Greek Mythology: Singapore's Takeover

There is a wicked side to Odin. He can be erratic and at times abuse his power by causing or initiating wars. This has surfaced with many rulers throughout history. If Odin were to be compared to a

Abigail Williams In the movie Thor, Thor’s brother, Loki, nearly destroys Asgard, their home, and all who live there. Jealousy defined the relationship between Thor and Loki, because of this, he contacts the frost giants giving them directions to a possession that Asgard had taken from them years earlier. When the frost giants attempt to steal the object, Thor becomes angered.

In Thor, the audience sees how thor had an unusual birth- a typical feature of the archetypal superhero's life. Odin, ruler of Asgard, desired a heir who would one day surpass him in power and have the power of the heavens

According to the Norse Mythology for Smart People in the article, “THOR,” Thor is the thunder god, who protects Asgard from the giants, “Thor, the brawny thunder god, is the archetype of a loyal and honorable warrior, the ideal toward which the average human warrior aspired. He’s the indefatigable defender of […] Asgard from the encroachments of the giants […].” Thor is described as having similar characteristic of Finn: Loyal and honorable. Thor is also strong and courageous: “His courage and sense of duty are unshakeable, and his physical strength is virtually unmatched,” (THOR).

     An important point on the subject of Odin remains that unlike the Christian God, Norse gods such as Odin are fallible. They show bias towards specific mortals and often act out of their best interest. Often times, advice given by such gods has selfish intent and only serves as the means to which the god creates his ultimate end.

The book Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan was exhilarating. In the beginning of the book it starts off at a run from a magical talking goat being assassinated. Then Magnus, the main character, goes on a quest to try to retrieve Thor’s hammer. In order to retrieve Thor’s hammer Magnus has to make a fake wedding with the king of the earth giants, Thrym, and his friend Alex, who is Loki’s daughter, but Loki wants his other daughter, Samantha, to marry Thrym. So that Thrym will give Alex Thor’s hammer as a wedding gift. Loki has other plans for the wedding though, Loki’s plans have Alex bring him the only sword that can break his bonds. Loki’s plans are to get free, but the giants think it’s to create an alliance for Ragnarok.

Like many tricksters the great Loki can take any form and is selfish, dangerous, and amoral but yet, he is a creator. Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex. Although his father was the giant Fárbauti, he was included among the Aesire. Loki was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself. He also appeared as the enemy of the gods, entering their banquet uninvited and demanding their

When people wonder about Ancient Greece the first thing that comes to their minds is Greek mythology; gods and goddesses that have helped shape many historical events. “In ancient Greece, stories about gods and goddesses and heroes and monsters were an important part of everyday life.” (“Greek Mythology.”) The civilization showed that numerous characters and stories helped shape Greeks. The beliefs the Greeks had with mythologies was they understood the meaning behind all the characters that are known today. However, to the Greeks, they were not just characters, these were their gods and goddesses who gave them meaning and understanding of the world around them. Worshiping the gods and goddesses helped them with their religious rituals and the temperament of the weather. A famous wine-jar that was made during this time period was “Achilles killing the Amazon Queen Penthesilea, 540-530 BCE, black-figured amphora”. (Khan Academy) The civilization that they lived in grew around their worship and achievements.

In the movie Thor, made in 2011, the main character and beholder of the “Mjolnir” Thor Odinson is the Asgardian God of thunder. He is the controller of the storms, causing rain, wind, thunder, and lightning whenever he wants, using his magical hammer, the “Mjolnir”. Thor displays the hero archetype by showing heart, bravery, and caring for others when he is able to overcome all of the obstacles thrown his way by his father and his brother Loki. However, not only does he have to overcome the obstacles thrown his way by his family, he has personal issues he needs to overcome. A lot of the issues he has to face head on in the film are due to being hard-headed and

-She’s a strong lady Thor, I’m sure she’ll be fine. What I don’t understand is what she was doing with Loki. –

One of the most significant attributes of Loki is his connection to Ragnarök, or the end of the world according the Norse mythology. He triggers Ragnarök by “arranging the death of Baldur,” (Lindow, par. 6). He does this by tricking the blind god Hod into throwing a mistletoe spear at Baldur, killing him (McCoy, par. 9). He then turns against the gods and takes the side of the giant. Some of the major incidents that take place during the battle include: Jormungand, the giant serpent, slaying Thor; Fenrir, the wolf, killing Odin; and Loki and Heimdall mortally wounding each other (McCoy, par. 3 and 8). As punishment, the gods “tie him down to three rocks inside a cave” while “a venomous serpent sits above him, dripping poison onto him” (McCoy, par. 9).

The legend of Thor is a bit different than what is portrayed in Marvel’s movie Thor. Thor was a very important god is from Norse mythology and was a thunder god while his wife was a fertility goddess. Odin, Thor’s father was the chief Viking god and legend says that Odin enjoyed disguising himself as a human and would seduce human women. In the Marvel movies, Odin is depicted as a completely different god and Thor is your average all brawns, quick tempered, hero myth. Norse mythology and Marvel’s rendition of Thor and the Norse gods are completely different and while prior to the course, I never would have known otherwise. I have always thought that I understood mythology prior to this course but it would seem that over the last 6 weeks, my understanding of mythology came from comic books and Marvel movies.

Here Odin introduces of Loki, the trickster God, who becomes jealous of Balder’s immunity. While disguised, Loki asks Frigg “ ‘Have all things given their oath not to harm Balder?’ Frigg answers, ‘A shoot of wood grows to the west of Valhalla. It is called Mistletoe, and it seemed too young for me to demand its

In Norse mythology, Thor is known as the God of Thunder. The Vikings believed that the sound of thunder was caused by Thor. In the Norse myth, Thor and his mighty hammer, Miolnir, take on the destructive giants. It is said that every crack of thunder is Thor dropping his hammer down. (The Encyclopedia of Ancient Myths and Culture 449-455)

Loki is the embodiment of, “Of course it was Loki. It 's always Loki.” Loki is unquestionably the biggest question mark within Norse mythology. He is portrayed as a scheming, mischievous deity who has no real loyalties, his role is shrouded in mystery; what was his purpose in the ancient stories. Loki’s character arises questions about his role; was he a plot device, a foil for the Aesir, or maybe he was meant to be used as a warning to child? Within the pantheon of Norse gods, he was an anomaly; his fellow gods are mostly one dimensional and Loki is anything but. Loki is the antithesis to the culture the Norse gods represented; honor, courage, fidelity, truth, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self reliance, perseverance. Loki is