the Elves. Nithavellir is the home of the Dwarves.
Dwarves are most commonly known to be master craftsmen which are similar to LOTR and Hobbit.
Midgard is the home of Humans. These three races are all linked together in one world called Middle Earth. Tolkien got the idea of Middle-Earth from Old Norse Mythology. The Nine Worlds known as Midgard is also known as Middle Realm but as one world. Orcs, Ents, and Hobbits all come from Old English (Robbins, 2015, p 66).
According to Robbins, Tolkien took the names of his dwarves in The Hobbit from the Voluspa, the section referred to as the Dvergatal (Tally of the Dwarves) in the Elder Edda (Robbins 2015, p 60). According to Robbins, “Beowulf is an important source for concepts as well as episodes in The Hobbit.” For Example, the dragon sickness caused by the spells on the dragon's hoard. Tolkien said this “was in fact inspired by a single line of ancient verse: iúmonna gold galdre bewunden, ‘the gold of men of long ago enmeshed in enchantment (Beowulf 3052).” (Robbins, 2015 p 72).
To summarise Tolkien created a great story for readers around the world to enjoy with values and behaviours of the heroes of ancient heroic sagas and legends of Northern Europe. A lot of research I found were very astonishing I never thought LOTR and Hobbit came from Old Norse and Old English texts.
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DeleteWhat place do the old myths have in the modern world?
DeleteAn example of modern world changes from old myths is Thor. The character Thor has been featured in modern popular culture films. Thor is now considered as a hero in the 21st century even though the story of Thor were told over hundreds of years ago, he is still an iconic hero to this day.
According to LoCicero, 2008 many elements from Norse mythology are included in the various episodes of the Thor comics, although often these only vaguely resemble the original material.
In 1966 Marvel Comics Stan Lee devised the plot for the Thor comic book. Jack Kirby the artist who drew Thor made the character no longer a redhead the American version of Thor has flowing golden long hair with clean shaved beard, unlike the Old Norse Thor who is a redhead, hairy bearded man (LoCicero, 2008).
The comic books and film feature many Old Norse figures such as Odin, Frigga, Heimdall, Dark Elves and Frost Giants.
Marvel comics used this idea from Norse Mythology to boost the character as a superhero and used the old text to create a comic book. In the movie "Thor", Thor and Loki are adopted, brothers which are entirely different to the Old Norse Mythology, Odin did slew Loki's Father and found him as a baby, but did not adopt him as his son. Although the Old Norse Thor and Loki did consider themselves blood brothers. In the Marvels version Loki is still the God of mischief and is evil most of the time but in the Old Norse he was actually just a god of mischief, sometimes playing pranks on his fellow gods, sometimes insulting them, but many times helping them admittedly, often out of trouble he himself caused (Bricken, 2013).
Odin is portrayed as a peace-loving father of Thor and the adopted father of Loki. The Old Norse Odin was a war-god who didn’t give two shits for justice, law, or peace. Odin loves war, and he loves starting fights. Contrast that to 'Anthony Hopkins’ Odin in the Thor movie, where he banishes Thor for disobeying his orders and picked a fight with the frost giants. Also, the original Odin was not exactly a beloved deity as much as a god to be feared and weirded out by — he was fickle and cruel (Bricken, 2013).
Reference:
Bricken, R. (2013). 8 Things marvel got wrong about thor and norse mythology. Retrieved from http://io9.gizmodo.com/8-things-marvel-got-wrong-about-thor-and-norse-mytholog-1458989921
LoCicero, D. (2008). Superheroes and gods: a comparative study from babylonia to batman. Jefferson: Mcfarland.
Robbins, S. (2015). Old english, old norse, gothic: Sources of inspiration and creativity for J.R. R. Tolkien’s the hobbit and the lord of the rings. Klaipėda University, Department of English and German Philology.
Tolley, C. (n.d). Old english influence on the lord of the rings. Retrieved from http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/assets/hip/gb/uploads/M02_NORT6036_02_SE_C02.pdf
Pretty good answer. Good use of Robbins. Please keep your language reasonably formal. 'Two shits' stands out as being out of tone. These blogs are informal enough as it is. Good content!
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYou get better as you go! Your scholarship is beginning to show results!
DeleteWhat place do myths have in the modern world?
ReplyDeleteThe word myth derives from the Greek word mythos – to tell a story. Regarded as traditional stories, myths seek to tell the origins and early history of people by offering accounts of supernatural events and extraordinary beings. From Zeus sitting atop Mount Olympus to Ranginui and Papatuanuku locked in a tight embrace, they are symbolic narratives that have spanned centuries carrying messages that embody the ideals of different cultures and societies. Originally intended as oral traditions, myths were integral foundations of many cultures. They have since found their way into the annals of history books, and now provide much source of inspiration and etertainment.
At first, it may be easy to see what place myths have in modern society. Most notably, the days of the week derive from the ‘remnants’ of Old Norse gods: Wednesday from ‘Woden’, or Odin; Thursday, quite obviously represents ‘Thor’s day’; and Friday, day of the goddess ‘Frige’ (Richards, 1999). Modern popular culture also seems content to draw on these stories to entertain us. The advent of technology has ushered in a new era of computer gaming, television viewing and cinema experiences - Age of Mythology, God of War, and Clash of the Titans, for example. Or, alternatively, one can read about the lost city of Atlantis, and adventures of Thor and Loki traversing the nine realms of Yggdrasil in comics and graphic novels.
Indeed, writers are inspired by these older texts to create new modern popular works of fiction. We only need to look at Beowulf and the Norse Sagas to see how Tolkien drew inspiration from the mythical Midgard to create Middle-Earth. In his early schooling days, Tolkien would read and translate the Sagas from Old Norse into English on his own (Drout, 2006). Tolkien’s early interest in linguistics and philology would prove to be highly influential, not only in his academic career, but also his fiction (Drout, 2005). Tolkien’s fascination with the Old Norse and Old English myths would serve as the main inspiration for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, including the creation of the Elvish language therein (Drout, 2006).
Perhaps one of the earliest and most obvious of these parallels are the dragon encounters in The Hobbit (Tolkien, 1939) and Beowulf (Heaney, 1999):
“If you mean about removing the treasure…I have got my ring and will creep down this very noon…Old Smaug is weary and asleep, he thought…Well thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty to spare!” (Tolkien, 1937, p. 150-151).
“A dragon on the prowl…where he guarded a hoard…though with a thief’s wiles he had outwitted the sleeping dragon and driven him to fury” (Heaney, 1999, p. 70-71).
Though this comparison is nothing new. It is well founded that Bilbo and the ambitious quest he embarks on mirrors Beowulf’s in more than one way; albeit with differing conclusions and character transformations (Glenn, 1991). Tolkien, however, always maintained that despite Beowulf being an invaluable source, he never consciously thought of it when writing The Hobbit (Glenn, 1991). Yet, this 'borrowing' of elements would persist in subsequent works and stories. The Rohan banquet hall events with King Théoden in The Two Towers (Tolkien, 1954) bearing a striking resemblance to those in Beowulf's is such an example.
Many other elements such as the dwarves, the naming of swords, runes and of course magical rings of power are all present in Norse Sagas, particularly the Edda (Drout, 2006). The character Gandalf is a direct reference to the Norse god, Odin: “Gandalf’s description was Odinic…the wizard King, the wanderer, the shaman, the poet with his beard and his staff and his wide-brimmed floppy hat” (Brown, 2012, p. 4). The name, Gandalf, was even taken directly from the Icelandic tales, along with most of the other dwarves’ names in The Hobbit – Fili, Kili and Thorin (Brown, 2012). Specifically, they were taken from ‘Dvergatal’ – a key section from Völuspá, which is now considered an interpolation; often omitted from later editions (Drout, 2006).
DeleteBut perhaps myths offer more than just mere entertainment and escapism. Renowned for his comparative mythology and commentary on the power of myths, Joseph Campbell claims they help us to understand our place in the modern world, and in turn, its impact on us (Campbell & Flowers, 1988).
Campbell studied and compared myths of cultures from all around the world. In them, he found similar themes and fundamental structures which he narrowed down into quintessential journey’s and character archetypes. He would later collate them in his seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Since its publication, its influence has spread from the likes of George Lucas to Deepak Chopra. These archetypes may help to explain the journey’s we personally embark on, and the countless people we meet along the way. They can serve as a driving force for helping us to better understand our emotions as we deal with conflict, both internal and external (Campbell & Flowers, 1988).
In The Power of Myth, Campbell (1988) puts forward the idea that myths are narrative clues of humankind’s profound search for truth and significance through the ages; not only for life’s various meanings, but for the meaning behind our experiences. they support our faiths and inspire us. He further notes that everything we as humans have in common with each other can be revealed in myths, as they support our faith and inspire us:
“These bits of information from ancient times…have themes that have supported man’s life, built civilizations, informed religions…[they] centre on our inner problems, mysteries and thresholds of passage…they are clues to the spiritual potential of human life” (Campbell & Flowers, 1988, pp.5-12).
Campbell (1949) presents myths as one avenue for society to connect by tapping into the human psyche. In doing so, he claims they satisfy our basic need to hear stories in order to allow us to reflect on ourselves and to reassure us that we have always been yearning for the same things, from the ancient to the modern world - to belong, to bond with one another, to feel worthwhile, to know if there is a higher spiritual power (Campbell & Flowers, 1988).
In this sense, we could view our lives as mythic quests, with ourselves as the hero and author of our own story, providing instructional tools for navigating ourselves in this modern world.
References:
DeleteBrown, N.M. (2012). Song of the Vikings: Snorri and the making of Norse myths. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
Campbell, J., Flowers, B.S. (Eds.). (1988). The power of myth with Bill Moyers. New York, NY: Anchor Books.
Campbell, J. (2008 ;1949). The hero with a thousand faces: The collected works of Joseph Campbell (3rd ed.). San Francisco, SF: New World Library.
Drout, M. D. C. (Eds.). (2006). J.R.R. Tolkien encyclopaedia: Scholarship and critical assessment. New York, NY: Routledge.
Glenn, J.A. (1991). To translate a hero: The Hobbit as Beowulf retold. Arkansas Philological Association, PAPA 17, 13-34.
Heaney, S. (trans). (1999). Beowulf: A new translation. London, England: Penguin.
Terry, P. (trans). (1990, 1966). Volüspà: Poems of the elder Edda. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Richards, E. G. (1999) Mapping time. The Calendar and its history. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1997; 1937). The hobbit. London, England: HarperCollins.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1993; 1954). The Lord of the Rings: The two towers. London, England: HarperCollins.
What elements of creation myths does Völuspá show, and how does it compare to other creation myths?
ReplyDeleteCreation myths are the stories that were made by ancient cultures to try to understand the reason and purpose for the Earth and its inhabitants. Most ancient cultures have some sort of theory for how the universe was created, and a lot of these stories have several similarities. Völuspá (The Song of the Volva) is a poem which depicts the creation of the world according to Nordic mythology. As is typical of many creation myths, Völuspá tells of how the world began from a dark nothingness. “Nothing was there when time began…Earth was not yet, nor the high heavens, but a gaping emptiness…” From this nothingness comes the land, the sea, Midgard (the heavens), the sun and the moon. In the case of Völuspá, these things are created by the gods, “Bur’s sons…”, who also create the cycle of night and day. Eventually, they create man, and the human race is started.
Völuspá is similar to many other creation myths. In Maori mythology, the world also starts from nothing, where there is complete darkness until the Earth Mother, Ranginui, and the Sky Father, Papatuanuku, emerge. The two are joined together, and have several children who are born between them. Eventually, the children grow tired of being in such a small space, and separate the parents, creating the oceans, forests, and weather between the sky and the ground. Another similar creation myth is that of the Christian faith, as told in the book of Genesis in the Bible. The main difference in this story is that the universe was created by only one god over a period of seven days, but again the story starts from nothing. In this case, God first creates day and night, then the sky, land, sea, and plants. He then creates the sun, moon, and stars, and on the following day creates all the sea creatures and birds. On the last two days, He creates all the animals, and then finishes by creating humans. The similarities between these three myths show that even in ancient times, humans were eager to learn and share knowledge about mankind’s purpose and creation. Even with few scientific resources in Nordic times, people still had ways to explain the world, and give societies reasons to act in certain ways, mostly through faith. Although scientists have provided alternative theories for how the universe began, the themes which run through these original creation myths are still relevant to today’s society, and many people still look to religion to guide their lives, just like their Norse, Maori, and early Christian ancestors.
References
DeleteVöluspá, from Terry, P. (Trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Māori creation traditions - Common threads in creation stories', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/maori-creation-traditions/page-1 (accessed 29 March 2017)