Introduction to Norse Mythology

The aspect I most appreciated in the Introduction to Norse Mythology was the inclusion of many details that cleared up or clarified the several processes and events most commonly referenced in the sagas we've been reading. For example, I had no idea that every free man was required to be a thingman to a Godi (pg 6). I had assumed that thingman-ship was voluntary and loyalties were only given to those Godi's with whom you had decent relationships. I also found it very interesting that 1/3 of the laws was receited annually at the Althing by one person, who, even though he was the holder of some of the most important information to Norse society, was described as having little or no real power. The concept that there were actual designated "moving days," due to the importance and reliance on household structure also intrigued me. I had never really considered the drastic change a change in household might have on that set group of people's availibility of information, but obviously the people of that time had.

Around the middle of the introduction I had a sort of "Aha!" moment, when the author described the difficulty and regulations related to scaldic poetry, which I understood to be the kind used to impress kings in the sagas. The fact that it said training and intensive study would be required just to understand it as a member of the auidience baffled me. I guess I had always questioned why poetry was held in SUCH esteem and rewarded so extensivley, but if it really was this difficult to master than "good poets" obviously worked hard at their skill. And it now makes sense to me that kings would reward people who honored them with such a skill, because it seems as if their only motivation to become well versed in poetry is to impress kings and such.

I was confused, however, with Snorri's depiction of Odin. In the sagas, the Nordic people thought of Odin as a God, and I guess I assumed they therefore believed him to be immortal. I'd been so used to reading the sagas and experiencing them almost from the perspective of a Norseman at the time, so I blindly accepted the existence of Odin as a God. But the story in the introduction about Odin describes his death, and personifies him as a great person, but not necessarily as a God. In fact, it seems that Snorri goes to great length to include him as a part of history and NOT an aspect of religion. Is this just Snorri enforcing Christian ideals and attempting to explain away the presence of Odin in the sagas, or what is going on here? Maybe I just need to get some sleep, I could have missed out on something important....

As far as the other sections of the book, the one I picked to read was on Freya. She interested me because I remember some other sagas or readings we did referenced her as a powerful female character. Indeed, she does seem to hold power, but it is also interesting how she is portrayed as a whore. She reminded me almost as the Goddess Aphrodite, and I found her character and the stories of her being called out amusing.

Last but not least, the assigned section of the book that I'll comment on is Midgard serpent. I just liked how similiar Midgard serpent was to the Christian story of the Devil posing as a serpent to trick Adam and Eve. Although this book distinguishies the seperent as seperate from "Hel" or the Norse version of the Devil, the concept is still there and this just shows how so many of the cultures and religions of the past are based upon the same principles, and that our beliefs are linked together more closesly than we may know to pagan religions in far away lands