Who are the Norns?

In Norse Mythology, three creatures control the destiny of humankind. They are the Norns, and correspond the Greek Moirai and Roman Percae. They are known by the names of "Urd," she who has become, "Verdandi," she who is becoming, and "Skuld," she who shall become. They live amongst the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree, where they weave the tapestry of Fate. Each person's life is a string in their loom, and the length of that string equals the length of the person's life.

Thence come the maids
Who much do know;
Three from the hall
Beneath the tree;
One they named Was,
And Being next,
The third Shall be.
-The Voluspa quoted in Bulfinch's Mythology

In addition to watering Yggdrasil and placing fresh clay around its roots, the Norns care for two swans swimming over the mirror-like surface of the Urdar (fate/wisdom) fountain. All swans are thought to be descended from this pair. The Norns also sometimes appear in swan plumage to visit the earth and foretell the future.

Sometimes the Norns are referred to as Vala or prophetesses. According to Bulfinch’s Mythology, "one of the weavers stood on a high mountain in the extreme east, while another waded far out into the western sea. The threads of their woof resembled cords, and varied greatly in hue, according to the nature of the events about to occur." Because of this, clouds and the northern lights, or aurora borealis, were thought to be the very strands of the web woven by the Norns.

Nørn, a Swiss vocal trio, image from www.norn.ch.

Ultimate Thor, Quite the Mystery

Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe Thor is quite the puzzle. Formerly a psychiatric nurse (!) named "Thorlief Golmen," he suffered a nervous breakdown right before his thirtieth birthday. This is when he began to believe he was, in fact, Thor, the Norse God of Thunder. Maybe he's on to something...

Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Universe Thor, image from marvel.com.

Thor Evolves

Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe Thor, he originally portrayed on Superfriends, is now more the stereotypical hero. Thor’s secret identity is that of Donald Blake, MD, and he has worked as physician, an EMS technician, and a construction worker as well. During Ragnarok, Thor died along with his people. However, he is rumored to still be alive.

Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe Thor, image from marvel.com.

Cartoon Thor Makes His First Appearance

I knew I wasn't hallucinating. My first encounter with Thor did indeed involve puple tights (though perhaps the tv needed a bit of a color adjustment). This was on the cartoon show Superfriends. Here, Thor was portrayed as a Hercules-like warrior, curiously with a winged helmet usually associated with Loki.

Thor Comin' Atcha, image from http://m35b.blogspot.com/2004/11/marvel-super-hero-cartoons.html.

Kickin' Ass in Thor's Helmet

This is me dressed in a Thor helmet and armor, in front of an image of the "Thor's Helmet" nebula. I'm entitling the image, Kickin' Ass in Thor's Helmet. But the image is a little more ethereal, spiritual, perhaps a young Thor surveying his wintery Scandinavian realm, with a bit of the aurora borealis in the background (because his stomach's a little upset).

Thor as Obelix

I'd been having a bit of trouble relating to Thor. Then I realized I'd known him (or at least a caricature of him) my entire life. A popular comic book series in France, Astérix, recounts the adventures of the Celtic Gauls as they resist Roman occupation. The main character is named "Astérix," and his sidekick is a character named "Obélix." Obélix is big guy, who, like Thor, can be a bit dim. He has long red hair and wears a horned helmet. He also owns a quarry (necessitating the use of a large hammer to split the rock), and has an insatiable appetite for food and drink. I cannot help but notice that Astérix himself is very much like Loki, the Norse trickster god (note the Hermes-like wings on his helmet!). The Astérix series has benefited a great deal from technology in general. The series has been made into a video game, a TV show, a few films (at least two if which are live-action) and a massive theme park just outside Paris.

Image from tvtropes.org.

Norse Mythology at the Kennedy Center

Last week, my mom and aunt went to see Wagner's Die Walküre put on by the Wahington National Opera, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. I, of course, could not go as I was attacked by a vicious flu. It turns out, the performance was 5 HOURS LONG! Of course, this was 5 hours of Placido Domingo. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second portion of the four-part opera entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). This opera is based on the Norse mythological tale recounted in the Volsunga saga.

Image from dc-opera.org.