(no subject)

[rivka]

Anyone up on their Norse mythology and willing to answer some questions for Alex? We read a story about Loki and Baldur, and she has questions I don't know the answers to.

Here are her questions:
If Baldur was the god of light, was it dark all the time after he was killed?
Why did Loki want to kill Baldur?
Why was Loki so mean?

Edited to add: If you want to have a try at some more of her questions that are stumping me this morning, here you go:

Why did the Romans want to have more money and power than other people?

and

Did Mr. McCain disagree with Jesus?

I swear to God I did nothing to elicit that last comparison.

Comments

[columbina.livejournal.com]

This is an actual serious answer and I'm pretty sure your tongue was in cheek but here you go anyway. You decide how to extract this for Alex :)

Loki might not have actually been a god. His place in Norse mythology is more like a nature spirit and he may have been a jotun, which is usually considered to be a "giant" but is also sort of like an "elemental." Basically, Loki is there to show the capriciousness of nature. He's like Puck. Before the Balder episode, he was as much an assistant to the gods as an antagonist.

The Balder business was apparently him trying to puncture the hubris of the gods (another standard role in these stories) - remember, the idea was that nothing could hurt Balder, so Loki went out and found the one thing that could, just to make a point - but that went too far and the other gods never forgave him. From then on he's strictly Snidely Whiplash.

As for Balder, I'd say that being the god of light doesn't necessarily mean the sun stopped rising every morning after he died. Besides, you know how gods are. They never stay dead.

[columbina.livejournal.com]

Adding: But it's possible that Balder's death is a season-progression myth, so maybe when he dies it becomes winter and then when he is reborn and the whole thing starts over again it becomes spring.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

No, I did want real answers. I don't know how I'm going to translate this for her, but it helps me to understand. Thanks.