Mythology: The Begginings Of The World

“Fire was regarded as a symbol of the divinity” druids. Fire has always been a symbol of light and we can see this from even the oldest texts written. Always humans mention fire like a place of light and happiness and in the contrary they associate the night and darkness with death and fear. “The classical (Roman) writers affirm that they offered on great occasions human sacrifices; as for success in war or for relief from dangerous diseases” druids I can imagine druids sacrificing people to the gods because in the early times people were really very religious. Those rituals done by them and were very vast and sacrificed a lot but I can’t see why they couldn’t have done this. “They were also the men of science and learning of their age and people.” Druids early teachers maybe like priests today because each teach something different but druids taught more subjects. “The Druids, harassed at all points on the mainland, retreated to Anglesey and Iona, where for a season they found shelter and continued their now dishonored rites.” druids this reminds me like in history when different religions have been persecuted by the law for just thinking differently.
“Which are three,—celibacy, poverty, and obedience” Iona These are very similar to the aspects of today’s church except for the fact that priests don’t have to be poor.
“Wagner’s Nibelungen Ring” wagners ring as soon as I read this and the introduction I started to think of the lord of the rings. “But it is to bring him nothing of happiness, only evil.” This is really similar to lord of the rings when Frodo gets the ring and starts seeing the evil faces and different evil energies. Sometimes in life you fight for a thing you really think will be good for you but as soon as you have it in your hands you notice that it is not as good as you thought it will be. This seems to have the plot of lord of the rings but the story is enacted different.
“A fearful quarrel was stirred up in the banquet hall, which ended in the slaughter of all the Burgundians but Günther and Hagan.” Nibelunge lied. This shows that injustice will always pay its price even if it is like a lot after or just the next moment that the injustice was committed.
“As a whole, however, Teutonic mythology runs along almost identical lines with that of the northern nations. The most notable divergence is due to modifications of the legends by reason of the difference in climatic conditions.” Teutonic Mythology. People in those times had similar beliefs in polytheism and same gods with different names. There might be 1000 names for the god of death but it will still be the god of death.
“And men by means of them and of what the sea yields; and it seems they were poetic men these, men who had deep thoughts in them and uttered musically their thoughts. Much would be lost had Iceland not been burst up from the sea, not been discovered by the Northmen!” Iceland. From here I can mainly see the contrast of Iceland of being like a place with beauty mixed with horrible natural scenes and then they introduce us to the wonderful man of Iceland and tell us how much it would have been lost if Iceland wouldn’t been conquered.





Uncouth: not known or not familiar to one, strange, rare.
Pigmies: any of a race of dwarfs described by ancient Greek authors
Beguile: to lead by deception
Burgundy: Former country of France
Liegeman: devoted follower

Definitions from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary