Post 10- The Pantheon in all its glory

Over the course of my fellow deities informing me on who they were and what they could do, I learned a great many things. I will inform you on them in the form of a list, because it's organized and such.

• Pangu
• How the Earth was made and I achieved a greater appreciation  and understanding for Chinese mythology and culture through this presentation.
• Demeter
• The reasons for the lack of good crops in the winter months and bountiful crops in the summer and spring months.
• Persephone
• The dangers of pomegranates and why you should never trust strangers or accept food from them.
• Freya
• More about my fellow Norse gods and goddesses, the theft of a necklace the dwarfs made and another one of Loki's tricks.
• Loki
• I learned more about the crazy trickster we love to hate, including more of his family.
• Hel
• An example of how good of a father Loki was, and one of my better choices: putting Hel in charge of Helheim.
• Aphrodite
• Why the battle of Troy happened and who the self-proclaimed "most beautiful woman in existence whom hasn't a physical flaw".
• Dionysus
• I learned who the inventor of wine was and another character in Greek mythology, Semele who was Dionysus' mother.
• Anubis
• I learned whom the god of the dead was in Egyptian mythology and finally who the jackal-headed human creature was in all those hieroglyphs in tombs and Egyptian ruins.
• Sun Wukong/The Monkey King
• Trickster deities appear in almost every mythology and culture it seems, from Norse to Native American to Chinese. Each of these tricksters have different characteristics and traits from others, although each is similar in ways too.
• Krishna
• This presentation may have given me the most knowledge in general, especially about something I am no expert on, even with my extensive knowledge. Krishna taught me about the Hindu religion and cultures in India, including that the cow is a sacred animal.
• Raven
• Another trickster deity in culture and mythology, I learned another way in how creation was made.
• Lan-Caihe
• I learned from this Chinese deity that not all deities have a set gender, many can be of one or the other; shaping and forming from a teenage boy to a young girl. Chinese poverty god/goddess that connected string to coins and drug them behind as they walked along streets and paths.
• Nokomis
• This presentation helped me the most with the appreciation of different Native American cultures and mythologies because of the story telling and hands-on presentation. I also learned who my, and everyone else's, grandmother. Her myth was also very interesting and educational.
• Nut (Newt)
• I learned of the reason for the day/night cycle and what causes it. I also learned who controls the day/night cycle, I'll give you a hint, it is Nut.
• Coyote
• Like any-other Native American deity, there are multiple versions or interpretations of the character. I learned of this greatly with Coyote. Coyote is generally a teacher of humans and is seen as a wise wanderer of sorts.
• Amentet
• Amentet taught me that Egyptians see death and almost welcome it. I think this because both her and Anubis are seen as kindhearted deities with somewhat peaceful personalities.
• Isis
• I learned that Isis is identified as the Virgin Mary in western cultures. Isis also taught me that cultures can take away certain deities or give them a different spin, this is because of her roots to Africa.
• Xi- Wangmu
• Xi- Wangmu taught me about Taoism and her roots associated with the religion along with the importance of peaches to her.

Post 9

The full story of Ragnarok.

This sad tale begins with the binding of Fenrir. Whom is the wolf son of Loki. Fenrir was tricked to being bound by us gods and thus triggered the end of the universe. Then came three seasons of winter with no summer in between; this was called the Fimbulwinter. The world tree, Yggdrasil which held the nine realms, began to tremble and its roots shook. Loki, Jormungand, Fenrir, and Surt amongst many other giants from the Jodunheim. Heimdall, our gate keeper, saw the colossal army riding the Naglfar (The ship of the dead); he warned us of the incoming army with Gjallahorn, his resounding horn, and we prepared for battle. Fenrir's massive jaws devoured the heavens, the sun, the ground beneath our feet. Nothing escaped. We fell one by one to the army as they wreaked havoc across our beautiful home of Asgard. I fell to Fenrir, the wolf-son of Loki. As the war torn land fell, it sunk into the sea; the opposite of the creation process. Silence and nothingness reigned again, known as the Ginnungagap. The earth was raised from its watery grave and Baldur returned from the underworld and made the world more lush and green than it was previously before. A new pair of humans named Lif and Lifthrasir woke up and us gods presided to have celebrations.

Post 8

This time of death and despair in the universe did not last for long, my son Baldur returned from his grave in the underworld and helped build up the land again. The universe and all of creation was restored to its beauty. Lif and Lifthrasir, a male and a female who hid in a tree, built a new world and we, the gods, thrived once more as superior rulers, for we were the gods.

Post 7

Climax, the point in a story where the conflict meets its high point and everything drops off from there. In the tale of Ragnarok this is the point in which my ravaged homeland of Asgard sank into the ocean from all the damage and battle and bloodshed. There were no survivors, no war heroes, just death. Then, darkness.

Post 6

 Ragnarok, the battle I have spent my entire life preparing for, has a self evident conflict. Of which was caused by the gods chaining up Loki and Fenrir, they broke free and amassed a great army to fight me and my fellow gods and goddesses. Loki and his army of monsters and giants tore apart the cosmos and Asgard along with it, bringing about the end of the universe and all those in it. Loki was aided by giants such as Surt, a sea serpent called Jormungand and a massive wolf called Fenrir, along with many other creatures. Thor, Tyr, Vidar, myself and Heimdall were among the gods that fought against Loki’s evil army setting about to end everything.

Post 5

(Fenrir, the wolf, and Jormungand, the sea serpent)

(Heimdall, the gate keeper, and giants in the background)

(Surt, the fire-sword bearing giant)

Characters:

Loki, the god of mischief, looks however he wants, he tends to enjoy changing his appearance. Loki was also resentful of his capturers, also angered, he attacked with strength and cunning. Killed and was killed by Heimdall.

Loki’s and Angrboa’s son, Fenrir, looked like a massive wolf with yawning jaws big enough to swallow the sky and the earth. He was the death of me, before my son avenged me by killing Fenrir. He had black fur, as dark as night. Resentful of the gods for chaining him and his father up. He fell to Vidar, my son.

The Gate Keeper as Heimdall was referred to, with his white skin and golden hair, signaled me and my fellow heroes and gods with Gjallahorn that there was an impending battle to begin between giants and gods. Heimdall was resilient and fought bravely, he killed and was killed by,  Loki.

Surt was a towering giant with a sword of fire swept across the sky leaving behind an inferno. Thinned out, black hair adorned his massive cranium.

Freyr was the god of the well being of nature, peace and wealth, until he was slain by Surt, but Surt was also slain by Freyr. Freyr had blond hair, like many other gods did and facial hair, as many more did. 

Thor, with his mighty hammer, Mjolnir, and his blond hair, fought the sea serpent Jormungand. He was the god of thunder, and fought with all his might until the end.

Jormungand, a mighty sea serpent, fought Thor and was vicious. He was gray and had massive scales proportional to his massive body.

I have already described myself, but I’ll do it again anyway; I am broad shouldered and have an eye patch over my right eye (details will come in future blogs). I have white hair that is accompanied by a long flowing white beard. I myself and Tyr both fell to Fenrir the wolf.

Tyr lost his hand to Fenrir when he helped bound him before he and his father escaped and triggered Ragnarok. He also had a curly moustache and a beard, well, before he and I fell to Fenrir.

Vidar, my son, avenged me and Tyr by slaying Fenrir, the wolf. He slayed Fenrir and died when the ravaged and war torn land sank into the sea. 

Post 4

Ragnarok

Asgard, a glittering magnificent city, my city, my home, reduced to ravaged palaces and homes of Asgard, fires everywhere. Fighting amongst the gods and giants. Loki is fighting for the giants whilst a massive sea serpent fights Thor and the wolf Fenrir consume the sky and the earth. A giant named Surt swept with his fire sword across the sky creating the many fires. Littered with the bodies of fallen gods and giants alike. The scent of fire and smoke was inescapable, the shaking of buildings, the fighting. The battle seemed endless, I tasted blood just before Loki’s son Fenrir, the wolf, devoured me.