A question about Norse myth

Discussion in 'Art & Culture' started by curioucity, Nov 20, 2004.

  1. curioucity Unbelievable and odd Registered Senior Member

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    Hello fellas.

    I'm quite a game-freak, and there's a lot of video-games (RPG mostly) that have references to Norse myth. I have a few questions on those:
    1) I learnt that Yggdrasil, the World Tree, has 4 stags on its branches, and they bear the names Dain, Dvalin, Duneyr and Durothrar (name error possible). There's a game which uses colors to identify the four names, Dainn being black, Dvalinn blue, Duneyrr white and Durathror red. Does this color scheme actually refer to the actual myth, and if yes, correctly?
    2) From what I got from googling, some say that Jormungand lies under the tree, while some other say it's around the world. which one is correct?

    Thanks for answering

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    PS: last, less serious question, how can Norse myth be so popular in video games

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    like I said earlier, most RPGs have at least one reference to it, be it to Yggdrasil, Ragnarok or else...
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2004
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  3. Insanely Elite Questions reality. Registered Senior Member

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    Hey curioucity,

    Its been over 20 years since I studied Norse mythology. I don't recall the four stags you mention. The one tree span the universe. The great serpent gnawed its roots. This serpent kills and is killed by Thor in Ragnorok. You meet it in your game and it aught to be a tough boss. As I recall the one tree couldn't very well be thought of linearly, more metaphorically. One memorable myth has Odin sacrificing his eye and hanging on Ygdrassill for many days and earning the runes for his trouble.

    As for popularity, you got to admit that Norse myth lends itself very well to gaming. Heroes, Gods, Great beasts, Giants, Dwarves. Good stuff.
     
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  5. Roman Banned Banned

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    Much of what Tolkien wrote was inspired by Nordic mythology. D&D was inspired by Tolkien, and D&D made RPG's popular.

    The more recent RPGs are just skipping the middle men and jumping straight back to norse mythology, since it's relatively underrepresented, compared to Greek Mythology.

    Besides, RPGs have created a culture around a modern mythology– elves are tall, orcs are green, certain words sound 'dwarven', some sound 'elvin'. These words came from the D&D sub-culture, but almost all that came from Norse mythology.
     
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  7. curioucity Unbelievable and odd Registered Senior Member

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    Thanks, Elite.

    Well, the stags are really not that popular... I indeed had a lot of trouble trying to google them, and even after all those troubles, there's no info about the color scheme.
    As for the serpent Jormungand, thanks for clearing it up. And in the game I play, yes, in fact, that serpent is the final boss

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    I'm glad at least some matters are answered.


    EDIT:

    to Roman
    Hmmm, when you mention it, I indeed agree with the Norse-modern culture connection... I have yet to see something which depicts elves as short for example...
     
  8. Roman Banned Banned

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    The elves in the "Elves and the Shoemaker," by the brothers Grimm.
     
  9. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    Yggdrasil The world tree.

    Yggdrasil a giant Ash tree planted by the first 3 gods(Odin,Ve,Vile) after they created the world(by a little blood bath ofcause).

    It top strecth all the way to(into?) heaven and its 3 roots ends in 3 different worlds. The 1st goes to Hel/Helheim where the dragon Nidhug is munching on it and Urds well is found. The 2nd goes past Mimers well to Jotumheim and the 3rd run true Hvergelmer before going in to Niflheim.

    In the crown of the tree lives 4 deers bounch around and eats the leafs of the tree, morning moist(wrong word) is gathered in there horns and forms the rivers of the world. In top sits a eagle and on its beak sits a hawk and scout the world, a little squirl runs back and forth between the roots and the top as a messenger

    (Hack and slash job, Danish names)
     
  10. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    oh forgot Jormungand is one of Lokes children, a giant snake, it was thown into the sea because the gods knew what it would do in the end, but it grew so big it spans all around the world and bits its own tail
     
  11. Dreamwalker Whatever Valued Senior Member

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    I never heard of any coloured branches, at least it is not written in the creation story.
     
  12. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    I believe there are four deer who feed off Yggdrasil, but I don't believe the branches are coloured - that's probably something the writers put in.

    Both.

    Actually you're confusing the Midgard serpent with the Nidhogg. Nidhogg gnaws the roots of Yggdrasil.
    Although you may be right - all manner of nasty things are chewing on Yggdrasil, wouldn't be suprising if the Midgard serpent is or was one.
     
  13. whitewolf asleep under the juniper bush Registered Senior Member

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    There is a wide collection of stories in that mythology, from which further info and understanding can be gathered. If it interests you, I suggest you invest in a good book and read it.
     
  14. Clockwood You Forgot Poland Registered Senior Member

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  15. curioucity Unbelievable and odd Registered Senior Member

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    Everyone, thanks for the info, corrections and suggestions

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    To Xev & dreamwalker: Umm, I guess I have to rephrase that sentence... I meant that the four names belonged to the four stags (which happen to represent the four winds if I'm not mistaken, from what I got in the net), and I was wondering if those stags, not the branches, were indeed distinctly colored. Thanks anyway.
    To Clockwood: Well, yes, most of the info there are pretty much shared among a lot, which was the reason why googling those info I asked gave me trouble...


    EDIT: I just ran around the net, and still got no clue if the stags are actually colored. rather, I came across a picture with the stags in normal fur... I guess those four colors are indeed merely game-designers idea.... *sigh*

    Still, I got some nice (and confuzzing) stuffs on Dain, then Dvalin, and then Duneyr and Durathor.
    Dain's identity is kinda blurry... some say Dain's a stag/dwarf shape-shifter, and some other say he's an elf.... ouch...
    Most info-bearer agree that Dvalin is stag/dwarf, in fact, they say Dvalin's a dwarf king, and master-craftdwarf too. They say that together with Durin (though some indicate that this is Tolkien's son's idea, what the...), Dvalin cretaed a cursed sword named Tyrfing.
    As for Duneyr and Durathor, I only got some words that the two words meant "rest" and "slumber", respectively.

    Ah, well, looks like I got to answer some of my own question, how odd I feel

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    Last edited: Nov 22, 2004
  16. Dreamwalker Whatever Valued Senior Member

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    Well, many dwarves in the norse myths have the ability to shapeshift, so I would not be surprised about that fact. I think I need to read my compilation of norse myths again.
     
  17. curioucity Unbelievable and odd Registered Senior Member

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    There's another question I want to ask now...
    Many sites mention what events occured during Ragnarok (like, Fenrir swallowing Odin only to get killed by Odin's son later, Thor and Jormungand settling scores etc), but what I haven't found is the thing that triggered Ragnarok (I'd say a 'when?' question wouldn't fit). Anyone knows that trigger?
    Thanks in advance
     
  18. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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  19. curioucity Unbelievable and odd Registered Senior Member

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    Wow... That's quite a lot of good information (maybe I need to try trusting Wikipedia for info from now, maybe not...), though a few minor bits are missing, some which are missing have enough explanation as why they are not there, some aren't (like, what happened to Hel? Her brothers are, clearly said, dead). Well, maybe it's just my crazy curiosity that makes me ask a lot....

    Thanks, Kunax.
     
  20. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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