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mckenzeeI could use a hand here. I have posted these before, but now I need to make them into a coherent whole and add about 50 words.
If anyone knows Lovecraft or the Eddas, please comment with suggestions. Also, let me know if you see any inconsistencies or typos.
I am moving on to the final chapters, as I need to finish the whole thing by Halloween. I’ll then be formatting it as a chapbook, available on CafePress just in time for the Christmas season.
VII. Caught
Another account of this saga, Ulf’s poem, survives in fragments and can be dated to 983, making it the oldest surviving Norse lay. The poem gives a description of a wood carved mural from the hall of Olafr Pa showing deeds of gods and heroes
The carved mural depicts the fishing scene, appearing to invoke Thor’s role as protector of mankind and therefore protector of the dead. As in many surviving renditions (Gosforth tombstone, Cumbria, England; Hordum Ty stone, Denmark; Altuna stone, Uppland, Sweden), Thor’s feet are shown protruding through the bottom of the boat, witness to his exertion of divine power and confirming Snorri’s account
The boat became lodged on the newly risen isle. As Thor pressed against the deck, his feet smashed through the bottom of the boat and sank into the stinking muck below. Bubbles of putrid gas burst free from the mud, fouling the lungs and burning the eyes.
However, once his feet made contact with terra firma, Thor felt his strength renewed and he pulled harder upon the line. The mass of the monster drew closer as the god exerted himself.
Cthulhu suddenly rolled, broaching the surface with a sail-like wing and sowing saltwater across the craft. The salt spray briefly blinded Thor, but Hymir stared in terror at the writhing mass of wings and tentacles that passed close by. The giant gazed at the most frightening secret the sea had ever offered up to surface world. A vast undulating mass, a great Kraken-headed dragon bellowing and barreling around his fragile ship. And he knew that if the Jormungand were drawn completely onto the shore, the world of the Giants and Gods would end.
Shaking his head, unable to free a hand to clear his vision, Thor steadied his grip and started to pull anew. The wind rose, tossing the fog about as the glistening green behemoth circled their newfound perch. His massive red eyes glowing through the mist like a fire on the sea.
Passing close and raising his mammoth querulous head from the sea, Cthulhu stared into the face of the God, then opened his parrot-like beak, hidden beneath the tentacles and hissed his venom at his pursuers. Hymir ducked, feeling the acid sting across his shoulders and neck, but still-blind Thor took it full in his face.
With a roar, the Thunder god jerked back the line, ripping the forward half of the monster free of the sea and onto the deck.
VIII.
A Brief Digression on the Symbolism of the World Serpent
In my studies I have come across many accounts of the Serpent. I will assume familiarity with the Judeo-Christian beliefs on the part of my readers and concentrate on the more exotic tales.
My most recent readings in this area are The Divine Serpent In Myth And Legend by Dr. Robert T. Mason, Ph.D., D.D. and The One that got Away by Thorskegga Thorn.
Carl Jung, student of Krafft-Ebing and colleague of Sigmund Freud, frequently referred to the symbol of the Ouroboros—the serpent swallowing its own tail in a continuous cycle of destruction and creation. This autophagic serpent was first seen as early as 1600 years BC in Egypt. It traveled via the Phoenicians to the Greeks, who named it Ouroboros. Many cultures believed that this globe-encircling serpent was responsible for earthquakes and tidal waves that damaged fishing fleets. Jung believed that the serpent was an archetype, to be found in every culture.
We begin with the divine serpents of Voodoo. These gods are morally neutral, but will work for good or evil depending upon who calls on them. Strongest is Simbu, the Serpent God of Darkness, but more widespread in belief is the Serpent Dambala, known to the Haitians as Le Bon Dieu. He is married to the Rainbow Snake, Aida-edo (the rainbow was associated by the Norse with the Northern Lights and the bridge to Asgard, as previously discussed).
The aboriginal Kabi people of Queensland, Australia also worship a rainbow serpent, known as Dhakhan, who leads them to watering holes.
In the Caribbean Islands, we find El Cuchilu (Cuchu-vilu, or Pig-Snake) an evil god of the sea who destroys fishing weirs, devouring the fish and killing any fishermen he can catch. Could Cthulhu be the origin for this name?
Japanese Shintoism also has a major evil Serpent God, Susa-No-Wo. In the chief drama of Japanese mythology, Susa-No-Wo insulted the sun goddess Amataratsu-omi-kami and caused her to hide in a cave until the crops failed and famine set in. In an interesting variation of crucifixion and resurrection, all the other Gods except Susa-No-wo lured her out and tied her to a tree so that she could not again deprive the world of light. The cultural importance of this story can be seen in that the Kanji characters for Japan are the Sun (Amataratsu Omi Kami) and the Tree. For his mischief, Susa-No-Wo was banished from Japan and became a non-persona in Shinto.
It is possible that all serpents of myth were derived from the Sumerian snake god, Zu, the lord of the watery abyss from which mortal life arises and to which it returns. Among the Celts the underworld serpent, Sucellos, represented the same dark power.
Just as the Vikings believed that Yggdrasil, the tree of life, is both guarded and gnawed by the serpent Nidhogg, (often associated with Jormungand), early Sumerian and Akkadian artifacts show pictures of a tree called the “axis mundi “, or the world axis, guarded by a giant snake. This also brings to mind the Serpent in the Garden, coiled in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Norse fishing myth of Thor and Jormungand is frequently compared to the Hindu tradition of Indra and Vritra. The great Serpent Vritra blocked the major rivers, bringing famine to man. The God Indra attacks the Serpent with his lightning bolt, sundering its belly and releasing the waters. This battle takes place annually. Idra and Thor may both have their origins in a common Indo-European myth.
IX. Hymir's Fear
Thor drew the baneful Serpent further on board, staring straight into its baleful eyes, spinning large as platters. The World Worm glared back, belching poison as its tentacles whipped the waves. Hymir’s boat was engulfed in a venomous green cloud.
We are told that the giant Hymir lost color when he saw the serpent and the sea tumbling across his boat. Cthulhu’s wings beat the air, crackling like thunder.
Hymir was in a panic. He knew that if Thor managed to draw this Ouroborosian Beast onto dry land, the foundations of the worlds would be unbalanced, for the stars were not yet right. What the age-old cult of the Beothunk Skrældings had failed to do by design, an impudent god would bring about by accident.
Thor made the line fast to the gunwale and drew his hammer, preparing to smite the creature’s head; but as he swung Mjollnir high for the fatal blow, Hymir took his chance.
When Thor raised his hammer aloft, the giant fumbled for his bait knife and slashed the line where it passed across the gunwale.
The Great Worm flailed and started to slip back into the water. Thor lunged for the line, but when he pulled the line snapped, freeing the elder God to drop back beneath the waves. There was a bursting as of a rotting whale carcass and great malodorous bubbles rose from the waves.
The Spawn of Loki could be heard gibbering, as it swam deep into the ocean depths.
Thor bellowed and flung Mjollnir with all his might into the waves. The sea exploded higher than the clouds and when the Thunderer’s hammer flew back to his hand, it was dripping with ghastly gore.
Some say that Thor struck off the Serpent’s head beneath the waves, but I believe that mighty Cthulhu still lives and lies waiting and recovering for the end of days, when the stars will be right and Heimdall’s trumpet shall call it forth to battle Thor at Raganok.
And what of Raganok? According to the Eddas, first there will come Fimbulvetr, the winter of winters, which will last three years. The stars will vanish and the sun will burst. The sea will rear up and waves will pummel the shore because Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is twisting and writhing in fury, working his way onto dry land. With each breath, Jormungarnd will spew venom, so that all the earth and sky will be splattered and stained with his poison. The world will be in uproar, the air quaking with booms and blares and their echoes. Thor, son of Earth and gaping Jormungand will meet again, as they have twice before, for they are well matched.
If anyone knows Lovecraft or the Eddas, please comment with suggestions. Also, let me know if you see any inconsistencies or typos.
I am moving on to the final chapters, as I need to finish the whole thing by Halloween. I’ll then be formatting it as a chapbook, available on CafePress just in time for the Christmas season.
VII. Caught
Another account of this saga, Ulf’s poem, survives in fragments and can be dated to 983, making it the oldest surviving Norse lay. The poem gives a description of a wood carved mural from the hall of Olafr Pa showing deeds of gods and heroes
The carved mural depicts the fishing scene, appearing to invoke Thor’s role as protector of mankind and therefore protector of the dead. As in many surviving renditions (Gosforth tombstone, Cumbria, England; Hordum Ty stone, Denmark; Altuna stone, Uppland, Sweden), Thor’s feet are shown protruding through the bottom of the boat, witness to his exertion of divine power and confirming Snorri’s account
The boat became lodged on the newly risen isle. As Thor pressed against the deck, his feet smashed through the bottom of the boat and sank into the stinking muck below. Bubbles of putrid gas burst free from the mud, fouling the lungs and burning the eyes.
However, once his feet made contact with terra firma, Thor felt his strength renewed and he pulled harder upon the line. The mass of the monster drew closer as the god exerted himself.
Cthulhu suddenly rolled, broaching the surface with a sail-like wing and sowing saltwater across the craft. The salt spray briefly blinded Thor, but Hymir stared in terror at the writhing mass of wings and tentacles that passed close by. The giant gazed at the most frightening secret the sea had ever offered up to surface world. A vast undulating mass, a great Kraken-headed dragon bellowing and barreling around his fragile ship. And he knew that if the Jormungand were drawn completely onto the shore, the world of the Giants and Gods would end.
Shaking his head, unable to free a hand to clear his vision, Thor steadied his grip and started to pull anew. The wind rose, tossing the fog about as the glistening green behemoth circled their newfound perch. His massive red eyes glowing through the mist like a fire on the sea.
Passing close and raising his mammoth querulous head from the sea, Cthulhu stared into the face of the God, then opened his parrot-like beak, hidden beneath the tentacles and hissed his venom at his pursuers. Hymir ducked, feeling the acid sting across his shoulders and neck, but still-blind Thor took it full in his face.
With a roar, the Thunder god jerked back the line, ripping the forward half of the monster free of the sea and onto the deck.
VIII.
A Brief Digression on the Symbolism of the World Serpent
In my studies I have come across many accounts of the Serpent. I will assume familiarity with the Judeo-Christian beliefs on the part of my readers and concentrate on the more exotic tales.
My most recent readings in this area are The Divine Serpent In Myth And Legend by Dr. Robert T. Mason, Ph.D., D.D. and The One that got Away by Thorskegga Thorn.
Carl Jung, student of Krafft-Ebing and colleague of Sigmund Freud, frequently referred to the symbol of the Ouroboros—the serpent swallowing its own tail in a continuous cycle of destruction and creation. This autophagic serpent was first seen as early as 1600 years BC in Egypt. It traveled via the Phoenicians to the Greeks, who named it Ouroboros. Many cultures believed that this globe-encircling serpent was responsible for earthquakes and tidal waves that damaged fishing fleets. Jung believed that the serpent was an archetype, to be found in every culture.
We begin with the divine serpents of Voodoo. These gods are morally neutral, but will work for good or evil depending upon who calls on them. Strongest is Simbu, the Serpent God of Darkness, but more widespread in belief is the Serpent Dambala, known to the Haitians as Le Bon Dieu. He is married to the Rainbow Snake, Aida-edo (the rainbow was associated by the Norse with the Northern Lights and the bridge to Asgard, as previously discussed).
The aboriginal Kabi people of Queensland, Australia also worship a rainbow serpent, known as Dhakhan, who leads them to watering holes.
In the Caribbean Islands, we find El Cuchilu (Cuchu-vilu, or Pig-Snake) an evil god of the sea who destroys fishing weirs, devouring the fish and killing any fishermen he can catch. Could Cthulhu be the origin for this name?
Japanese Shintoism also has a major evil Serpent God, Susa-No-Wo. In the chief drama of Japanese mythology, Susa-No-Wo insulted the sun goddess Amataratsu-omi-kami and caused her to hide in a cave until the crops failed and famine set in. In an interesting variation of crucifixion and resurrection, all the other Gods except Susa-No-wo lured her out and tied her to a tree so that she could not again deprive the world of light. The cultural importance of this story can be seen in that the Kanji characters for Japan are the Sun (Amataratsu Omi Kami) and the Tree. For his mischief, Susa-No-Wo was banished from Japan and became a non-persona in Shinto.
It is possible that all serpents of myth were derived from the Sumerian snake god, Zu, the lord of the watery abyss from which mortal life arises and to which it returns. Among the Celts the underworld serpent, Sucellos, represented the same dark power.
Just as the Vikings believed that Yggdrasil, the tree of life, is both guarded and gnawed by the serpent Nidhogg, (often associated with Jormungand), early Sumerian and Akkadian artifacts show pictures of a tree called the “axis mundi “, or the world axis, guarded by a giant snake. This also brings to mind the Serpent in the Garden, coiled in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Norse fishing myth of Thor and Jormungand is frequently compared to the Hindu tradition of Indra and Vritra. The great Serpent Vritra blocked the major rivers, bringing famine to man. The God Indra attacks the Serpent with his lightning bolt, sundering its belly and releasing the waters. This battle takes place annually. Idra and Thor may both have their origins in a common Indo-European myth.
IX. Hymir's Fear
Thor drew the baneful Serpent further on board, staring straight into its baleful eyes, spinning large as platters. The World Worm glared back, belching poison as its tentacles whipped the waves. Hymir’s boat was engulfed in a venomous green cloud.
We are told that the giant Hymir lost color when he saw the serpent and the sea tumbling across his boat. Cthulhu’s wings beat the air, crackling like thunder.
Hymir was in a panic. He knew that if Thor managed to draw this Ouroborosian Beast onto dry land, the foundations of the worlds would be unbalanced, for the stars were not yet right. What the age-old cult of the Beothunk Skrældings had failed to do by design, an impudent god would bring about by accident.
Thor made the line fast to the gunwale and drew his hammer, preparing to smite the creature’s head; but as he swung Mjollnir high for the fatal blow, Hymir took his chance.
When Thor raised his hammer aloft, the giant fumbled for his bait knife and slashed the line where it passed across the gunwale.
The Great Worm flailed and started to slip back into the water. Thor lunged for the line, but when he pulled the line snapped, freeing the elder God to drop back beneath the waves. There was a bursting as of a rotting whale carcass and great malodorous bubbles rose from the waves.
The Spawn of Loki could be heard gibbering, as it swam deep into the ocean depths.
Thor bellowed and flung Mjollnir with all his might into the waves. The sea exploded higher than the clouds and when the Thunderer’s hammer flew back to his hand, it was dripping with ghastly gore.
Some say that Thor struck off the Serpent’s head beneath the waves, but I believe that mighty Cthulhu still lives and lies waiting and recovering for the end of days, when the stars will be right and Heimdall’s trumpet shall call it forth to battle Thor at Raganok.
And what of Raganok? According to the Eddas, first there will come Fimbulvetr, the winter of winters, which will last three years. The stars will vanish and the sun will burst. The sea will rear up and waves will pummel the shore because Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is twisting and writhing in fury, working his way onto dry land. With each breath, Jormungarnd will spew venom, so that all the earth and sky will be splattered and stained with his poison. The world will be in uproar, the air quaking with booms and blares and their echoes. Thor, son of Earth and gaping Jormungand will meet again, as they have twice before, for they are well matched.