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
Pop culture’s mythology theory is used in many forms of media today, from The Legend of Zelda in video games to “Harry Potter in books. One example of usage of the mythology theory is the 1996 movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou? directed by Joel Coen. This movie is based off Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey.” There are many similarities between the two, yet at the same time, there are many differences.
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.
Thor and the Odyssey are famous today because they are examples of some of the most heroic warriors of their time. In Norse mythology and in the movie he is born to fight; their whole culture is based around fighting as well as drink...
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.
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
A combined example of these two aspects can be seen in the Avengers: Age of Ultron directed by Joss Whedon. Thor, Norse
Lindow, John. "Loki (Norse mythology).” World Mythology: Handbook of Norse Mythology. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 26 November 2013.
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.
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.
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”)
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.
Mythology is an essential part of all cultures. Through myth, ancient cultures attempted to explain the world and make sense of their daily lives. Myth helps us to live in the minds and time period of people who lived many centuries ago with no technology, no running water, and a basic education. Greek myth is possibly the most commonly recognized myth simply because it is likely the most developed and best recorded. Modern Greek myth originated around 1000 B.C. in the writings of the famous Greek poet Homer in the Odyssey and the Illiad. Although early Greek myths are often vague and contain many primitive elements regarding their understanding of death, sacrifice, and fate, later myths show Greek culture developed and changed over time.
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.
Odin is the ruler of the gods in Norse mythology. He was stuck by his own spear pinned to the World Tree. There he learned nine songs and eighteen runes. Odin lives in Asgard; from his throne he observes everything that happens in the nine worlds. Valhalla is a hall in Asgard where the dead warriors are taken; Odin is also known to reside there (pantheon/odin).