Intro to the Saga

Question 1

What is a skald?

Answer 1

A storyteller

Question 2

author

Answer 2

unknown icelandic skald

Question 3

written when?

Answer 3

1200-1270 AD

Question 4

Spread by…

Answer 4

oral history

Question 5

How long has this been around?

Answer 5

Germanic stories from around 400 AD

Question 6

When was this written after?

Answer 6

Many were early Christians so they wrote this down in prose or poetry

Question 7

How is this similar to Beowulf?

Answer 7

• author is Christian relating Christian stories to background, but it does not have Christian elements. It only implies that all that happens has ceased.

Question 8

What does this show us about the culture?

Answer 8

they were pagan

Question 9

Setting

Answer 9

prehistory time of AD 300-400

Question 10

Who is Odin?

Answer 10

Also known as Woden, the God of death, wisdom

Question 11

What can they not comprehend?

Answer 11

love, justice due to culture of fear, death. A man’s life was nasty and short. NO hope.

Question 12

What do monsters represent?

Answer 12

Evil, but reflects evil in culture

Question 13

Dragon represents…?

Answer 13

greed and ferocious defense of possessions.

Question 14

Werewolf?

Answer 14

Intense nature of Norse tribes

Question 15

Norse Cosmology: How everything was formed?

Answer 15

• void
• North = mist and ice, South = fire
• Mist/ice and fire meet, creating Ymir, the frost giant
• Ymir produces giants from his ice drips.
• Cowlick (salt) makes the gods
• Gods ave children. Odin and others kill Ymir, drown giants in blood
• Blood makes sea
• Body makes land
• Flees become humans

Question 16

What is heaven?

Answer 16

• Asgard section is Valhalla, where Odin feasts

Question 17

What do gods and men do?

Answer 17

They fight giants

Question 18

Norse Cosmology: ending of time

Answer 18

A great serpent chews the tree, everything comes down.

• Ragnarok - ending time where they have battle
• Man and woman come out from tree and replenish the earth

Question 19

What did CS Lewis and Tolkein like about this?

Answer 19

gods/men unite to fight evil.

Question 20

Who is Baldr?

Answer 20

the handsome sun-good who represents good and is loved but then dies because Loki (trickster and brother) throws the mistle-toe at Baldr, killing him. Evil is too powerful.

Question 21

where do the people live?

Answer 21

Midgard

Question 22

What ash-tree holds up the earth?

Answer 22

Yggdrasil

Question 23

What’s at the bottom of the tree?

Answer 23

Nilfheim (Hel) and norns/fates