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Völuspá - Coggle Diagram
Völuspá
COSMIC HISTORY
Begins with the development of the world and the end of the current world.
Influenced 19th / 20th c. writers
Can be separated in 4 parts:
- Creation from Chaos
- The Mythical Present
- Ragnarok
- Future after Ragnarok
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Nine worlds, stacked like discs. We are on Midgard (Middle Earth)
Running through the middle is Yggdrasill, the ash-tree of fate
Asgard = Home of the Aesir
Alfheim = Home of the Light Elves
Muspellheim / Svartalfheim = Home of the Dark Elves
Midgard = Home of the Humans
Vanaheim = Home of the Vanir
Nidavellir = Home of the Dwarves
Jotunheim = Home of the Giants
Niflheim = Home of Ice, Fog & Mist
Helheim = Home of Her & the Dishonourable Dead & Damned
3 gods involved in human creation: Óðinn, Hœnir, Lóðurr (Loki?)
Loki is the sworn brother of Óðinn, not Þórr (Thor). He is also half-giant.
Moral decline from Stanza 25 --> leads to Ragnarok. Descent into Ragnarok = lots of imagery, vivid picture.
Stanza 44 = direct prophecy of Ragnarok. Apocalyptic imagery. Moral decline = brothers killing each other.
GODS
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Attack on Gullveig --> Freyja? = Vanir goddess of fertility. She is associated with gold, weeps tears of golfd. She was burned 3 times and re-born 3 times.
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GENDER
The Seeress' Prophecy
- female narrator = unusual
- supernatural?
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RELIGION
Christianity
Christian influences throughout : see poem paper handout
Parallel allusions to Genesis, Mark & Revelation
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Heathenism
Critics think it is a Heathen poem written by a Heathen poet in contact with Christianity.
Iceland became Christian in the year 1000 - everyone thought Christ would return.