Norse Mythology in Modern Culture Essay

Amon Amarth is unmatched of the to the highest degree blatantly Scandinavian Mythological metal bands in existence. In fact, they are probably the only band in the world that is this virtually tied to Norse Mythology. Everything from their album names, to their strain titles, to the lyrics embedded in the wild sweet pea wrenching brutality of their fast-paced melodic guitar riffs, screams Odin, Thor, Loki and all the other gods and characters utter of in the sagas and stories passed from generation to generation through both written and birdcall methods. In true saga style, with the oral tradition of the most ancient establishments and peoples in the Nordic region, they sing the stories of the Eddas and send praise to the gods extensive after the cadence of their magnificence.The introductory album from Amon Amarth, entitled unhappiness Throughout the Nine Worlds, has numerous another(prenominal) different pens to the gods Odin, Loki and Baldr end-to-end the album. One of the more obvious references is from the song Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, which refers to the universal weeping from the story Baldrs Dreams in the Poetic Edda by Snorri Sturluson. In Baldrs Dreams, Baldr, the second of Odins sons, dreams of dying and the Aesir are so disturbed by this that they send Odin deal to Hel to figure out the meaning of the dreams. Subsequently, he is in fact hit by the hand of his artifice brother Hod, facilitated by Loki and the spear he fashi 1d out of mistletoe. Following the demolition, Hermod goes on a quest to succumb Baldr to the realm of the living. He meets with Hel, daughter of Loki and recoverr of Niflheim, and, after much pleading, she makes a deal with him stating that only if all things, living and dead, will weep for him(Lindow), shall he be able to return to the land of the Aesir. The first song on the album shares the album title and lays out Baldrs Dreams in a modern poetic way that is also exceedingly heavy metal. The lyr ics forgather out the dream and then the revealing of the culprit, Loki, as follows Nightmares, demons haunt my taunted mind, Im scared, my deaths foreseen ungloryful. Please Father make my demons disappear, transport Mother, death is everywhere. The evil force slightly us take over wants to bring down me. Who is the evil slayer, I cannot see? Loki, the deceitful divinity, discover the arrow of death. Pointed for the Hod the blind by the jealous Loki the arrow cut through the skin and into the philia of the effulgent one. Silence spread throughout the hall Aesir as the God of Light fell to his knees dying Sorrow throughout the ball club worlds the b dear God is gone, sent to Niflheim by the deceitful ( sad Lyrics) When looking at the professional story and the lyrics, the connection is painfully obvious.The subsequent albums are entitled, at once move from the Golden Hall, The Avenger, The Crusher, Versus the World, urgency of Norns, With Odin On Our Side, Twilight of th e Thunder God and Surtur Rising. Once Sent from the Golden Hall is a hint to Valhall and the capacious halls of the many Aesir. The Avenger, The Crusher and Twilight of the Thunder God are referring to Thor who is commonly known throughout Norse Mythology and Nordic histories as the god of thunder. Versus the World is about Ragnarok, the heroic impending battle between the world of the Aesir and the world of giants colliding to determine the future of the universe. Fate of the Norns is self-explanatory. The Norns in Norse Mythology are the determiners of the fate of everything in existence. With Odin on Our Side is another Ragnarok reference of sorts in that a couple songs on the album speak of fighting on Odins side during the spectacular battle to end all time. Lastly, Surtur Rising is about the rise of the giants right forwards the start of Ragnarok. Surtur, or Sutr as it is spelled in the Eddas, is the final foe of Freyr during the battle of Ragnarok. He weilds his giant sw ord that has a glow so bright that none can look upon it without a squint as described in both the Poetic Edda (Voluspa) and the Prose Edda (Gylfaginning). non only does Amon Amarth do a great job of relaying the stories from the Eddas and the Sagas as the cite to the gods, but they also describe all of the characters that act as sustain to, and also those made to antagonize, the gods. Odins Ravens, Hugin and Munin, are mentioned in the song called As Long As The Raven Flies which says that the thumb belongs to Asagods as long as the raven flies. (Dark Lyrics) Risen From the Sea 2000 is about the Midgard serpent stating that when Hes risen from the sea. The beasts of hell are here. Come to rule the world. And you will be in fire. (Dark Lyrics) Skoll, the wolf eternally chasing after the solarise until Ragnarok, when he is finally able to catch and devour it, is mentioned in the song, And concisely the World Will Cease to Be, when it is said, Across the western sky he runs, a w olf so grim and mean, devours the eternal sun, and in brief the world will cease to be.(Dark Lyrics) One last example of the inclusion of all the elements of the mythology is the power of Thors hammer, Mjollnir, which is hinted at and blatantly mentioned various times throughout all of the albums they have put out up to this day. Coincidentally, the reduce of albums they have out so far happens to be nine. The number nine is a sacred number in Norse Mythology and other mythologies around the world. In Norse Mythology there are nine worlds Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Midgard, Jotenheim, Svartalfheim , Nidavellir, Muspelheim and Niflheim. Skadi, the snow-shoe-god and her husband Njord, principle of the motion of the wind(Lindow), would spend nine days in the mountains at her plateful and then spend nine days at his home by the sea, continuing with the nine trend. In Ragnarok, Thor is fighting the Midgard Serpent and as he is engaged in battle with the serpent, he is struck by it. While he is dying, he takes nine final steps before go to his demise. A final example of this fixation with nine, and perhaps the most important example, is the nine days that Odin spent hanging from Yggdrasil to gain familiarity and power. Amon Amarths lyrical rampage in Thousand Years of onerousness tells the story of Odins sacrifice to himself as follows He hung on the inhospitable world tree whose roots no one knows, for nine substantial days he hung there pierced, by Gugnir, his spear. Swimming in pain, he peered into the depths and cried out in agony. Reaching out he grasped the runes before falling back from the abyss. He gave himself unto himself in a world of shearing pain. Go that we all may live our lives by the wisdom that he gained.The Fate of Norns is a shining example of how the band also integrates their personal lives into the myths that they constantly, and consistently, reference in all of their music. This song portrays a mourning of the loss of a son of on ly six years old that was the only disaster of continuing the legacy of the fathers name. In the middle of the song the lyrics state that the fate of Norns await us all there is no way to escape the day to answer Odins call or walk through Hels gate. The Norns established laws, they chose lives for the children of the people, fates of men, meaning they were tangled in the fortune of every mans life, or death as it may be. (Lindow)Ragnarok, the final hoorah for the world of the Aesir and the gods themselves, is a huge stoop on the musical flavorings of one of the most amazingly brutal, and yet melodically pleasing, metal bands in existence. Would you expect anything less? Hailing from Sweden, one of the metal capitals of the world, Amon Amarth is one of the most Norse mythologically inclined bands in the world. They use Norse mythology in every aspect of their music and truly epitomize the image of a modern day Viking. They pillage every stage that they bless with their presence and ravage the eardrums that their melodies touch. A live show from these guys brings you back to a more primal time of humanity where the gods were made from and of nature and there was still a mysticism in the hearts and souls of the people. To conclude, Amon Amarth is blatantly Norse and they merit to be recognized as one of the major contributors to the continuing spare-time activity in Norse mythology and love of the past heritage of a great region of the world. The wait is soon at end, always charge, never bend. cockcrow is here, make your stand. Live for honor, glory, death in fireWorks CitedDark Lyrics.Amon Amarth Lyrics. Metal Lyrics.http//www.darklyrics.com/a/amonamarth.htmlLarrington, Carolyne. The Poetic Edda. New York, New York Oxford University Press 2008.Lindow, John. Norse Mythology A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. New York, New York Oxford University Press 2001.Sturluson, Snorri. Edda. North Clarendon, VT Tuttle publication 1995.