I have been reading your comments over the past couple of days and they are really good. I am glad to see that we have made some connections between story and life. As a student of literature, i have always seen this connection in what i read. In myth however, the connections are much more pronounced.
I read Kevin's positng about his brother with sadness. My own step brother has been on three tours himself in Iraq. Luckily he has returned intact both mentally and physically from those dangers.
The foriegn wars we have conducted throughout our nations history are great examples of typical hero stories. The most pronounced threshold crossings appear in these stories of folks who travel by air or water to a foriegn land. They have clearly passed through to the zone of adventure and often are thrown directly into the Belly of the Whale. In the military this would be the first battle, where you are certain that there is no easy way out. Your home and safety are far away and return is uncertain.
Little Red Cap by the Grimm brothers and Jonah and the Whale are great examples of the transiion to the zone of transformative power. The reemergence from which marks a clear change in the protagonists consciousness.
In the piece from the Volsung Saga the Supernatural Aid appears clearly in the typical form of Odin, which was the model for Gandalf in Lord of the Rings who also serves the same purpose to the characters of those stories. From his interaction with Odin he recieves a fantastic steed which will help him on his journey.
For Monday we will examine the Road of Trials, and more specifically the Meeting with the Goddess and Woman as Temptress.
Trials: Slaying of Fafnir
Meeting with Goddess: Meeting with Brynhild
A folk interpretation of the Meeting: Sleeping Beauty
Woman as Temptress: The Temptations of Christ
I read Kevin's positng about his brother with sadness. My own step brother has been on three tours himself in Iraq. Luckily he has returned intact both mentally and physically from those dangers.
The foriegn wars we have conducted throughout our nations history are great examples of typical hero stories. The most pronounced threshold crossings appear in these stories of folks who travel by air or water to a foriegn land. They have clearly passed through to the zone of adventure and often are thrown directly into the Belly of the Whale. In the military this would be the first battle, where you are certain that there is no easy way out. Your home and safety are far away and return is uncertain.
Little Red Cap by the Grimm brothers and Jonah and the Whale are great examples of the transiion to the zone of transformative power. The reemergence from which marks a clear change in the protagonists consciousness.
In the piece from the Volsung Saga the Supernatural Aid appears clearly in the typical form of Odin, which was the model for Gandalf in Lord of the Rings who also serves the same purpose to the characters of those stories. From his interaction with Odin he recieves a fantastic steed which will help him on his journey.
For Monday we will examine the Road of Trials, and more specifically the Meeting with the Goddess and Woman as Temptress.
Trials: Slaying of Fafnir
Meeting with Goddess: Meeting with Brynhild
A folk interpretation of the Meeting: Sleeping Beauty
Woman as Temptress: The Temptations of Christ
After reading the temptations of Christ I wonder if the devil is really a woman? The only movie I know of that depicts this is the Devil Wears Prada. It makes me wonder because the devil and the temptations of women seem to be very much alike. In the end Christ doesnt give in to the temptations of the devil and is a true hero continuing on in his journey.
ReplyDeleteThe other passage, Sleeping Beauty made me ask myself the question of if the temptor is a woman and the victim is a woman is it more easy to tempt the woman or a man? In my opinion I think that a woman knows how another woman thinks which makes it much easier to pull the wool over her eyes than that of a man.
I found the slaying of Fafnir to be an interesting story, although it was difficult to read, but I like the point of it. It seemed that Sigurd tricked Fafnir, but that Fafnir was able to put a curse on Sigurd because he was on his death bed. Considering Sigurd tricked Fafnir, I think it was only fair if Fafnir is able to put a curse on Sigurd.
ReplyDeleteI liked the temptations of christ, because throughout the passage, he never lost his faith. I do find it odd that the devil is depicted as a woman, but it makes sense looking at everything we have learned. Women were first 'created' to be distractions, supposedly, and to be temptations. The devil is tempting christ, which makes sense for why the devil could be a woman.
I have to agree with Anna on the question as to whether or not the Devil could be considered a female entity. I definitely was left to my own questions after reading the passage of the temptations of Christ. As a Catholic, we are told not to believe in that of the Devil, however we are taught that God is an entity of many things and neither male or female. I wonder if it could be true for that of the Devil as well if it is a true being. I definitely agree that when it comes to temptation, women reign. I believe that is why the Goddesses had so much power over that of their male counterparts. Our world is geared by that or procreation and sex. Women use sex as a tool o get what they want, and in the end, they most often prevail. I am sorry to say this, but men tend to give into seduction much more often than that of women. I believe that men think more with their second head than their actual brain sometimes... though this doesn't hold true in some cases.
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