Fiji Mythology

“Degei the Most Powerful”

Fijian mythology has a many deities; however, Degei is the most powerful. He was said to have lived on the slopes of the Kauvadra Mountains near the Ra coast. Degei was believed to have been in the form of a huge snake. Therefore, it was thought that when Degei made abrupt movements in his cave, earth tremors and thunder occurred. Even though, Degei was said to have judged the souls of the dead after they went through either of two caves, Drakulu or Cibaciba, Degei sent some souls to Burotu, which was paradise. In addition, he tossed the others into a lake where they would sink to Murimura, the bottom. Immediately, it was there that they would be rewarded or punished, whichever was deemed appropriate. Although, Rokola was a son of Degei, he was associated with carpentry and canoe makers worshipped him.

“The Priests”

Priests had the role of communicating between the gods and humans. Therefore, people prepared large feasts for the priests. Likewise, the chiefs and elders took the food into the temple, which was called the bure kalou. As a result, they presented it and offerings of whales’ teeth to the priests, who then communicated with the gods. Meanwhile, the priests would begin to twitch, first in one limb and then in another, until he was seized and fell in a fit, with eyes rolling and sweat running from every pore. During, this experience the gods spoke and everyone listened to the priest's words. Afterward, the shaking slowed to a stop and the priest relaxed and recovered.

Norse mythology

1. Vikings - is the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century.

2. Ginnungagap - was the dark void.

3. Nifleheim - Land of freezing mist and darkness and home of Hel, nine different lands.

4. Muspellheim - was the land of fire.

5. Yggdrasil - the world of Ash tree, connects all of the three worlds.

6. Asgard - was the home of the gods.

7. Midgard - was the land of the humans.

8. Hel - was the home of the dead.

9. Bifrost Bridge - divine bridge the linked between the humans and the gods. An example would be like a rainbow.

10. Ymir - wild, fierce, evil frost giant. Other giants were born from his sweat.

11. Odin - was the oldest and greatest of his brothers and was the god of all gods and humans. He was the storm and night god.

12. Frigg - was the wife of odin, she was the most powerful goddess, cloud spinner, love, destiny, and marriage.

13. The Valkyries -

14. The Norns - were the three fate maidens, past, presant, and future.

15. Thor -

16. Balder

17. Njord

18. Frey

19. Freya

20. Idunn -odin's daughter, goddess of youth and keeper of the golden apples.

21. Loki - son of a giant half blood god, mixed blood with odin and had magic powers.

22. Fenrir - was a wolf destroyer.

23. Jormungandr - world serpent.

24. Ragnarok - was their doomsday, the final battle, good vs. evil and good would fail.

25. Runes

Creation myth

The Seven Stars

Apparently the seven youths of the world were standing around talking one day. See the seven youths are not sure if they have parents or really who, they belong to. The seven of them were trying to decide what they all could change into. One of them mentioned that they could change into the earth. The wise one of the seven said in truth it is mortal, it would cave in. Another suggested becoming water but still the wise one said no, that it is destructible and will eventually dry up completely. After other attempts to figure out what they should turn into the wise one finally spoke his opinion. The wise one brought up the shining things that live in the sky and the blue sky above never dies. He said let us become stars in that sky because the sky above is never dead.

The Dipper

A wife was found cheating on her husband with a snake. When he saw her doing this he decided to kill her but first he killed all the snakes. The husband and wife had seven children, the husband told his kids to get away so they started to run. When the wife came to her husband in anger because all the snakes were dead, he cut off her head and it started to chase after the seven children. The head yelled, “I will kill all my children.” The kids started to run faster still being chased by their mother’s head. The only girl of the seven kids had an awl, she gave it to the brother and he threw it behind them trying to slow down their mother. The awl bought them three days but the head got past it and continued to chase her children. Then the girl gave her brother flint and he threw it behind them, starting a fire the head got all burnt from the fire but after a while it still got through and continued after the children. The girl kept giving her brother something to delay their mother with, but nothing seemed to hold her. Finally the sister made a ball and said, "Lets play ball." The seven children stood in a circle and threw the ball around. While they were doing that they rose up into the sky and became the Dipper. Their mother’s head could not jump high enough to reach them and they were safe.


“The Seven Stars.” Indian Mythology. Indian Mythology. 2006. 7 November 2008.
http://www.indianmythology.org/assiniboin/seven_stars.htm#Dipper.

Hero Quest Defintions

A hero is a founder of something new. New age, new religion, new city or a new way of life.

Universal/Unique is a representative of every man with a special characteristic that sets him/her apart.

A major flaw means that the hero is special but not perfect.

Call to adventure is when a hero is given a goal or assigned a quest.

Initiation is the hero entering into a strange world and leaving behind the familiar.

Journey is the roads of trails battles and obstacles the hero has to face.

Companions and Friends are sidekicks, partners and support to the hero.

Supernatural Guides provide information, magic or charm and weapons for the hero.

Ultimate Battle is the final test the hero has to undergo.

Transformation is when the hero is altered in some way in the final battle.

Death and rebirth is like out with the old and in with the new.

The boon is the gift of renewal or the reward the hero gets to share.

Definitions

1. Myths are tales of gods, beliefs and expressions of desires. One example of a myth would be Pandora's Box, because it explains why we suffer and why there are diseases in the world.

2. A hero is someone that models human behavior for society. They are universal and sacrifice themselves for something new. An example would be Atlanta and her story about the boar and all the races.

3. A hero Journey is the quest the hero goes on, it involves battles, companions, life out of death, and rebirth. The hero journey is cyclical. Ra would be an example of this because he wakes up each morning to put the sun in the sky.

4. Universal is something or someone that applies to all. It is representative of everyone and is the big picture. An example is duality, how we have good and bad or earth and sky.

5. Archetype is a type or kind of something. Archetype is the structure or foundation of an original model. A hero and their journey would be an example.

6. Cyclical means continuous pattern or repetitive cycle and is unbroken. Again Ra could be an example, how he goes though the same thing everyday just so we can have the sun.

7. Duality is a meaning of opposites, double or a state of twoness. Some examples would be like fire and water, good and bad, earth and sky, or night and day.

8. Creation is an origin of starting something new. Three examples of creation are the void, the watery abyss or the egg. Those are all different ways to be said of how the earth was created.

9. Cosmology is the study of the world and universe. An example is the Genesis from when god created the world.

10. Life from death would be where death in some way creates life itself. An example would be like when we eat animals they die so we can have food to eat to stay alive.

11. Sacrifice is a gift given to the gods or something given in return for something better. Prometheus is an example because he sacrificed himself to a life of suffering so that man could have fire.

12. Matriarchal is a foundation of female power. An example would be mother earth.

13. Patriarchal is a foundation of male power. An example would be father sky.