Doc Jensen's Stab at the Mythology of Lost: Enter the Vikings

[GUTZandRAGE]

A lot of interesting stuff being thrown around.

Lost will draw from all mythologies, religions and philosophies, but in the end, I think some slight references is all we can draw from these similarities. But this is definitely some very interesting stuff. I don't have to say much on the subject, but I just wanted to get in here and say how much I appreciate and enjoy the theories and the amount of time, love and devotion that is put into them.

Keep it up, guys and gals. You make the Lost experience much more complete. Gracias!


P.S.

Isn't this picture mildly similar to the Anubis/Smokey glyph from the temple?




No? Yeah... maybe not.

[BrianIsLost2]

I think you are right about the pic, GUTZandRAGE.  Where did you find it?

[GUTZandRAGE]

It's from one of the Norse myths that used to interest me as a kid. Tyr sacrificed his hand so that Fenrir could be bound. Fenrir was foretold to be the death of Odin during Ragnarok.

Check out the link. It's cool stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenrir

[zuludaddy]

Fenrir - sometimes called Fenris - was Loki's pet wolf, whom I think swallowed the sun to precipitate Ragnarok (note how Smokey seem to like the dark....).

Loki, in turn, is the 'trickster god' of Norse mythology, like Monkey, or Raven in other cultures.

Interesting read: "Trickster Makes This World," by Lewis Hyde, ~1998, where the central argument runs along the lines of 'boundary crossers [!!!] game the system, creating chaos and challenging order, and thus drive culture and change.' So, who do we know who crosses boundaries and upsets order?

A TED talk on the book at: http://blog.ted.com/2009/04/trickster_makes.php

[Creflo]

Vikings never had horned helmets, btw.

Hoth had a good excuse: He was tricked by the god of lies, Loki, into shooting a ''missile'' (or spear) loaded with mistletoe, the only substance capable of killing Hoth's otherwise invulnerable sibling.

This is an interesting story:

Balder had a dream that he was going to die. His mother, Frigga, the goddess of love and beauty, was frantic about his dream and said that if he died, everything on Earth would die. To ensure her son's safety, Frigga went to all of the elements -- air, fire, water and earth, as well as to all of the animals and plants -- and asked them not to kill Balder. It was thought that, because of his mother's power, he was immune to harm.


Balder's only enemy, Loki, found a loophole in Frigga's request for her son's safety -- mistletoe. Mistletoe grows on the tree it attaches itself to, and therefore has no roots of its own and could not be affected by Frigga's request. Loki made a poisoned dart with mistletoe, and tricked the blind brother of Balder, Hoder (a.k.a. Hoth), into shooting the arrow that killed Balder.

[Novashannon]

Fenrir - sometimes called Fenris - was Loki's pet wolf, whom I think swallowed the sun to precipitate Ragnarok (note how Smokey seem to like the dark....).

Loki, in turn, is the 'trickster god' of Norse mythology, like Monkey, or Raven in other cultures.

Interesting read: "Trickster Makes This World," by Lewis Hyde, ~1998, where the central argument runs along the lines of 'boundary crossers [!!!] game the system, creating chaos and challenging order, and thus drive culture and change.' So, who do we know who crosses boundaries and upsets order?

A TED talk on the book at: http://blog.ted.com/2009/04/trickster_makes.php

In some stories, Fenris is Loki's son.

I don't buy the Norse myth thing really as applicable.  No more than any other religioin.  Definitely more Egyptian.

Vicki, I enjoyed American Gods, too.

[Mommainternet]

I'm with both of you, Mrs. A and Bob, we can handle more than one mythology at once.  Plus, the best part is that they are making THEIR OWN mythology.  From the time that this story is sealed and finished, we can then refer to the Lost mythology as it affects other stories.

I agree with you all, too.  Seems more like a combination of several mythologies to create their own.

[Novashannon]

I don't thinkit is that many mythologies are represented as much as that many religions have similar elements.They all represent the human experience and try to make sense of and impute purpose to our existence.  Therefore, they all have some silmilarities.

[Laklost]

I don't thinkit is that many mythologies are represented as much as that many religions have similar elements.They all represent the human experience and try to make sense of and impute purpose to our existence.  Therefore, they all have some silmilarities.

Precisely!  Run, don't walk and get a copy of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth.  This is his very thesis which he spent his life developing.  The Journey of the Hero is his other classic.  Look for a Lakie article sizing up our heroes soon.  The note- taking has begun .  http://www.amazon.com/Power-Myth-Joseph-Campbell/dp/0385418868/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240079715&sr=1-2

[Novashannon]

Ooh, good.  Mythology is one of my "things."   If it is a category on final Jeoplardy, my husband says, "Bet it all!!!"  LOL. I wrote a paper in college entitled Superman: The Great American Mythic Hero and got an A+. 

[Laklost]

You rock!

And this is how hopelessly stupid I am - I just now realized that your name is very likely Shannon and you are female.  I have thought of you all this time as a guy.  I am a total dork.  My name is Lorie - my screen name is my initials with Lost.  JB thinks I am his lackey, so I amuse him with that.   

If you haven't read Campbell and you are a myth-junkie, you will think you've died and gone to heaven when you read him.  I pulled my two books of his out and should be sitting on my couch luxuriating in them now!

[Maxor127]

Ooh, good.  Mythology is one of my "things."   If it is a category on final Jeoplardy, my husband says, "Bet it all!!!"  LOL. I wrote a paper in college entitled Superman: The Great American Mythic Hero and got an A+. 

lol... i love the mythology categories on Jeopardy too... i watched a game a few weeks ago where one of the categories was mythology and no one was picking it... and the round ended before they could get to it... i was mad

[lovinlost]

It's from one of the Norse myths that used to interest me as a kid. Tyr sacrificed his hand so that Fenrir could be bound. Fenrir was foretold to be the death of Odin during Ragnarok.

So maybe Candle sacrificed his arm in order to ensure the capture of Smokey at some point?
I know, I'm reaching here...but am intrigued.

[GUTZandRAGE]

I like that you involve Candle in this. Very good. I always forget about him, and that is a mistake on my part.

[nomteticus]

There was also a Romanian professor that studied comparative myths - Mircea Eliade. Since he fled communism and went to the States, I'm sure you can find his work, like Sacred and Profane or Eternal Return.

Maybe I'm even on to something with the eternal return. Seems like everybody wants to return to the island, just like most religions seek an eternal return to the glorious past... maybe the island IS the place where it all began, the alpha and the omega, eden, the primordial soup etc.

P.S. A bog thank you to the American Gods recommendation. I greatly enjoyed it, though it could have been better. And it has so many Lost connections. There's a ressurection, there's Anubis and Thoth, "good guys", "the side that's going to win", daddy issues, and lots more. I reccomend it also.