Blog #39

Justin Huang

12/17/19

Blog #39

Aim- How does Norse mythology compare and contrast with Greek mythology?

Write Now- Are the Greeks or Norse more relatable to contemporary society? Why?

    The Greeks are more relatable because they are depicted to directly represent humans. They were portrayed in human form and they had real human emotions. The Norse seemed nonhuman in that they were not emotional. Their gods were stoic; they knew one day Ragnorok would end them all, but they accepted it and continued their lives with courage.

Video

Odin

Odin is best compared to Cronus or Prometheus. He was the allfather, the father and leader of the Aesir gods; in this way he relates to Cronus. Odin is also wise, he sacrificed one eye to drink from the fountain of wisdom. He gifts man knowledge and looks over them similar to how Prometheus gave man fire and protected them.

Balder

God of love, peace, light, and justice. Son of Odin and Frigga. He was killed by his brother Hodor after Loki tricked him to throw Mistletoe at him.

What’s the connection between mistletoe and Loki?

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, although it looks pretty, it attaches to a host to absorb nutrients. Similarity, Loki is deceptive and cunning, he is a trouble maker.

Why does it make sense that the Norse would have mistletoe destroy Balder?

Balder is a god of goodness. Mistletoe, a parasitic plant, destroying him symbolizes the triumph of darkness. The Norse know Ragnork will one they destroy them, this is the first sign.

Thor

God of thunder and strength. He is best compared to Zeus because he is the strongest of all gods and the protector of mankind. They both wield lightning and are connected to oak trees.

Freyr and Freya

Freyr is the god of kingship, virility, prosperity, and sunshine. He is the brother of Freya. Freya is the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty. She practices seidr, a form of Norse magic. She brought magic to the gods and mankind. Freya also carries the slain who do not reach Valhalla.

Frigg

She is the highest ranking goddess as the wife of Odin. Despite her importance, there are scarce accounts of her.

Loki

He is portrayed as a scheming and selfish coward. Also, he can be playful and helpful. He is technically not a god as his father was a giant, and he has a sworn brotherhood with Odin.

Tyr

The god of war. In older accounts, Tyr is the highest god but by the Viking age his role is usurped by Odin.

Group Work

Compare and contrast the creation of the world and people between the Greeks and the Norse.

• What does this creation highlight about cultural understanding?

The two cultures share similar stories. In Greek myths, the titans were killed by the Olympians, and in Norse myths the gods first had to kill the giants. From this destruction the world was created.

• What were the values of the peoples?

Evidently the two cultures had similar values. Their gods were based on similar attributes. They each had gods for love and gods for strength. This demonstrates which values are universal all peoples.

• Notice any pattern about acquiring knowledge and wisdom?

Both cultures required sacrifice to gain knowledge. Odin’s eye was sacrificed to drink from the fountain of wisdom, and Prometheus was punished by being chained to a rock. This shows that knowledge was seen as a powerful weapon. Thus, gifts of wisdom to mankind often carried a large price.

Reflection

Norse mythology shares many characteristics with Greek mythology. They have similar gods that represent the similar values between these peoples. This conveys the universality of mythology as it is understood by all people no matter where or when they were born. However, the differences between the two mythologies show that they are unique. While the Greeks focused on human emotion with myths that emphasized hubris and tragedy, the Norse valued courage with a mythology that sought to stress the importance of bravery even in the face of inevitable demise. All in all, the Greek and Norse peoples valued many of the same characteristics as portrayed through their gods, though the cultures held distinct outlooks on life itself.

Blog #38

Eri Dumesh
12/16/19
Blog

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471892867187172025/

Aim: How can we introduce Norse mythology by studying their philosophies? 

THE RAINBOW BRIDGE- The bridge between Midgard (the World), and Asgard (the land of the gods). 

ASGARD In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and home to the Æsir tribe of gods.Odin
and his wife Frigg, are the rulers of Asgard. One of Asgard's well known locations is Valhala, in which Odin
rules According to Edith Hamilton, Asgard has "no radiancy of joy...no assurance of bliss. It is a grave and
solemn place, over which hangs the threat of inevitable doom" (300).

WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION What is the point of creating a land of gods where defeat is sure?

Because it makes sure all the people in Asgard work together to prevent assured destruction. It also makes
sure they don’t fall into a state of security and stay alert. 

The Nine Worlds (Old Norse Niu Heimar) are the homelands of the various types of beings found in the
pre-Christian worldview of the Norse and other Germanic peoples. They're held in the branches and roots
of the world-tree Yggdrasil. 

THE NINE WORLDS- The Nine Worlds as a group are mentioned in a poem in the Poetic Edda.[1)
Unfortunately, there is no true list in the mythology, however, we can compile the following tentative reconstruction: 

Midgard, the world of humanity 

Asgard, the world of the goddesses 

Vanaheim, the world of the Vanir tribe of gods and goddesses 

Jotunheim, the world of the giants

Niflheim, the primordial world of ice 

Muspelheim, the primordial world of fire 

Alfheim, the world of the elves 

Svartalfheim, the world of the dwarves • 

Hel, the world of the eponymous goddess Hel 

and the dead 

https://norse-mythology.net/

VALHALLA 

In Norse mythology, Valhalla, "hall of the slain," is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard,
ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those who die in combat travel to Valhalla
upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr.
In Valhalla, the dead join the masses of those who have died in combat known as Einherjar,
as well as various legendary Germanic heroes and kings, as they prepare to aid Odin during the events of Ragnarök. Before the hall stands the golden tree Glasir, and the hall's ceiling is thatched with golden shields. 

 PAIR-SHARE Valhalla is described as the "hall of the slain." Look up the definition of "slay"
(slain is the past-participle form) and discuss the meaning attributed to the use of that specific word for Valhalla. 

Slay results in the death of one party by murder, and the slain go to Valhalla as they die. 

VALKYRIES 

In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie (from Old Norse valkyrja "chooser of the slain") is one of a host
of female figures who choose those who may die in battle and those who may live.
Selecting among half of those who die in battle (the other half go to the goddess Freyja's afterlife field Fólkvangr),
the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin. There,
the deceased warriors become einherjar (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"). When the einherjar are not preparing
for the events of Ragnarök, the valkyries bear them mead. Valkyries also appear as lovers of heroes and other mortals,
where they are sometimes described as the daughters of royalty, sometimes accompanied by ravens and sometimes
connected to swans or horses. 

WHOLE GROUP DISCUSSION How can you elaborate on this depiction of women? What does it highlight about Norse philosophy? 

Women seem to be much more important than in other religions, as they hold greater positions of power in these myths than others. 

Niflheim, Old Norse Niflheimr, in Norse mythology, the cold, dark, misty world of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. In some accounts
it was the last of nine worlds, a place into which evil men passed after reaching the region of death (Hel). Situated below one of the
roots of the world tree, Yggdrasill, Niflheim contained a well, Hvergelmir, from which many rivers flowed. In the Norse creation story,
Niflheim was the misty region north of the void (Ginnungagap) which the world was created. 

Other sources of information: 

https://norse-mythology.net

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ancient.eu/amp/1-12388/

Zuting Chen 12/12/2019 Period 1 Blog #37

Aim: How does the story of Noah’s Ark symbolically serve humanity?

Do Now: What crimes are so heinous that God would require an Earth-wide purification?

We had a variety of responses, from rape to genocide. When murder was brought up,  it seems to occur in a lot of cases, yet we’re still shocked with each incident. It’s evident in news; if people were moved by such “heinous” acts, then that would suffice as a news story. On an even bigger scale are mass shootings or genocide, which are often carried out by prominent individuals, as with the case of the Holocaust.

Some others in the class added that God might have wanted to hit “reset” due to people being selfish, violent, or overall very corrupt, which contradicts the morals that God stands for.

But in it all, should an individual’s actions (or those of a small group) affect humanity altogether? Would the Holocaust warrant God to restart the entire Earth?

Ancient floods are floods sent by deities or the divine. It originated in Mesopotamia, but almost every culture has a flood myth. In many of those stories, it’s to cleanse or to punish.

The story of Noah’s Arc resulted from a similar flood sent by God to wipe out humanity. Noah, a worthy person, agreed to build and go on the Ark. He was to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of not clean animals. When it opened, two of each animal came, a male and female.

Humans, despite the self-centered position we often think of, weren’t given special consideration. The only thing that makes them distinct from the other animals is that they built the Ark.

But how does God’s control over nature (fire, water, earth, and air) in Judeo-Christianity compare to that of Greek Mythology?

Unlike many other cultures that have flood myths, Noah’s Ark revolves around one God. In Greek Mythology, many gods are each in control of certain elements or aspects. Those gods are subject to imperfections and flaws similar to humanity, making nature less predictable. God in Judeo-Christinaity, is the one sole being whose actions are wise and justified.

We watched this video about the Noah’s Ark replica in Kentucky, as covered by Fox News:

https://youtu.be/g0eUcE0GPw8

In this video, the news reporter spoke about the opening of the museum, the prospects it’ll bring, and what conflicts she presumed would occur (as a result of separation of church and state).

We ended on a dark note: Is humanity doomed?

Imperfections might suggest doom, but I don’t see it that way. Humans are imperfect, but in the few cases of perfection, it’s amazing.

Besides, the only one who’s perfect is God.

Reflection:

These are among some of the first few lessons I’ve had about stories in the Bible, which I’m not that familiar with (despite the numerous allusions in literature). I found it interesting how many cultures have references to a flood story. I distinctly remember the ones from the River-Valley civilizations (such as Mesopotamia), where it was suggested that a divine being wanted to destroy the civilization. Overall, this continues to establish God as a wise and omnipotent being; no human is as wise or perfect to fully understand God, as was with the ending of The Book of Job.

Blog #36

12/11/19

Jason Chen P1

Modern Myth 2020

The Book of Revelation

    In today’s class, we received a lesson from Mr. Misciagna on the Book of Revelation, breaking down the symbols and repetition in the book. The Book of Revelation was written by John the Apostle, the last living apostle. He wrote the book. The book was broken up into three sections described as “things which thou hast seen”, “things which are”, and “things which shall be hereafter”. These sections break up the book into the past, present, and the future.

    First, we were asked to name some of the things we read in the book, and then we dove into the symbols patterns that we saw with all the different items we listed. For example some of the patterns we saw were the number 7, the antichrist, destruction, and the four viewpoints. By looking at all the symbols on continues we begin to understand that the book of revelation is the same story, but told from 4 different points of views. The main timeline of the Book of Revelation can be broken down to Recompense, Ruin, Return, Righteousness, Restoration, and Rejoicing. 

Student Reflection:

Not having any previous experiences with the Book of Revelations, my eyes were opened up to how symbolize and repetition can come together to create a coherent story and theme. But at the Book of Revelations maintains an element of open endedness to the point where any reader can have their own interpretation of the meanings behind the symbolism. My interpretation of the cycle of Recompense, Ruin, Return, Righteousness, Restoration, and Rejoicing is that humanity will never be stagnant but instead between an equilibrium of chaos and order in the cycle of purging the world of the “Ruin” and “Return”. Although this is how I may view it I learned today that anyone can interpret the Book of Revelations anyway they want and their takeaway is personalized to their views.

Blog #35

12/9/19

 Anling Chen

PD1

Aim: How does the Book of Job exemplify human pain and retribution? 

Today we talked about the Book of Job, a book in the Old Testament of the Bible that details the rise and fall of a man. Job is a wealthy farmer with a large family and livestock who is a devout follower of God. One day, Satan goes to God and tells him that if any of his followers face insurmountable hardship, they will renounce their devotion to Him. God was unbothered- he retorted that none of his followers would do such a thing. Satan gives God a challenge: put forth in Job's life a series of catastrophic events and watch how he reacts. There is one caveat God demands before accepting: Job must not die himself during this time.

And so Job becomes victim to his family dying, his livestock perishing, natural disasters, and thievery. Everything he loves is gone. Job is distraught and dressed in rags and a shaved head, but he is still devoted to God. When Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, go to visit Job, they claim that Job must have committed sins or done something to deserve the life he has now. For example, Eliphaz claims that Job was disingenuous when he was helping others, for only now does he understand the extent of their pain. His friends implore him to make up for the sins that he must have committed. Job denies that he has any wrongdoing. He is depressed, feeling the injustice of the situation, and nihilist. He questions why he was born in the first place, if all he had to look forward was suffering and bleakness. 

Then, Elihu, another friend of Job's, interjects that what Job is experiencing is a form of pain God utilizes for man to return to God and ask for forgiveness. The physical and emotional pain Job is enduring shows how evil the deeds Job did, or else he would not deserve pain of this magnitude. However, God soon restores Job's life and increases his material possession tenfold. 

We first started the lessons with a summary of each book in the Bible. They are, along with the theme they address:

• Job - How to suffer 
• Psalms - How to pray 
• Proverbs - How to act 
• Ecclesiastes - How to enjoy 
• Song of Solomon - How to love 

We then watched a Youtube video about the Book of Job, which detailed the specifics aforementioned. Watching it we learned that God is a complex being that must juggle multiple factors at once, and what we think is not just is perhaps just another cog in the machine. There is a larger macrocosm to be considered here, and we only see a very small slice of it. 

We then addressed these questions: 

Was God's test of Job justified? Does Job fear God for nothing?
- Some students said that the test was not necessarily justified nor unjustified, but a necessary obstacle in Job's life. One student gave an example of salt in a meal: we all need salt in our food to make it taste good, but without it, we will have to make do and still eat. The same analogy applies to Job, who did not deserve what came to him suddenly, but what he endured was important to how he came to be as a man. 

- Other students agreed with this idea. Suffering is inevitable, and even thought Job questioned why he had to receive the short end of the stick, he still braved through it to become a more prosperous person. 

Reflection:

Today, I learned how the Book of Job applies to human tribulations and how they react to them. Oftentimes, people are hesitant to accept change or challenge because failure is a scary concept. However, failure is essential to how people become who they are. In addition, God is always behind the person and there is a larger world behind one's small bubble. God looks upon the world as a puzzle with thousands of pieces and just because one piece became eschew, the whole puzzle must not be given up. Instead, the person must be resilient and perhaps the ending will be even more pleasing than what was there in the beginning. 

This tied in with the idea that creation stories are not about humans and ecosystems, but rather enormous systems that tie in with each other to make a place viable. Just like in Aztec religion, which required five different successive worlds to become the world we live in now, the Christian creation story needed to have its own trials and failures to know what works and what does not. In this way, Satan's challenges to God may be compared to the changings of the worlds. Each challenge proposed a new way of "human operations" just as Satan was himself an obstacle. Life is about understanding that what is in front of you is just a wall, but climbing over it may lead one to a sweeter, brighter universe.  

Blog 34

Benjamin Zhu

12/3/19

Ms.Peterson

Post #34

Took pop quiz first 

Aim: How does Oedipus self mutilation highlight the tragedy of metaphorical blindness?

Pair share- Who is truly at fault for the fall of the house of Oedipus? 

In my opinion, it’s fate’s fault because regardless of what other characters do, they can’t escape fate so it’s bound to happen. All of the characters actions were a result of the fate that they were bound to. 

Violence in Ancient Greece-displaying acts of violence on stage in Ancient Greece was considered profane, crude, and gauche. Instead of showing any violence, characters would often act as messengers sharing the shocking story. As you can see from Oedipus Rex, the second messenger runs in to inform the chorus the Oedipus has gouged out his own eyes and Jocasta hanged himself. 

The killing or murdering of a character is never shown on stage because it was rude to the characters and audience.

Why is irony so often utilized in literature and film? Why do we, as an audience appreciate irony?

It adds humor to the plot because people will get attracted to it. It also adds layers to the actions of each character as well as a humorous feeling to them. We appreciate irony because it helps us to relate directly to the characters and it brings many uses so we can better understand the characters. 

APPEAL OF OEDIPUS-Dr. Eva Cybulska, Psychiatrist Perhaps the appeal of Oedipus lies in his uncompromising search for identity-a search for the essence of what it is to be human in all its 'existential aloneness'. human condition is inherently tragic and paradoxical, and it is knowledge which makes it so. Silenus, tutor and companion, to the god Dionysus is quoted as saying that "life is freest of pain when it is accompanied by ignorance of its own suffering." Sophocles echoed this wisdom in these lines spoken by the Chorus in Oedipus Rex: "Ignorance made you happy.The truth has made you blind. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy of knowledge, vision and blindness: truth is trapped in illusion, and in the disturbances of language and emotion. Overwhelming pride, but anger and fear, blinds reason. Initially, Oedipus is blind not only regarding his identity, but also the identity of those he loves. Later, fear blinds him to the illogical basis of his conclusions. And yet, as he loses his physical sight, his insight awakens. This is the most crucial and poignant moment of dramatic reversal (peripeteia). It shows how we allow our spirituality and compassionate humanity to shine forth only after abandoning the concreteness of our existence and our attachment to our possessions (including power). Oedipus is a man true to himself, who by destroying his well-being creates his own fate and becomes who he is Finally, he offers himself as a sacrifice to Thebes, the city which has revered him wise ruler, and the city he truly loves

Blindness and Irony

The greatest appeal of irony is a reminder that the only thing we know for certain is that we don’t know anything for certain. Physical blindness teaches us not to completely trust what we think we know. 

These ignorance, represent what we don’t know or what we did not experience. Ignorance is bliss. That’s why physical blindness teach trust us to not trust what we don’t know like a child and fire. 

Reflection:

The purpose of today’s lesson is to talk about the physical and metaphoric aspects of blindness and how it lead to the downfall of Oedipus. Oedipus was blind in the sense that he was completely unaware of the events and prophecy going around him which caused him to be naive and ignorant. Furthermore, we also talked about irony and how it’s ironic that ignorance is bliss. The only thing that we know for certain is that we don’t know anything with 100% certainty.

Modern Mythology 2020 - Blog #33

Modern Mythology 2020 - Blog #33

Belinda Zhang

12/2/19

AIM: How does the unraveling of the truth create an epiphany and tragic reversal (PERIPETIA) for Oedipus?

Do Now: How much do you really know about your family’s background?

Most of us realized that we only really know up to our great-grandparents’ history at most and that the amount of detail we know about our family decreases as we go back generations. We are limited by what our parents or grandparents choose to tell us and usually, we only know the basic information about our early family or our extended family.

How would you react if you traced enough steps to first learn:

a)    Your real grandfather was Adolf Hitler

b)   Your parents were siblings

If I learned that my real grandfather was Adolf Hitler, I would be shocked and appalled but I wouldn’t be able to do much since it is in the past. If I learned that my parents were siblings, I would be panicked and concerned for my future children and grandkids. I might check for any genetic dispositions to any diseases to decide if I would want to adopt when the time comes.

PERIPETIA

         We read aloud a slide discussing the meaning and importance of peripetia. Peripetia, in summary, is the twist of fate/plot twist in a tragic story. It is when a character enters a scene expecting a certain outcome, but is surprised by another character, causing the first character to usually do the opposite of what he originally planned to do. This reversal of plot allows the character to change his intentions or motivations and allows for character growth.

         The significance of peripetia is its effect of causing fear or pity in the audience in response to the tragic twist of fate that causes a character’s life to change forever. The plot twist is the most necessary element of a tragic plot.

         In Oedipus, the moment of peripetia is when the Messenger arrives from Corinth, revealing the plot twist that Oedipus was adopted and that Polybus was not his real father. At first, he is told that his “father” Polybus died from natural causes and felt relieved that the prophecy, proclaiming that he would go on to murder his father, was false. But upon being told that Polybus was not his father, Oedipus looks into his past further and is ultimately led to discovering the truth behind the prophecy.

PERIPETIA VS. ANAGNORISIS

         Peripetia is different from anagnorisis, although the two are usually closely related in a story. While peripetia is a change in plot, anagnorisis represents a change within a character. A sudden discovery made by a character results in the recognition of his or her true identity. Anagnorisis can also allow for character growth or a change in motivation.

         In Oedipus, the moment of anagnorisis is when Oedipus realizes from the stories of the Herdsman and Messenger that he killed Laius and that Laius and Jocasta were his real parents. He learns his true identity and past, also learning that he is the cause of the plague that struck Thebes. This information leads him to blind himself, fulfilling the irony of Oedipus being blind after knowing the truth.

READ ALOUD: PGS 152-163

         With our classmates playing the roles of the characters in the play, we read aloud pages 152-163. In these pages, the moment of peripetia occurs:

 “Because Polybus was no kin to you in blood” (pg 154)

Whole Group Discussion:

1)   Focus on Jocasta during pages 156-57 – Has she figured out the big mystery? What can you say about her now?

2)   Lines 1078-79 – Oedipus is focusing on Jocasta’s pride.. why is this so tragic?

The name Oedipus means “swollen foot” (he was found left outside, with his feet pinned together)

In Greek tragedies, the role of the Messenger (or in this case also the herdsman) is to bring horrible news – don’t shoot the messenger—but he thinks it’s good news. 

1)   Jocasta does seem to have figured out the big mystery. She is telling Oedipus to stop asking questions, “I beg you – do not hunt this out – I beg you, if you have any care for your own life…” (pg 157)

-       The lines on page 157 also foreshadow Jocasta’s suicide:

o   “Last thing I shall ever call you”

o   “Why has the queen gone?” foreshadows that something will tragically take place that will make her never to return (as readers, we know that she commits suicide).

2)   Oedipus’s focuses on Jocasta’s pride, believing that “she is ashamed of (his) low birth” and runs away because of this. However, she runs away because she wants to keep Oedipus protected from the pain of the truth. His hubris in determining the truth is tragic, considering he is the one who does not know the truth.

REFLECTION

         Today’s lesson focused around the key concepts of peripetia and anagnorisis. These moments of reversal are crucial to the progression of the plot of a tragic story, such as Oedipus. However, these concepts can also be found in familiar and modern movies. For example, in Spider-Man: Far From Home, a plot twist occurs when Peter Parker picks up a piece of Mysterio’s illusion technology and learns that Mysterio’s entire backstory and hero stories were fake illusions produced by holograms and technology. I feel that peripetia and anagnorisis are the main components of a story that make it engaging and interesting for the readers. In my opinion, the best plots are unpredictable and shocking and the more dramatic the peripetia is within a story, the more of an impact the climax and ending have on readers or viewers.

         Overall, today’s reading paired well with our review of the two terms, allowing us to see a clear example of the terms by making connections between peripetia and anagnorisis to specific parts of the plot of Oedipus. Ms. Peterson also helped us realize some interesting aspects of the book that we otherwise would not have noticed. She pointed out that Oedipus’s name translates to “swollen foot”, symbolizing the state he was found in. Moreover, we realized that Jocasta’s suicide was subtly foreshadowed on page 157 through lines said by the Chorus as well as Jocasta herself.