Week 5 Discussions: Creation Myths: Norse, Greek, Iroquois, Babylonian; Myths of the Apocalypse: Norse

This discussion is in two parts. First, respond to at least one of the following:

• Which types of creation myth are illustrated in the Norse Creation myth? What role does Yggdrasill play in the story?

• In "From Chaos to King Zeus," Who is Gaia? What is her relationship to the other gods? What does this story suggest about family relationships?

• In the Babylonian Creation myth, what similarities to Genesis or to "From Chaos to King Zeus" do you see?  What are the significant differences?

• How are the Hindu ages of the world similar to Hesiod's Ages of Humanity?

• How is Ragnarok similar to Armageddon? Different? For those who have read or seen C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, what Norse influences can you see in Lewis's final battle with the White Witch? For those who have read or seen the movie Lord of the Rings, what Norse influences can you see in Tolkien's depiction of the final battle with Sauron?

AND THEN, respond to three of the following:

• What fairy tale is similar to the story of how Sky Woman meets the magician? Why does the magician set up these tests? As Sky Woman meets each test, what is the magician's response? Why does he react the way that he does? Do the results of this test help explain the magician's later behavior? How does this all relate to Sky Woman "not taking her mother's counsel in the matter as she should have done"?
• How is the tree in this story similar to the tree Ygdrasill in the Norse myth?  How is this tree similiar to the trees in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2)? How do these trees relate to the concept from sacred space of the axis mundi? What is the significance to Sky Woman drawing the second tree from within herself?
• How is this story similar to modern scientific theories about the origin of the universe? Focus in particular on the events from when Sky Woman dives into the blue up until the birth of her daughter.
• What is the significance of the various animals that assist in the creation of the world? What is meant by saying that they had "a certain quality to each of them, a quality the stories have recorded as Waterfowl, Beaver, and Turtle" (Leonard and McClure 71)? In creating the world, what connection does this story have to the concept from sacred space of the imago mundi, or image of the world, an object that represents the entire world?
• What types of creation myth (Weigle) appear in this story?  Illustrate your response with specific examples from the story.
• In what way is the tree in this story a tree of life?  In what way is it a tree of light?  How do these concepts of the tree of life/tree of light apply to Yggdrasil?  What role do they play in Christianity?   Are there examples of the tree of life/tree of light in our modern culture?
• What is the relationship between the tree of light and Sky Woman's daughter? How does this relate to the concept of the axis mundi?
• What does this story suggest about the role of women in Iroquois society?
• What is the significance of the birth of Sky Woman's grandsons?  How is this story similar to the Dogon story of Jackal?
• What numbers appear in this story, and what is their significance?

In responding to any of the above, be sure to support your response with specific references from the textbook. 

Be sure to give well developed responses, and respond to the posts of at least two of your classmates.