Lesson 8: Listening to An Explanation of How the Norse World Was Created (Mon. Feb. 1)
Background Information about the Norse People:
-The Norse (or Norsemen) were the Germanic people of what is now Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They sailed the seas to trade and raid. They were called Northmen (or Norse) for their land of origin (in the North) and also Vikings (meaning “pirates”) for the terror that they were repudiated to spread. They were believed to have crossed the North Atlantic and to have settled Iceland about 93 AD, Greenland about 982, and visited North America about 15 years later. Leif Ericsson is thought to have put ashore at Helluland (a mountainous area, likely Baffin Island), Markland (likely Labrador), and Vinland (possibly Newfoundland). Evidence of the Norse having visited and lived in Newfoundland is found at L’Anse aux Meadows. They traded and fought with the local people (likely Inuit) and are given the credit for European discovery of America and for the first European colony on Canadian soil.
-Norse narratives are “stories concerning the gods of the Norsemen and formed part of their religion. The narratives illustrate the behaviour that was admired or condemned by the gods” (Evans & Millard, 1986). Norse narratives were told to explain how the world came to be, the existence of people and animals, and the mysteries of nature. The explanation usually involved gods or godlike beings.
-The Norse, like others, wondered about the beginning of the world and how people came to be. They told stories to explain the mysteries of the universe. The Norse used “scalds”, or poet storytellers, to transmit their stories orally in the form of poetry. This poetry described the creation of the world, the relation of the gods to humans, the downfall of the gods, and the new heaven and new earth
Your Tasks:
1) Read "The Beginning of all Things" here: https://www.studenthandouts.com/00/200004/beginning-of-things-nordic-germanic-creation-story.pdf
2) Think about these questions, as they will prepare you for our next lesson:
The Norse story of creation begins with ice. This is a part of nature not included in other creation stories.
Why would ice be a natural part of the Norse story? What elements of the Norse way of life come through in their stories? What natural phenomenon does this story try to explain?