Norse Mythology Norse mythology has become prevalent in modern culture, but this is possible only due to the compilations and prior analyses that have been done. The way that many are exposed to Norse mythology today is through modern media, specifically films. Three such films that include major elements of Norse mythology are Thor directed by Kenneth Branagh, Thor: The Dark World directed by Alan Taylor, and Avengers directed by Joss Whedon. All three of these films are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and fit together into one story. These films also create a fairly complex, modern interpretation of Norse mythology that is complete with major characters and elements of Norse mythology, such as the nine realms and their names, One franchise that does this is the Percy Jackson & The Olympians which includes a series of books written by Rick Riordan and two film adaptations. Riordan is a former teacher and his grounding in the academic world has made his books more of an authority on Greek and Roman mythology for modern culture. This series currently contains five books and five supplementary works that further explain some of the myths presented. Riordan has focused on the demigod children who live in modern New York and across America, who go on quests in hopes of pleasing their divine parents. They are resources that have great influence on how Greek and Roman mythology have been adapted and adopted into modern culture. This is further shown by the two films Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief directed by Chris Columbus, and Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters directed by Thor Freudenthal. These films are from the early part of the series and don’t touch on Roman mythology at all, however they include many major elements of Greek mythology. The major characters and elements of Greek mythology are present, such as the gods and goddess and their powers, and characters like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and the various monsters of Greek mythology. In Sea of Monsters the demigod children are specifically questing for the Golden Fleece which is in the Sea of Monsters which contains many of the trials that were faced in Homer’s writings and by Jason and the
"The origin and evolution of saga writing in Iceland are largely matters for speculation. A common pastime on Icelandic farms, from the 12th century down to modern times, was the reading aloud of stories to entertain the household, known as sagnaskemmtun ("saga entertainment"). It seems to have replaced the traditional art of storytelling" (Hermann Palsson, pg. 1). Njal's Saga uses Old Icelandic writing convention and historical data to give a fictional account of a generation's lifestyle and struggles.
A combined example of these two aspects can be seen in the Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Joss Whedon. Thor, Norse
In the famous Walt Disney movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, the films focus on the main character, Johnny Depp, as Captain Jack Sparrow. The movies are about pirates that go on risky adventures for their own personal fortune or gain of power. They tend to reference a great deal of ancient Greek mythology since the majority of the settings take place in the open oceans. There are many differences due to the modern influence to make the movie more interesting, but some Greek influences are still present in the films. The main movies that reference Greek mythology are Dead Man’s Chest, On Stranger Tides, and At World’s End. These Walt Disney films are very dark, gory, and give an overall eerie feeling throughout the movie. Some of the main
Two of the most influential books of ancient Roman and Grecian culture are the Odyssey and the Aeneid. The Odyssey is centered on the Greek hero Odysseus. It portrays Odysseus’ journey back home and the endeavors he has to go through. The Aeneid depicts the Roman hero Aeneas as he is sent on a journey to start the great Roman Empire. The books both have many similarities between them especially due to the fact that Virgil, the author of the Aeneid, was heavily influenced by Homer’s Odyssey. But like with any good story they are both unique in their own way. One of the major differences is in the setting. Some of the differences are in the choices that they make while some of the differences are even in the characters themselves. But the parts of the stories that have influenced much of modern day literature are the instances where the protagonists have to make a visit to the underworld. Virgil and Homer wanted to emphasize the underworld so much that they each dedicated an entire chapter in their epics to the underworld. But each underworld is blatantly different thus giving each hero a distinctly different journey to the underworld. Three of the main differences in their underworld journeys are their purpose for being there, visuals in the underworld, and the underworld itself.
"Norse Mythology: The Valkyries: The Chooser of the Slain." Norse Mythology. Accessed May 29, 2014. http://www.viking-mythology.com/valkyries.php.
Lindow, John. "Loki (Norse mythology).” World Mythology: Handbook of Norse Mythology. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 26 November 2013.
It is believed that the character of Loki was not unique to Norse mythology. In fact the general idea of the trickster god is believed to have been a common Indo-European concept, so the exact roots of his mythology isn’t known. He is easily compared to other figures in European and even Native American mythology. Such comparisons could be to the trickster god from Native American lore (Sheppard) or the demonic character Syrdon from Caucasian legend. (“Loki”)
Greek Mythology originated around 775 B.C.E. It all started with Homer’s Iliad and continued on with Hesiod’s Theogany. These were the first two myths to be recorded in Greek Mythology. Both of these myths reveal to us about their understanding of the universe, and about their culture. Not only do they talk about their various gods, and heroes, but they also talk about how they viewed the universe in general (Rosenberg 79). Greek Mythology evolved from two early civilizations, the Mycenaean’s and the Minoans. It was the combining of these different Greek cities and Kingdoms during 10th century B.C. that created Greek Mythology. Its Geographic isolation gave it a place for mythologies to evolve (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Greek Mythology 454-456). Roman mythology, on the other hand grew around the same time as Greek Mythology. It all began around 800 B.C. when the Roman Empire was at its peak. However the unique about the Romans is that their origin traces back to Latin and Italian cultures. They also share the same gods and heroes with Greek but with different names. Moreover Rome was the first nation to have a set government that is similar to ours today. They were the first empire to have elected officials who ruled their nation. (Gale Virtual Reference Library: Roman Mythology 896). Both of these mythologies portray how life was different back then during the B.C times. The reveal us their culture, their religion, and how they viewed universe as a whole. However what caused a collapse between these two civilizations is the relationship between man, gods, and their children.
The Vikings have garnered attention over the years not only for their raiding and trading, but also for the Paganist gods and religion. Similar to many other ancient civilizations, the Vikings leave behind many myths containing tales of their gods and their beliefs. Marvel’s 2011 film Thor serves as an introduction to Norse gods and mythology, but it does fall flat in term of accuracy and detail in certain areas. Despite various large and small-scale changes to its overall plot and characters, Thor has been well-adapted to portray Norse myths as best as possible within an existing Marvel franchise.
Most people think of the Vikings as rude, rough, mean people who simply wanted to destroy and steal everything. But is that really true? Was there a reason behind the Vikings rage and destructive mentality? Their way of life was different from most of the people at the time. But they were very skilled at many things. They had different beliefs and that may have impacted their way of thinking about things compared to other people. As well as the leaders they may have had at different times and where they lived. What happened to the Vikings in the end? If they were so powerful, why didn’t their population last longer? There are many interesting topics on the Vikings; but these are the most important.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Lightning Thief the movie is about a young boy who has just discovered that he is a demi-god Percy Jackson. His father is Poseidon and his mother has been keeping it from him for many years. There is a lightning bolt that is stolen from Zeus on Mt. Olympus and Zeus believes that Percy has stolen it and demands its return by the summer solstice. In the mean time Percy gets attacked by multiple magical and mythological beings. There is a camp that demi-gods are safe from these things which is where Percy’s mother and his protector, Grover, take him to. This is where Percy’s journey begins. After a few days of being at the camp he realizes what he has to do. His mother was taken by Hades to the underworld and Percy has to save her all while trying to prove to Zeus that he did not steal the Lighting bolt.
In the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to the five muses who are the goddesses of art, literature, and science. In mythology the muses do rule over art and science, but there are actually nine muses. The only logical explanation for fewer muses in the film would be to cut production cost. The next major difference between the movie and the myth is the role of Hades. In the movie he is chosen to be the evil villain that Hercules must triumph against to prove he is a hero (Disney vs.
What was the history behind these men called vikings? Around A.D. 800 to the 11th century, a large amount Scandinavians left their homes in search of riches. These men eventually gained the name Vikings or Norsemen which come from North Man, a homage to their homeland. Viking raids started small, pillaging structures around the coast, particularly undefended monasteries, in the British Isles. Over the next three hundred years, they would be known far and wide as pirates, raiders, traders and settlers. Contrary to popular belief, Vikings were not a race, linked by ties of common ancestry or patriotism, and could not be defined by any single definition. Most of the Vikings, whose accomplishments are best known to come from Denmark, Norway and
...sions of the mythology, it is easy to tell what the cultures held in high regard. The Greeks were a civil people; their chief deity was a god of law, justice, and morals. The Norse, on the other hand, were a people of war. Their chief god was a god of war and death, and the only way to Valhalla was to die honorably in battle. Examining these mythologies is an excellent way to show the similarities and differences of the two cultures.
Thor is the son of Odin and a Giantess. Thor is connected with both the Earth and the sky due to his parents, the sky through his father and the Earth through his mother. He is one of the Aesir Gods and is considered one of the strongest amongst them.