Hobbit @ MindSay 
I imagine when I was a teen I worked my way though various forms of literature. Science fiction, fantasy, greek mythology, not to mention the more realistic if just as wild stuff described by Hunter Thompson and Kurt Vonnegut and George Orwell. I enjoyed a lot of it, stayed with science fiction for a bit longer than the others, and of course participated in the fandom of The Hobbit, by Tolkien. But I put all that behind me by the time I got to college and immersed myself in the realism of books about police, spies, Watergate and Viet Nam.
But during those earlier years I never put any of the stories I had read into any real historical context. I never connected the dots between popular fantasy-fiction and true ancient mythology.
I bring it up today because I just got a Christmas package from my Icelandic penpals. I am slowly learning a little about Iceland, about the language, and about the history. I have not yet tackled the Sagas, writings of early Iceland from the era of the 10th and 11th century.
But this year, I was sent a statue of Odin.
WHO or WHAT is Odin? I hadn't a clue!
Two years ago they (my trucker buddy class) related to me their story of Christmas which included an ugly troll named Gryla who steals naughty children! And she has a cat who EATS bad kids! She and her husband also have 13 children who have become friendly yet mischeivous and each one comes down from the mountain to leave a gift in the shoes which children leave on windowsills. So Icleandic Christmas involves 13 days of gift giving, starting today. Last year I received a deck of cards that held pictures of the little trolls with the great names like "bowl licker, window peeper, door sniffer, sheep worrier (ruh-roh!), and candle beggar.
This morning I had to turn to the great god google and learn, with help from Wikipedia, about Odin.
Odin himself is part of legend/lore/mythology and one of the Norse Gods. What I found fascinating in reading about him : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin , was the interconnection with several things from modern lore that I have heard mentioned, but never was able to put in any perspective.
For instance Vallhalla. I have heard reference to it for years, and sort of lumped it with the other mythological place of El Dorado. It was a reverential place and that was about all I knew. Well, Odin, among his many characteristics, is a god of War, as well as of poetry, victory and the hunt. One of his activities is to recognize the fiercest of warriors who are lost in battle. He is assisted in this task by the princess Valkrie - another character I have heard of but never knew anything about. Once chosen, the warrior spirits are brought to Valhalla to feast and await the final battle. (in the final battle, Odin is victor but the world is destroyed. From the remains of his adversary, he creates the earth (the body), rocks (teeth and bones), rivers and lakes (blood) sky (skull) and clouds (brains). Odin then chose two trees and into them blew breath and life; one of Odins brothers then embued them with brains and feelings; and his third brother gave them sight and hearing. One tree was now man, named Ash, and the other was woman, named Embla and all human kind came from them.
Odin is also the father of Thor.
Odin is accompianied by two ravens called Thought and Memory.
There are just so many incredible interconnnections you can follow from the above linked wikipedia entry it will take me days to follow them all and hopefully, gain a better understanding of the myths. The Irish, like the Norse, have mythical characters that represented qualities and traits. Good battled evil for things such as love, freedom, and eternal peace. Giants in both realms were the forces of evil. Bad men who died in Norse belief (as well as men who simply did not die heroically in battle) went to the 9th world,
a place called . . .
wait for it! . . .
hel.
You have to start reading yourself to learn that hel was a realm lorded over by Hel,
a goddess sent there by . . . Odin!
Welcome to Hel :
I'm going to try to not become a geek all over again, but I'm going to enjoy the next few days!
Big Brother Josh: i've got a yummy in my tummy
Me: Yay!
Big Brother Josh: and a hobbit and special monkey in my living room
Me: Yay again!
Me: Tell them both I said hello
Big Brother Josh: hobbit taking a nap
Me: aaah
Me: Well kiss him for me. j/k!!!
Big Brother Josh: ok
Big Brother Josh: *goes and kisses the hobbit*
Me: *laughs*
Me: Yay!!
Big Brother Josh: ew
Big Brother Josh: you would honestly think i'd do that?
Me: *snickers*
Me: No, silly
Me: It was rather amusing though
Big Brother Josh: *hands you a "snicker" bar* you are going to get fat like a little piggy
Me: Well pft
Big Brother Josh: call you my little piggy sister
Me: Meep!
Big Brother Josh: oink oink
Me: Hmph!
Big Brother Josh: *hugs*
Me: *hugs back*
Big Brother Josh: she oinks instead of squeaks now
Big Brother Josh: j/k
Me: Grr =P
Big Brother Josh: don't grr
Me: grr grr
Big Brother Josh: *gives you a doggie treat*
Me: -_-
Me: Meow.
Big Brother Josh: *puts you in the litter box*
Me: Hey!
Me: =P
Big Brother Josh: what?
Me: *is indignant*
Big Brother Josh: indecent? are you nakey?
Me: No! =P
Big Brother Josh: indignant?
Me: lol Yes
Me: That happens to be one of Little Josh's vocabulary words today
Big Brother Josh: and what does it mean?
Me: It means you're mad or annoyed because you feel as if you've been humiliated
Big Brother Josh: use it in a sentence
Me: Gretchen was indignant when her Big Brother put her in a litter box.
Big Brother Josh: you wouldn't have felt indignant had you not acted like a cat
Me: Well pft.
Me: hehehe
Big Brother Josh: what part of speech is pft?
Me: It is an interjection
Big Brother Josh: and what is it interjcting?
Me: it is interjecting indignation. lmao
Big Brother Josh: now that is just ignant
Me: *laughs*
Me: I think I go ride my bike now
Big Brother Josh: you didn't ask
Me: Well meep
Me: May I please go ride my bike?
Big Brother Josh: if you give me a big hug
Me: *gives you a big hug*
Big Brother Josh: awww yay
Big Brother Josh: but no you can't go ride your bike
Me: :(
Big Brother Josh: you may not ride your bike after dinner tonight
Big Brother Josh: hehe
Me: hehehe
*laughs* Yeah, we cwazy. :p
Ok, going ride my bike now.
Until next time,
TheFallenAngel
Random quote of the day, courtesy of me. lol It's not at all what it sounds like. I was just being stupid while helping my little brother with his vocabulary words. :p (And it's true, I wasn't wearing pants. I was wearing shorts. lol)
Anyway, not much to say at this very moment. I'm anxious for tomorrow. We're having a family gathering ma-thingy with all my relatives, and I invited Ian to come join us. I'm excited to see him again. It'll be only the second time that I've met him in person. I hope my relatives don't make too many "short jokes" at his/our expense. =P (For those who don't know, I'm 4'11" and he's 5'2". They don't call him "the hobbit" for nothing. lol)
Well, I got nothing to say right now. lol See you guys later. =)
Until next time,
TheFallenAngel
P.S.--Yay! It finally did the "prepare yourself lol" thing as a suggested tag! Woohoo! :p
Hey guys!
Just thought i'd blog today to say i'm having a good day. I analysed a whole 2 circuits today in my 2 hour circuits and systems lecture and i still had time to invent "Queer Eye for the Hobbit Guy" with my mate piggy.
Man, Piggy is awesome, he's like my best friend at ADFA (and he's in the air force which i have already excused him for) and he's another electrical engineer. He's one of those people who when you have something random to say you can say it and he'll probibly come out with something more random or some smart arse comment at least that either makes me laugh or continue in a random convisation until i'm told to shut up (which is most of the time). Nothing changed from school, i still talk to much in class, but i'm having fun so its all good...
So yeah, Digital systems 2 hour lecture this afternoon was cut away, so i'm just lazing in my room, the DO is in the building so i can't sleep :( not that i would neway :P.
Well i gtg now neway, there is procrastinating to be done, and i'm just the man to do it.
Love Tabsy
