Scandinavian mythology using the Eddas

 A paper of between five and seven double-spaced pages is required, due on the day of the last lecture. No additional reading, over and above what you can find in the Eddas is expected, but is welcome. Secondary sources cannot replace the basic texts. SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR PAPERS 1. The nine worlds of Scandinavian mythology. 2. The Scandinavian gods as the benefactors of the human race. 3. The gods’ amorous deeds. 4. Who married whom in the EDDA’s, and what came of it? 5. The animals of the Scandinavian myths. 6. The eddic landscape (rivers, mountains, etc.). 7. The geography of the Scandinavian myths. What happens in the north, south, east, and west? 8. Precious objects (including gold) and their uses in the EDDA’s. 9. The weapons of Scandinavian mythology and their uses. 10. Changing shape in Scandinavian myths. 11. What do we know about Scandinavian dwarfs? 12. The giantesses of the Scandinavian myths. 13. The giants of the Scandinavian myths. 14. Looked upon as a group, does it appear that the Scandinavian gods are smart, stupid, brave, cowardly, kind to one another, selfish, capable of love and jealousy? 15. Food and clothes in the eddic myths. 16. If summoned before a tribunal, would Loki be found guilty? 17. Othinn has amazingly many faces (functions). Is there a possibility to combine them, so as to produce a unified psychological picture of this god? 18. Female divinities are amazingly shadowy in the eddic texts. Yet what is their role in the functioning and unfolding of the mythic world of medieval Scandinavia? 19. In the final battle, each god faces a certain monster. Is their pairing off justified? If you did not know who fights whom, would those “oppositions” have been predictable? 20. Mistaken identity and aberration of vision in Scandinavian myths. 21. If you have read the Grimms’ tales or are familiar with contemporary and global versions of myths, compare and contrast a key example with Scandinavian mythology. TIP for success: 1. In your papers and in answering individual questions online, every statement has to be supported by a reference to the sources, that is, the EDDAs. Ellis Davidson’s book is not a source!