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The Asgard Wall
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For better or worse, I thought it would be fun to include the following paper, The Asgard Wall and V.I. Propp: An Essay by (18-year old) Jamie Bishop, UGA Freshman, here in the body of this journal entry. As I mentioned in my last entry, I've been stumbling upon a lot my early "writings" over the past two weeks worth of moving and sorting. I found this academic endeavor (italics indicates sarcasm) in a beat-up box full of class notes and sundry "memorabilia" from my days as an underclassmen at the University of Georgia.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to distill any sense or sign of mental brilliance/greatness from this assignment, a paper I turned in to the hippie-ish Dr. William Free back when I was a Freshman taking Honors English 105 back in 1989. (Interestingly, Dr. Free also taught my father when Dad was getting his B.A. in English.) The professor's comments (also included at the end) are positive enough, but now, looking at this essay through older eyes, I think I got off a little too easy, considering the work's flippant tone. Still, I think I KNEW what I was doing back then, playing entirely to the expectations and fancies of the teacher (or an audience, in genral).
The following essay -- no doubt -- represents a silly collection of thoughts from a naive first-year college student. None-the-less, I'd like to think that there are some legitimate moments of creativity and cleverness scattered amidst the immature. If nothing else, I do like seeing that I had some verve back then, that I wasn't willing to write a conventional, ho-hum, bore-your-ass-off 5-page paper, and that that goofy kid showed an honest interst in the material...
***
The Asgard Wall and V.I. Propp:
An Essay by Jamie Bishop
Do you remember fairy tales? When you were little, did your parents often read you stories of mysticism and magic? Were you awed by the sheer strength and bravery of the hero, and dazzled by the beautiful radiance of the princess? Most likely you will remember Mother Goose and The Brothers Grimm. But, the Norse Myths? Thor, Odin, Loki? These fairy tales - which, in fact they are - are probably too bloody, scandalousl and violent for small children's innocent ears. Yet, these Norse Myths are much the basis of today's more recent fairy tales.
Even though these Germanic legends are nearly 700 years old, they are prominent in modern literature. The story "The Suilding of the Asgard Wall" is a traditional tale that can be fit into a set of guidelines created by V.I. Propp. Propp states that there are three functions characteristic of fairy tales. These functions are distributed among seven 'spheres of action' corresponding to the 'respective performers' as follows:
1. The villain
2. The donor (provider)
3. The helper
4. The princess (sought for person) and her father
5. The dispatcher
6. The hero
7. The false hero
Propp goes on to say that "in a specific fairy tale, one character may be involved in several spheres of action , and several characters may be involved in the same sphere of action."
(Summary of "The Building of the Asgard Wall")
The basic plot of "The Building of t h e Asgard Wall" revolves around a man known only as ' the builder' and 'the mason'. It is this man who rides his horse Svadilfari up the rainbow bridge and meets Heimdall, watchman of the gods. Heimdall allows him to pass into Asgard where 'the builder' confronts the gods. He tells the gods that he will build an impregnable wall around Asgard in 18 months for the price of Freyja (goddess of beauty), and the sun and moon. The gods disagree at first (because they place high value on Freyja's beauty and fertility - get my drift? ), but Loki suggests that they give the man only six months (one winter) to complete the wall. Everyone agrees that this is a good plan because they think that the mortal has no chance of accomplishing the task. The gods would then possess a half built wall (better than nothing!) Freyja and the sun and moon after the builder's failure. The mason sadly says that the time they have given him is not enough, but he will undertake the job out of his love for Freyja . He asks Odin if he may use his horse and is declined. Loki intervenes and convinces Odin to be 'fair'. So the mason and his horse set out to build the Asgard wall. As the first day of summer is approaching the gods are afraid that the mason will finish. Odin tells Loki that since he got the gods in this mess in the first place, he should get them out of it. Loki, not wanting to lose his life, shapechanges into the form of a gray mare and goes out in front of Asgard. Svadilfari, the mason's horse, sees the mare and chases 'her' all night. Obviously, the mason does not complete the wall. The builder is so enraged that he finally reveals his true identity. He transforms back into his original form - a rock giant. The gods realize that the wool has been pulled over their eyes and send for Thor. Thor smashes the giant's skull into a thousand bits with his magic hammer...
"The Building of the Asgard Wall" can be interpreted in two different ways. The first, and most obvious, defines the mason/rock giant as the villain. Viewing the buidler as the villain is both common and unimaginative. I belive the second and more practical, way is by seeing the giant wearing a white ten gallon hat.
Think about the mason for a minute. He is the protagonist. He creates disputes between the gods and also manages to anger Odin who, in turn, threatens Loki's life. Who were you 'rooting' for? Probably, you did want the mason to finish. Have you ever watched the movie [Escape From] Alcatraz? This flick relates perfectly to this myth. Three prisoners are 'trapped' in prison and attempt a jail break. Alcatraz, which is based on a true story, was done so well (or so badly, depending on which side you take) that you want the villains to escape. The same is true of "The Building of the Asgard Wall," you want Mr. Rock Giant to win Freyja's hand.
Now that we have established our hero, we must resolve who the villain(s) shall be. Loki fits the part perfectly. He trims down the time alotted the mason to one third the original amount. However, Loki is not an uncompromising villain. He does persuade Odin to give the mason the use of his horse. Later, though, Loki deprives the builder of his horse and destroys his chances of wincing the 'princess'. Thor could also play the part of villain. He kills our hero without giving him any chance to fight Sack. Thus, two characters may play the same role.
Who is the helper? No, a better question would be what is the helper? The answer to this is simple. Svadilfari, the mason's horse, is helper to the hero.
The donor (or provider) is somewhat unclear. We must first decide what the donor is donating. Since Odin is authoratively in control of the gods and puts Loki's plan into action we can assume that he is providing the mason with the intangible gift of time. If the mason had built the wall by the first day of summer Odin would have relinquished Freyja to her 'champion'. As we see here Odin is also playing a second role - that of the princess's father. (Actually he is not her father, but he is known as Allfather and all the gods are considered his children.)
The character of dispatcher is either not present or of little value to "The Building of Asgards Wall." The dispatcher is usually someone who sends the hero on a mission. In this myth, our hero goes on his journey for the sole sake of self gain. Could we say that the mason is his own dispatcher? Yes, we could, but I would rather choose to say that Heimdall could ?lay dispatcher. He allows the mason to enter Asgard. Therefore, Heimdall gives the builder the thumbs up to begin his conquest.
Freyja is the princess. The buildizg of the Asgard wall revolves around her. The mason builds the wall solely because he wants Freyja so badly (I don't even stop to think to wonder why). Because of his desire, she becomes the sought after person - thus filling the role of princess.
Now we get to the toughy. Who is the false hero? Is there a false hero? I dare to say that the false hero is the rock giant. What? That's a contradiction, you say? Delve a little deeper. How many identies does the builder have? Two, right - his mortal form and his original, rock giant form. Up til this point I have labeled the man as the mason or the builder. Now, I introduce the idea that the mason was our hero until he reverted to his giant identity. As soon as he reveals his true nature he becomes the false hero. No longer is he noble in his causes. He looses his fury on the gods. (Not for long - Thor decimates his cranium.) Throughout the story the mason/rock giant plays two parts - hero and false hero. Neat, huh?
By explaining "The Building of Asgard's Wall" in terms of Propp's seven performers, I have shown that even the oldest of fairy tales (which, in this case, is a myth about the Germanic peoples' pagan dieties) can fit under Propp's contemporary (1958) template. I have also attempted to defamiliarize the story by proposing a slightly different explication of its content in terms of V.I. Propp's "fairy tale construction set."
Long live Mr. Rock Giant!
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to distill any sense or sign of mental brilliance/greatness from this assignment, a paper I turned in to the hippie-ish Dr. William Free back when I was a Freshman taking Honors English 105 back in 1989. (Interestingly, Dr. Free also taught my father when Dad was getting his B.A. in English.) The professor's comments (also included at the end) are positive enough, but now, looking at this essay through older eyes, I think I got off a little too easy, considering the work's flippant tone. Still, I think I KNEW what I was doing back then, playing entirely to the expectations and fancies of the teacher (or an audience, in genral).
The following essay -- no doubt -- represents a silly collection of thoughts from a naive first-year college student. None-the-less, I'd like to think that there are some legitimate moments of creativity and cleverness scattered amidst the immature. If nothing else, I do like seeing that I had some verve back then, that I wasn't willing to write a conventional, ho-hum, bore-your-ass-off 5-page paper, and that that goofy kid showed an honest interst in the material...
***
The Asgard Wall and V.I. Propp:
An Essay by Jamie Bishop
Do you remember fairy tales? When you were little, did your parents often read you stories of mysticism and magic? Were you awed by the sheer strength and bravery of the hero, and dazzled by the beautiful radiance of the princess? Most likely you will remember Mother Goose and The Brothers Grimm. But, the Norse Myths? Thor, Odin, Loki? These fairy tales - which, in fact they are - are probably too bloody, scandalousl and violent for small children's innocent ears. Yet, these Norse Myths are much the basis of today's more recent fairy tales.
Even though these Germanic legends are nearly 700 years old, they are prominent in modern literature. The story "The Suilding of the Asgard Wall" is a traditional tale that can be fit into a set of guidelines created by V.I. Propp. Propp states that there are three functions characteristic of fairy tales. These functions are distributed among seven 'spheres of action' corresponding to the 'respective performers' as follows:
1. The villain
2. The donor (provider)
3. The helper
4. The princess (sought for person) and her father
5. The dispatcher
6. The hero
7. The false hero
Propp goes on to say that "in a specific fairy tale, one character may be involved in several spheres of action , and several characters may be involved in the same sphere of action."
(Summary of "The Building of the Asgard Wall")
The basic plot of "The Building of t h e Asgard Wall" revolves around a man known only as ' the builder' and 'the mason'. It is this man who rides his horse Svadilfari up the rainbow bridge and meets Heimdall, watchman of the gods. Heimdall allows him to pass into Asgard where 'the builder' confronts the gods. He tells the gods that he will build an impregnable wall around Asgard in 18 months for the price of Freyja (goddess of beauty), and the sun and moon. The gods disagree at first (because they place high value on Freyja's beauty and fertility - get my drift? ), but Loki suggests that they give the man only six months (one winter) to complete the wall. Everyone agrees that this is a good plan because they think that the mortal has no chance of accomplishing the task. The gods would then possess a half built wall (better than nothing!) Freyja and the sun and moon after the builder's failure. The mason sadly says that the time they have given him is not enough, but he will undertake the job out of his love for Freyja . He asks Odin if he may use his horse and is declined. Loki intervenes and convinces Odin to be 'fair'. So the mason and his horse set out to build the Asgard wall. As the first day of summer is approaching the gods are afraid that the mason will finish. Odin tells Loki that since he got the gods in this mess in the first place, he should get them out of it. Loki, not wanting to lose his life, shapechanges into the form of a gray mare and goes out in front of Asgard. Svadilfari, the mason's horse, sees the mare and chases 'her' all night. Obviously, the mason does not complete the wall. The builder is so enraged that he finally reveals his true identity. He transforms back into his original form - a rock giant. The gods realize that the wool has been pulled over their eyes and send for Thor. Thor smashes the giant's skull into a thousand bits with his magic hammer...
"The Building of the Asgard Wall" can be interpreted in two different ways. The first, and most obvious, defines the mason/rock giant as the villain. Viewing the buidler as the villain is both common and unimaginative. I belive the second and more practical, way is by seeing the giant wearing a white ten gallon hat.
Think about the mason for a minute. He is the protagonist. He creates disputes between the gods and also manages to anger Odin who, in turn, threatens Loki's life. Who were you 'rooting' for? Probably, you did want the mason to finish. Have you ever watched the movie [Escape From] Alcatraz? This flick relates perfectly to this myth. Three prisoners are 'trapped' in prison and attempt a jail break. Alcatraz, which is based on a true story, was done so well (or so badly, depending on which side you take) that you want the villains to escape. The same is true of "The Building of the Asgard Wall," you want Mr. Rock Giant to win Freyja's hand.
Now that we have established our hero, we must resolve who the villain(s) shall be. Loki fits the part perfectly. He trims down the time alotted the mason to one third the original amount. However, Loki is not an uncompromising villain. He does persuade Odin to give the mason the use of his horse. Later, though, Loki deprives the builder of his horse and destroys his chances of wincing the 'princess'. Thor could also play the part of villain. He kills our hero without giving him any chance to fight Sack. Thus, two characters may play the same role.
Who is the helper? No, a better question would be what is the helper? The answer to this is simple. Svadilfari, the mason's horse, is helper to the hero.
The donor (or provider) is somewhat unclear. We must first decide what the donor is donating. Since Odin is authoratively in control of the gods and puts Loki's plan into action we can assume that he is providing the mason with the intangible gift of time. If the mason had built the wall by the first day of summer Odin would have relinquished Freyja to her 'champion'. As we see here Odin is also playing a second role - that of the princess's father. (Actually he is not her father, but he is known as Allfather and all the gods are considered his children.)
The character of dispatcher is either not present or of little value to "The Building of Asgards Wall." The dispatcher is usually someone who sends the hero on a mission. In this myth, our hero goes on his journey for the sole sake of self gain. Could we say that the mason is his own dispatcher? Yes, we could, but I would rather choose to say that Heimdall could ?lay dispatcher. He allows the mason to enter Asgard. Therefore, Heimdall gives the builder the thumbs up to begin his conquest.
Freyja is the princess. The buildizg of the Asgard wall revolves around her. The mason builds the wall solely because he wants Freyja so badly (I don't even stop to think to wonder why). Because of his desire, she becomes the sought after person - thus filling the role of princess.
Now we get to the toughy. Who is the false hero? Is there a false hero? I dare to say that the false hero is the rock giant. What? That's a contradiction, you say? Delve a little deeper. How many identies does the builder have? Two, right - his mortal form and his original, rock giant form. Up til this point I have labeled the man as the mason or the builder. Now, I introduce the idea that the mason was our hero until he reverted to his giant identity. As soon as he reveals his true nature he becomes the false hero. No longer is he noble in his causes. He looses his fury on the gods. (Not for long - Thor decimates his cranium.) Throughout the story the mason/rock giant plays two parts - hero and false hero. Neat, huh?
By explaining "The Building of Asgard's Wall" in terms of Propp's seven performers, I have shown that even the oldest of fairy tales (which, in this case, is a myth about the Germanic peoples' pagan dieties) can fit under Propp's contemporary (1958) template. I have also attempted to defamiliarize the story by proposing a slightly different explication of its content in terms of V.I. Propp's "fairy tale construction set."
Long live Mr. Rock Giant!
Dr. Free’s comments:
Very interesting. You write with a
lot of personality and a gift for
keeping the reader interested
and going. A
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