[uppruni] by Jon Anders Gulbrandsen

Contents

Process Symbolism in Norse mythology Book design Information Design Icons Technology Experiments Animation Scandinavian patterns

4 8 10 14 18 24 28 36

Outcome [uppruni] Animation Sound

38 39 39

Myth Today: The Function of Traditional Mythology in the Modern World (Critical Research Paper) Introduction Functions of Mythology Mythology in the Modern World Mythology in Modern Art and Design Communication of Mythology Conclusion Bibliography

42 42 44 46 48 50 51

Process: Symbolism in Norse mythology When I started this project, I was interested in exploring the symbolism of Norse mythology. Mythology and religion is something I’m very interested in and growing up in Norway I was taught a lot about Norse mythology in school. We were never, however, taught much about the symbolism behind it and I wanted to explore this aspect further. The following is an excerpt from the first draft of my critical essay. Hammer of the Gods symbolism in Norse mythology Norse mythology as a set of beliefs is not very common these days. There are, however, a few quasi-religious groups that still worship the Norse gods; most commonly referred to as Germanic Neopaganism or Ásatrú. There are, however other groups as well; groups that, starting with the German Nazi Party, have strong links to right-wing nationalism and racism. All of these groups use old Norse symbols to display their beliefs. This has led many people to see certain Norse symbols as racist symbols. Of these symbols the most common today is perhaps Mjöllnir, Thor’s hammer. Mjöllnir is used as a logo for the Bornholm Museum in Denmark and the Torsås Municipality in Sweden and pendants with this symbol are popular among Germanic Neopagans, as well as fans of metal sub-genres such as Black metal and Viking metal. Pendants with the symbol of Mjöllnir were used in the Viking age as well, 4

A figure from Iceland portraying Thor, the Norse god of thunder (9th century AD)

being a popular amulet. The more elaborate ones featured, as part of the design, staring eyes, which symbolised lightning, a beard, which symbolised storm (it was said that Thor could shake his beard and thus raise a storm) and sometimes the head of an eagle, which seems to have shifted from a symbol for Odin to a symbol to Thor as god of the sky. Serpent or dragon heads were often part of the design as well, symbolising Thor’s battle with the Midgard Serpent. The ring the hammer hung from was also a symbol in itself as it was said that Thor kept a large ring in his shrine. Many of the pendants today keep some of these designs (being copies of actual Viking age pendants that have been discovered), but most of them are far simpler. Animal symbolism Animal symbolism occurs frequently in Norse mythology. In addition to the animals mentioned above wolves were also very common; Odin had two wolves (named Geri and Freki) that accompanied him in Valhalla and, confusingly, his main nemesis was also a wolf – Fenrir, a giant wolf who was the offspring of the god Loki and a giantess named Angrboda. Odin also had two ravens called Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory) that he sent out to observe the world. This, according to H. R. Ellis Davidson, ‘may symbolise the sending out of his spirit to other worlds’.

Odin on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir from the Tjängvide image stone (700-900 AD) 5

The eagle was also a popular symbol for Odin as he had the ability to transform into one. The eagle that sat in the top of Yggdrasil is possibly a symbol for Odin himself since it was said he had a special seat from which he could observe all the worlds. Odin also had an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, which ‘could carry him to the land of the dead and also bear the dead to his realm’. This symbol most likely has its origins in the east as in Siberia the shamans had a similar horse that could carry their spirits to other worlds and in India it is used ‘to describe the bier, carried by four men and therefore resembling a horse with eight legs, which takes the dead man to his funeral’. Horses, as well as boars, were generally considered symbols for for Freyr and Freyja, the twin fertility god and goddess. Freyja is also said to, like Odin, be able to fly in bird form. Practice To generate interest I have thought about designing new symbols based on Norse mythology. Because of the Norse symbols’ connections with right-wing groups and Germanic Neo-Paganism, I want to stay away from the traditional symbols themselves, while using the symbolism behind to create new symbols free of these negative characteristics and hopefully generate interest in Norse mythology among ‘regular’ people; people who are not interested in Norse mythology as a religion, but just a source of interesting information. René Thom, in explaining the three types of signs according to Charles Sanders Peirce, says that images or icons (the first type), while disregarded as banal by philosophers, in fact ‘characterizes the symbol in its complete form’ because of the fundamental problems addressed in the process of producing them. The second type of signs are indices, which are beings or objects that are linked to the symbolised object, such as smoke, which indicates fire. The third type, simply called symbols, could essentially be anything that could be said to symbolise something, specific to a social group. While, on the surface, my project concentrates on the first form (images or icons) I will address all three types of signs since I believe both the second and third can be used in the form of the first. An image (icon) of Gungnir, Odin’s spear, can symbolise battle (the second type) or a specific god, Odin (the third type). David McDougall explains that visual anthropology is about “a range of culturally inflected relationships enmeshed and encoded in the visual”. This is something I agree with and I want to try to do in my project, quite literally. My work will most likely contain different symbols combined into one. For instance, to make a symbol for Odin I incorporated different symbols that can be linked to Odin, such as Gungnir, his spear, his two wolves and his two ravens. 6

An early version of an icon I created that symbolises Odin, the principal Norse god.

Process: Book design In Unit One of the course we were given a project that related to our research; we were supposed to explore our subject in the form of a book. For this project I knew quite early that I wanted to do some relatively simple information design. This was something I was considering for my final outcome and I was eager to see how it would work out in a practical sense. I tried out some different approaches and finally chose to focus on how the Nazis used Norse symbols (specifically runes) and how they changed their meaning to fit what they wanted them to express. I made a black and white book (I found this fit well with the Nazis’ uncompromising political views). I also wanted a bold yet ‘simple’ look to fit the original symbols (runes were of course simple symbols carved in wood or stone). A hole was cut through the page around the symbol so that the next page shows through. The first page shows the original (Norse) meaning of the symbol while the next page shows the Nazi interpretation of the symbol. Although I found the project quite interesting, and I am generally interested in book design, I felt that this approach was not right for my project (first of all there are a lot of different books on the subject) and I wanted to challenge myself a bit more, explore other areas and try out something I had not done before.

NORSE RUNE SYMBOLS AND THE THIRD REICH JON ANDERS GULBRANDSEN Cover of the book.

Hagall Rune

Tyr-Rune

The star form of this rune is characteristic for the Younger Futhark, whereas its Elder Futhark form looks altogether different. Hagall means ‘hail’. The Icelandic rune poem describes it as follows: Cold grain; and shower of sleet; and sickness of serpents.

Sig-Rune

Hagall-Rune

Tyr-Rune

The use of the Hagall rune in the design of the SS-Ehrenring (SS honor ring, also called deaths head ring) was explained by Himmler as follows: “The swastika and the Hagall-Rune represent our unshakable faith in the ultimate victory of our philosophy.” In Nazi Germany it was also used as an element of the SS wedding ceremony. In the Armanen rune row the name of this rune is Hagal.

Sig-Rune

Hagall-Rune

In the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc this sign is called iar with the following explanation: Iar is a river fish and yet it always feeds on land; it has a fair abode encompassed by water; where it lives in happiness. The meaning of the word iar is obscure. It is usually interpreted as ‘eel’ or ‘newt’. Note that the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc also has the rune hægl, ‘hail’ corresponding to the Elder Futhark *hagall and used for the same sound, but unlike the Younger Futhark and Armanen runes it does not have the star form.

Odal-Rune

Leben-Rune

Toten-Rune

Odal-Rune

Leben-Rune

Toten-Rune

Eif-Rune

Opfer-Rune

Ger-Rune

Eif-Rune

Opfer-Rune

Ger-Rune

Wolfsangel

Sig Rune

Wolfsangel

Guido von List changed the name to mean ‘victory’ (Sieg in German). The sequence of runes Sig and Tyr in his version of the Futhark together constitute Sigtýr, one of Odin’s names.

Tyr-Rune

Sig-Rune

Hagall-Rune

In Nazi Germany Sig or Siegesrune (Rune of victory) was the most recognisable and popular symbol after Hakenkreuz (swastika).

SS-runes insignia with two oblique Sig runes were created in 1933 by graphic designer Walter Heck. He got 2.50 Reichsmarks for the rights to this design. Nazi Siegesrune actually has nothing to do with the ancient sun symbolism of the sowilo rune, the earliest forms of which substantially differ from later versions.

Pages from the book.

Odal-Rune

Leben-Rune

Toten-Rune

Process: Information Design After experimenting with information design as part of the book project I wanted to try out different aspects of information design and without the boundaries of book design. Of course there are countless infographics out there with information on Norse culture and mythology. My idea was, however, to use this information design as a basis for a larger project using not only print but different types of technology, such as interactive design.

78 9: T

fir st 79 Vi kin 3: V g 79 ik at 4: in ta g ck 79 Vik s a on 5: ing t ta V i s a ck En kin t s gl ta th an g c e 79 s a ks m d. 7: p p t h on ro e m as 79 Vik ac o te 8: ing he na r y Vi s s t s t at kin at he er L i t gs ac 80 Iri y at ndi k at s 0: sh Y s fa L t a c am Sk s e ar r r n k iri a ow e. s I ba ng an , 80 sle y, sa d bu Ire 2: o at t f l f la Vi an M ta ai kin ck l s. d an nd. Bi gs so ; r V k at n iki a ta Ire n t ra gs ck la d 80 st nd a e t ta 5: he ce s ta c nt Vi m k r ts er so kin on s . n gs as ar F t e at r er a fo ta nc ya un ck e tt de st be h e he d gi h ( ns ap ol m . ly on pr C o as xim ol te um ry at ba el at y). so th e n ho th 81 lly e is l 3: C e ol Th Io u e m na m b as of ag th fo ni e fi r

When researching this I found that although there were lots of infographics out there, they all looked similar and very dated. I thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d use the same information but shown in a much clearer way and in a more modern style. I made a huge timeline (a small part can be seen below) of the Viking age as well as a few different maps showing Viking settlements, different gods worshipped in different areas, different religions and mythologies that have a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;World Treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concept etc.

800 Timeline of the Viking age. 10

However, after trying out several relatively simple ways of communicating information I discovered that this was not the area I was most interested in exploring. Therefore I moved on to looking at different types of technology without having in mind anything in particular I wanted to communicate.

The geographical spread of the Vikings

Origin 795 820 844 854 860 880 882 911 941 982 1000

Illustrations showing Viking settlements.

Roots of the World Tree

Ancient Egypt

Norse mythology

Assyria (Baha'i Faith)

China

In Egyptian mythology, in the Ennead system of Heliopolis, the first couple, apart from Shu & Tefnut (moisture & dryness) and Geb & Nuit (earth & sky), are Isis & Osiris. They were said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Iusaaset, which the Egyptians considered the "tree of life," referring to it as the "tree in which life and death are enclosed." A much later myth relates how Set killed Osiris, putting him in a coffin, and throwing it into the Nile, the coffin becoming embedded in the base of a tamarisk tree.

Yggdrasill is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology; the world tree, and around the tree existed nine worlds. It is generally considered to mean "Ygg's (Odin's) horse".provide immortality for the gods.

The concept of the tree of life appears in the writings of the Baha'i Faith, where it can refer to the Manifestation of God, a great teacher who appears to humanity from age to age. The concept can be broken down still further, with the Manifestation as the roots and trunk of the tree and his followers as the branches and leaves. The fruit produced by the tree nourishes an ever-advancing civilization.

In Chinese mythology, a carving of a Tree of Life depicts a phoenix and a dragon; the dragon often represents immortality. A Taoist story tells of a tree that produces a peach every three thousand years. The one who eats the fruit receives immortality.

The Egyptians' Holy Sycamore also stood on the threshold of life and death, connecting the two worlds.

The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to hold their courts. The branches of Yggdrasil extend far into the heavens, and the tree is supported by three roots that extend far away into other locations; one to the well Urðarbrunnr in the heavens, one to the spring Hvergelmir, and another to the well Mímisbrunnr. Creatures live within Yggdrasil, including the wyrm (dragon) Níðhöggr, an unnamed eagle, and the stags Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór.

A distinction has been made between the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The latter represents the physical world with its opposites, such as good and evil and light and dark. In a different context from the one above, the tree of life represents the spiritual realm, where this duality does not exist.

An archaeological discovery in the 1990s was of a sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui in Sichuan, China. Dating from about 1200 BCE, it contained three bronze trees, one of them 4 meters high. At the base was a dragon, and fruit hanging from the lower branches. At the top is a strange bird-like (phoenix) creature with claws. Also found in Sichuan, from the late Han dynasty (c 25 – 220 CE) is another tree of life. The ceramic base is guarded by a horned beast with wings. The leaves of the tree are coins and people. At the apex is a bird with coins and the Sun.

Judaism

India

Urartu

Mesoamerica

Etz Chaim, Hebrew for "tree of life," is a common term used in Judaism. The expression, found in the Book of Proverbs, is figuratively applied to the Torah itself. Etz Chaim is also a common name for yeshivas and synagogues as well as for works of Rabbinic literature. Further, it is also used to describe each of the wooden poles to which the parchment of a Sefer Torah is attached.

Flora in general play a central role in the Indian culture.

In Urartu around 13th to 6th century BC, the Tree of Life was a religious symbol, drawn onto the exterior walls of fortresses and carved on the armour of warriors. The branches of the tree were equally divided on the right and left sides of the stem, with each branch having one leaf, and one leaf on the apex of the tree. Servants (some winged) stood on each side of the tree with one of their hands up as if they are taking care of it. This tree can be found on numerous Urartu artifacts, such as paintings on the walls of the Erebuni Fortress in Yerevan, Armenia.

Among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, the concept of "world trees" is a prevalent motif in Mesoamerican mythical cosmologies and iconography. World trees embodied the four cardinal directions, which represented also the fourfold nature of a central world tree, a symbolic axis mundi connecting the planes of the Underworld and the sky with that of the terrestrial world. Depictions of world trees are found in the art and mythological traditions of cultures such as the Maya, Aztec, Izapan, Mixtec, Olmec and others.

The tree of life is mentioned in the Book of Genesis; it is often considered distinct from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After Adam and Eve fell from God's favour by eating fruit from the tree of knowledge, they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Remaining in the garden, however, was the tree of life. To prevent access to this tree in the future, two cherubs with a flaming sword were placed at the garden's entrance. (Genesis 3:22-24) Jewish mysticism depicts the tree of Life in the form of ten interconnected nodes, as an important part of the Kabbalah. As such, it resembles the ten Sephirot.

Two varieties of the fig, the banyan tree and the peepal tree are the most revered in the Indian tradition, and both are considered the trees of life. The banyan symbolizes fertility and is worshipped by those wanting children. It is also referred to as the tree of immortality in many Hindu scriptures. The banyan is believed to have nourished mankind with its ‘milk’ before the advent of grain and other food. The fig tree is either a player or an observer in several scriptural events in Hinduism. The sages and seers sit under the shade of the fig tree to seek enlightenment, hold discourses and conduct Vedic rituals. The Bodhi tree under which Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment is a peepal tree. The fig tree assumes special importance in the Indian tradition owing mainly to its 'two-way growth' (aerial 'roots' growing downwards).

World trees are frequently depicted with birds in their branches, and their roots extending into earth or water (sometimes atop a "water-monster," symbolic of the underworld). The central world tree has also been interpreted as a representation of the band of the Milky Way.

Illustration showing some of the different cultures that have a World Tree concept.

Viking settlements

8th century 9th century 10th century 11th century

Worship

Worship of Aesir gods

Worship of Vanir gods

Worship of both

Illustrations showing Viking settlements and areas where different gods were worshipped.

Process: Icons After trying out some information design I wanted to do something a little more creative. I decided to try to make icons for some of the different gods. I had done a lot of research into Norse symbolism and found a lot of interesting symbols connected with the gods. Odin is the main god in Norse mythology. He is associated with wisdom, war, battle and death, as well as magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt. Odin

An icon symbolising Odin. 14

had a magical spear, Gungnir (Old Norse “unswaying one”), which always hit its mark and always killed and was accompanied by two ravens, Hugin and Munin (Old Norse “thought” and “memory” or “mind”), that flew all over the world and brought him information. He also had two wolves, Geri and Freki (Old Norse, both meaning “the ravenous” or “greedy one”). Thor is the Norse god of thunder and was associated with, among other things, thunder, lightning, storms, strength, destruction, and the protection of mankind. He had a hammer called Mjollnir. Distinctively shaped, Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains. Frey (Old Norse “lord”) is the brother of Freyja and god of fertility, the sun, rain, and harvests. He rode on a golden boar called Gullinbursti, which plowed the earth and made it green. He also possessed a magic sword that struck out at Jotuns and trolls of its own accord. Freyja (Old Norse “lady”) is the sister of Frey and goddess of fertility and love.She also had a boar, the goldbristled Hildisvini, which was also a a symbol of war. Its name means “Battle Boar.” It was said that Freyja, like Odin, could take the form of a bird.

Icons that symbolise Thor, Frey and Freyja.

I also worked on an icon for Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree. The tree incorporates the nine worlds of Norse cosmology as well as three wells and a range of animals. One of the worlds is Asgard, the home world of the gods. Asgard contains, amongst other things,13 different palaces or halls. I made a few illustrations of these different halls and arranged them into a circle to symbolise the world of the gods. Other examples include Vanaheim, which is the world of the other species of gods. This is an especially fertile world. We also have Midgard, which is the world of humans. Midgard is situated in an immense ocean encircled by Jormungand, the World Serpent. The illustration of Yggdrasil contains the nine different worlds (though in this sketch they all portray Asgard) and the three wells. In the end I felt this visual simplification didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out as I had hoped and I decided to try out a different approach.

Asgard

Three of the nine worlds; Asgard, Vanaheim and Midgard. Next page: Yggdrasil. 16

Vanaheim

Midgard

Process: Technology I have been doing a lot of research on different technologies for this project. Some areas have only been briefly considered, such as 3D, while others have been extensively researched but eventually discarded, such as QR codes. QR Codes Similar to barcodes, QR codes are visually simple ways to communicate small pieces of information. A QR code is a two-dimensional code, readable by camera phones. Users with a camera phone (and a reader application) can scan the image of the QR Code to, among other things, display text or open a web page in the phone’s browser. There are several innovative ways to use QR codes. The Norwegian jazz band Shining made a QR code plaque when they were nominated for a Norwegian Grammy. The idea was to, if they won, come on stage and show the plaque in stead of having a traditional speech. The front of the plaque says “Thanks to” in Norwegian while the back has a QR code that, when read, displays a list of the people they wanted to thank and also incorporates their logo. Unfortunately they didn’t win. Another example is Norwegian artist and graphic designer Halvor Bodin. When asked to create a poster for a Japanese design exhibition he made a QR code poster shaped like the Norwegian flag with all the information for the exhibition as different QR codes. The text, both in Japanese and English, can only be accessed after reading the QR code. 18

QR code plaque by the Norwegian jazz band Shining (2010)

QR code poster for a design exhibition in Tokyo by Halvor Bodin (2010)

Also, somewhere in the poster is a QR code for downloading the high-definition PDF which is needed in order to read the smallest codes. I think QR codes are an interesting way to engage people. It forces the viewer to perform an action (in this case use their mobile phone) to gain information. The problem, however, is how to avoid it being a mere gimmick; if a code that displays text when read by a mobile phone is printed on a piece of paper in stead of text there really is no point in it. The text could probably have been printed on the paper in the first place.

QR code designed for Louis Vuitton by Takashi Murakami (2009)

Stills from an simple animation I did of an icon morphing into a QR code.

Barcode Jesus by Scott Blake (1999). An image made up of 7776 individual bar codes.

Interactive design I then started looking different ways of displaying information and specifically interactive design. Some museums, such as the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, are very good at displaying information in an engaging and visually appealing way. Engaging the viewer has been important for me throughout the project and interactivity is a good way of doing this. In 2010 I went to an exhibtion at the V&A called Decode: Digital Design Sensations. This showed me how engaging even the simplest forms of interactive design can be, such as ‘painting’ on a projected wall using your hands. Interactivity is also used more and more in the commercial world. For example, some restaurants use touch-screen tables to display menus and taking orders. Although I find interactive a very interesting field it didn’t seem right for this project. Therefore I moved on to look at animation.

Two examples of interactive design.

‘Nobel’s garden’ at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. Information about the recipients of the Peace Prize are displayed on 96 individual screens surrounded by 1000 diode lights. 22

An interactive timeline of different genres of modern music from the Guardian.

Process: Experiments To challenge myself and to try out different ways of communicating, I started to experiment with telling a story using only a certain type of communication, such as photography or typography.

Photography I chose a few key scenes from the Norse creation myth and then went around London taking pictures inspired by them. The result was a mixed set of photographs each inspired by a key element from the creation story. Even though I found the process interesting, I felt the medium wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t right for the project. Additionally, I felt the photographs did not portray a coherent story and only a couple of the photographs worked as stand-alone works.

Far to the

fiery poison fire. burning

of the Ginnungagap was the

realm of Muspell,

with its long, hot rivers full of

and vast lakes of

Nothing could grow in this

ealm. r

north

I then kept the key words but deleted the other words and made a new composition. This second attempt was, in my opinion, much more successful since it, besides being more visually striking, communicated the essence of the story while leaving some bits open to interpretation. Despite this, I still didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel it was the right approach to the project.

Ginnungagap was the great before there was a world, or any living things in it.

south

Typography I moved on to typography. I found a simplified and concise version of the story which I then made into a typographic composition. By highlighting certain key words I attempted to tell the story in a more engaging way than the words themselves did. However, I found the outcome to be too â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;obviousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and it left little to the imagination.

dark cold icy freezing dark ice. and

To the was the realm of Niflheim, where

fountains spewed forth

rivers. Nothing could grow here either, for the sky was always

and the mountains were blocks of solid

S l o w l y years years years fiery icy ice giant vast over

and

the

to melt the

blasts from Muspell began mountains of Niflheim.

Out of the melting

the

Ymir emerged, the first being of the

Ginnungagap.

Process: Web 2.0 Marshall McLuhan argues that, after ‘extending our bodies’ in the mechanical age, “today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned”. This evolution continues today with the age of the Internet. With new software developments have come new types of internet portals, such as blogs, social networks and virtual lives. In the new web model, the authors are also the audience. This, in a way, reflect how the stories started in the frst place, as orally transmitted stories, unedited by any authority, but interpreted by the people telling them, changing them to fit their own environment. I believe Web 2.0 is a near perfect model of how myths should be shared; without any author-reader hierarchy. By making these stories available to everyone through a blog, and encouraging the viewers to take part in creating their own versions of the stories in any way they want to (text, images, video, sound etc.), I hope to be able to make the audience engage in and reflect on the metaphysical aspect of mythology. This, for me, is another way mythology can adapt to its surroundings and continue to live.

Mythshare, a blog I created where people can share their interpretations of myths. 28

In the end I decided not to include the blog as part of my final outcome. I feel it would have taken focus away from the actual work since the blog just was a way of sharing myths and communicating with the audience.

Process: Animation The roots of animation go back as far as early cave paintings, where people attempted to draw pictures of animals in motion. In ancient Egypt, drawings have been discovered that show how wrestlers moved. As technology has changed, animation has become more and more popular. Now, animated films are extremely popular among people of all ages (and especially children) and more and more people choose to study animation, which means that the quality of the animation produced is increasing. Norse culture in animation Until the 19th century, Norse mythology was little known outside Scandinavia. This changed however, with publications of myths and many references to the Norse pantheon in European literature. This continued as Norse gods and heroes became popular in science fiction and fantasy literature, role-playing games, films, computer games and animation. Norse culture is still very popular in animation; there have been at least two feature-length animations in the last five years; Asterix and the Vikings from 2006 and How to Train Your Dragon from 2010. In addition, there have been countless short animations about Norse mythology. Asterix and the Vikings (2006) and How to

One example of a short animation is Train Your Dragon (2010) a film from students at the Danish school The Animation Workshop called The Saga of Biorn from 2011. The story is about Biorn, an old Viking, who wants to die in battle to make sure he gets to Valhalla, which proves to be difficult. This animation is nearly without narration, apart from an introduction, filled with humour, but is still more directed at young people and adults than children, unike the family friendly previously mentioned films. I think this film 30

The Saga Of Biorn – an animation made by students from The Animation Workshop (2011).

is very successful in what it tries to accomplish. It is not, however, the approach I feel is right for my project. There is also a learning module called Big Myth that is meant to teach school children about different mythologies, including Norse mythology. This contains a few exercises and questions as well as an animation about the Big Myth, a learning module designed for use Norse creation story. The animation in European primary schools. has narration, both a voice and text, and very simple actual animation. Though it probably works well for giving children an insight into Norse mythology it is very obvious that it was produced for children and I wanted to distance myself from this type of animation. I started making an animation based on the Norse creation story. I wanted something that fit the surreal nature of the story but still told the story in a relatively straight-forward way. I believe sound is a very important part of animations and starting out I thought about combining narration with some ambient, mood-setting sounds and possibly some sound effects. I soon moved away from using narration, however, as I felt it would make it too obvious and take away some of the ‘mystery’ of the story.

I tried this approach for a while, making illustrations for different scenes and trying to animate them. Although there was no problem technically, I soon found it still was a bit too obvious and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel it did the story justice. I found the ideas behind the story very interesting and I felt that this was somehow lost. I wanted to try something else so I decided to use the same scenes, but doing in a much more abstract way.

Abstract animation Experimental or abstract animation has its roots in the early 20th century, with modern artists such as the Futurists and the Dadaists. They felt animation could add movement and life to their works. Artists such as Viking Eggeling, Hans Richter and Walther Ruttmann created abstract animations that, although relatively unknown to the general public, were groundbreaking for new artists such as Norman McLaren. For me, the works of Richter, Ruttmann and McLaren have been very inspirational when making my animation, in particular Richter’s Rhythm 21, Ruttmann’s Opus 1, both from 1921 and McLaren’s Synchromy from 1971 and Dots from 1940. McLaren’s use of sound and how this is synchronised to the animation is something I’ve tried to emulate in my project. I also found Ruttmann and Richter’s use of geometric shapes directly inspirational. I was also very inspired by the feeling of a journey by the use of zoom. Matthew Santoro’s music video for the American post-rock band Pelican’s song Final Breath is one example of this. Another example is Max Hattler’s two-part animation called 1923 aka Heaven and 1925 aka Hell, which was inspired by the works of the French artist Augustin Lesage. Both of these videos invoke a strong sensation of a journey through the use of continuous zoom which makes them Dots by Norman McLaren (1940) very engaging.

Music video for the band Pelican’s Final Breath by Matthew Santoro (2010) 34

1923 aka Heaven and 1925 aka Hell by Max Hattler and students from the Animation Workshop (2010)

Process: Scandinavian patterns Traditional Scandinavian patterns are used in different traditional crafts such as weaving and knitting. The geometric symbols are inspired by nature in different forms. For example, the Selburose resembles both a rose and a snowflake. Some also have symbolic meanings derived from mythology, such as symbols representing Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Scandinavian patterns resemble some Middle Eastern and Asian patterns. Some patterns are still popular today, such as the Marius jumper. This jumper, as well as other clothing with the same pattern, can be bought commercially in a variety of colours and styles. Shown below is the traditonal style from the 1950â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with the colours of the Norwegian flag. I find these patterns very visually appealing and I wanted to use symbols inspired by these traditional patterns in my animation.

The Marius jumper, a traditional Norwegian jumper. 36

A Scandinavian rug with traditional patterns and symbols.

The traditional Norwegian Selburose pattern.

Outcome: [uppruni] “The images of myth are reflections of the spiritual potentialities of every one of us. Through contemplating these, we evoke their powers in our own lives.” Joseph Campbell After trying out several different approaches I finally found that video animation was a fitting medium. Using visuals and sound, but without any actual narration (i.e. no ‘voice’ guiding you through what you see and hear), I hope to evoke some of the ‘spiritual powers’ that Joseph Campbell is talking about; the result being an animated, and somewhat surreal, spiritual journey. Giving the viewer bits of information to hold on to, but never the whole picture is, in my opinion, essential to engage the viewer in this type of project. My project engages in the exploration of traditional Norse mythology and the way these ancient myths, specifically the creation myth, explain the world beyond what we can see, hear, touch and feel. Through the means of animation and sound, I attempt to make the viewer reflect on the metaphysical aspect of traditional mythology. By creating a visual narrative through animation, but with no actual narration, I try to engage fully with the nature of the myths and evoke in the viewer some of the ‘spiritual potentialities’ that Joseph Campbell mentions; the result being an animated, and somewhat surreal, spiritual journey.

Animation After trying out a few different styles of animation, I chose a more abstract approach. By using symbols and shapes inspired by traditional Scandinavian patterns, I feel that the metaphysical aspects of the creation myth comes across better than it would with a more figurative approach. Using Scandinavian patterns also link the myth in a visual way to contemporary Scandinavian culture since these traditional patterns are still used widely today. Sound Sound is a very important part of any animation, and especially more abstract ones such as the one I have produced. To underline the metaphysical themes I chose to have a mostly ambient soundtrack, but one that is based on natural sounds. I chose to manipulate natural sounds such as fire, water, wind and human voices and these sounds are synchronised to the animation, similar 39

to what Norman McLaren did, so the sounds help the viewer recognise the changing of scenes and the recurring characters. The ideas behind the myth are both linked to the natural world (the creation of the physical world we live in) and what is beyond (the universe; where the gods live) and I wanted a soundtrack that reflected this duality. I believe that by creating an ambient soundtrack with the use of these samples I have managed this and I believe it fits well with the abstract nature of the animation.

Myth Today: The Function of Traditional Mythology in the Modern World Introduction: Man has always been dependent on mythology; myths have helped him understand the world, the universe and his place in it. But what functions do myths serve today? When science can explain how the universe works and school and the norms of modern society teaches you how to ‘fit in’ and what is right or wrong, is there still a place for myth? In this paper, I will explain how and why traditional mythology have a place in the modern world. I will look at the history of mythology, its initial functions and the role it has in modern society. Furthermore, we will see how mythology has been used, and is still used, by artists and designers. Finally I will look at how it has been communicated through history, and how the means of communication have affected the myths themselves. Ultimately, I am interested to see if it is possible for mythology to reach into something deeper than mere historic imagery and this is something I will explore in this paper as well as in my practice. Functions of mythology: First of all, what is myth? Encyclopaedia Britannica defines myth as a “traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the worldview of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon” (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2011a) Roland Barthes, however, has a much broader view of what myths are. He says that “myth is a type of speech” and that everything can be a myth, “provided it is conveyed by discourse” (Barthes, 2000, p. 109). As examples of modern myths he lists plastic (Barthes, 2000, p. 97) and cars, which he compares to Gothic cathedrals (Barthes, 2000, p. 88). Although I agree with this view to some extent, I will concentrate on traditional mythology in this paper. According to Joseph Campbell, mythology has several functions; it has been interpreted as a way to explain the world and its origins, a set of instructions or guidelines for man to live his life, as the word of God or purely as poetic fantasy and he agrees that mythology has all of these characteristics 42

Roots of the World Tree

Fig. 1: Roots of the World Tree (2011): lllustration showing some cultures that have the World Tree concept as part of their mythology/religion.

(Campbell, 1993, p. 382). For Campbell, there are four main functions of myth; a metaphysical function (“to reconcile waking consciousness to the mysterium tremendum et fascinans of this universe as it is”, Campbell, 1991a, p. 4), a cosmological function (explaining the world and the universe), a sociological function (supporting the social order) and a psychological function (instructions on how one should live one’s life and find one’s place in the world). (Campbell, 1991a, pp. 4-6) As an example of the cosmological function of myth, we have the concept of the World Tree (see fig. 1), which is closely connected to the Tree of Life concept. This concept can be found throughout several religions, mythologies and folktales; especially in Asia, Australia and North America (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2011b). It also occurs in Norse mythology. Kathleen A. Daly says that trees are “commonly used in myths to symbolize long life, fertility, regeneration, and knowledge” (Daly, 2010, p. 119) Man’s surroundings has always influenced his mythology. For example, nature was an important thing for the Norse people; the extreme cold and total darkness in parts of the region for several months of the year were hard to ignore. In Norse mythology, Thor, the god of thunder, regularly faced battle with 43

the frost giants, enemies of the gods. These battles have been interpreted as symbolising Man’s struggle with nature itself; when spring comes, it can be seen as Thor battling off the frost giants (i.e. winter), having first been overpowered by them (Clash of the Gods – Thor, 2009, 6:30 mins). Another example of the symbolic use of nature in myths is the battle between Thor and the Midgard Serpent, a giant serpent that was Thor’s main enemy. This battle also echoes other mythologies; in the Hindu holy book there’s a fight between Indra, the storm god, and a giant serpent or dragon named Vritra. Furthermore, in Greek mythology, Zeus, the god of thunder, battles the snake/dragon beast Typhon. (Clash of the Gods – Thor, 2009, 5 mins) This is also a good example of what Joseph Campbell calls the ‘monomyth’; that myths from all over the world share “basic truths by which man has lived throughout the millenniums of his residence on the planet” (Campbell, 1993, p. viii). Today, mythology has arguably lost at least two of Campbell’s four main functions; the cosmological and the sociological functions, which have been taken over by science, politics and the norms of society, at least in the Western world. Because our society changes so fast, it’s impossible for myths to keep up, says Campbell (Collins, 2011). He thinks, however that the other two functions are intact; the metaphysical and the psychological or pedagogical functions (Campbell, 1988, p. 31). Campbell believes the most vital function of mythology is the latter; guiding the individual not only through the way his culture, or even the universe works, but also “that awesome ultimate mystery which is both beyond and within himself” (Campbell, 1991a, p. 6). Mythology in the modern world: What is the function of myth in the modern world? Even if myths have lost their function as an explanation of how the world works, we have seen how Campbell argues that myth is still relevant today. Carl Jung agreed with this: Robert Segal, in his book Jung on Mythology, explains how “writers invoke traditional myths not to explain the world, which remains the purview of science, but to articulate their visions of their world, visions stemming in fact from their experience of the unconscious” (Segal, 1998a, p. 179). Jung also thought that updating the symbols of traditional myth was important for taking traditional mythology one step further, as myth thereby is “dreamed onwards” (Segal, 1998a, p. 179). Segal also talks about Jung’s stance on the revival of traditional myths, saying that this revival “might seem like a step backward, but it is really a step forward. 44

While the myths here remain traditional ones, they are revived as living myths and not merely as literary metaphors” (Segal, 1998a, 181). Jung uses the twentieth-century revival of the worship of the Teutonic god Wotan (who is the same as the Norse god Odin) as an example of how traditional myths are revived in the modern world. “Wotan might not have been invoked to explain thunderstorms, but he was invoked by the Nazis and their predecessors to stir German nationalism” (Segal, 1998a, 181). The Nazis revived Germanic paganist and old Norse myths and symbols to invoke a sense of superiority through history. They used these simple yet powerful ancient symbols (such as the Othala Rune, see fig. 2) to display “Aryan heritage and cultural pride” (The Anti-Defamation League, 2011b). Neo-Nazis still Fig. 2 and 3: The Othala Rune and Torsås use these symbols today: along with logo. the Othala Rune, Mjöllnir (Thor’s hammer in Norse mythology) is considered an ‘extremist’ symbol (The AntiDefamation League, 2011d). According to The Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that “fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry in the U.S. and abroad” (The Anti-Defamation League, 2011a), Mjöllnir “was adopted by neo-Nazis and other white supremacists [...] because they believe that Thor’s Hammer signifies the strength and purity of the ‘Aryan race’” (The Anti-Defamation League, 2011d). The website also clarifies, however, that racists have given “such symbols a racist significance, even though the symbols did not originally have such meaning and are often used by nonracists today, especially practitioners of modern pagan religions” (The Anti-Defamation League, 2011c), saying also that the symbols should be judged by its context. As an example of the use of mythology in everyday life (in a ‘non-racist’ context), Mjöllnir is also used as a logo for the Torsås Municipality in Sweden (see fig. 3). Another example of the use of traditional mythology in modern society is encountered literally almost every day. There are four different weekdays in the English language that refer to Norse gods; Tuesday (Tyr’s day), Wednesday (Odin’s day), Thursday (Thor’s day) and Friday (Frigg’s day), while the other days refer to Roman/Greek gods (Saturn’s day) or to the Sun and Moon (Sunday and Monday), although these are also connected to the Roman/Greek gods Helios, Apollo, Selene and Diana (Artemis). (BBC, 2011) This shows how integrated mythology really is in the modern world, even if we may not realise it.

Mythology in modern art and design: Joseph Campbell thinks that artists (visual artists, musicians, writers etc.) are “the myth-makers of our day” (Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth – First Storytellers, 1988, 43 mins.), saying that “the function of the artist is the mythologization of the environment and the world” (Campbell, 1988, p. 85). He mentions Pablo Picasso as a visual artist who “handle[s] mythological themes in a marvellous way” (Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth – First Storytellers, 1988, 42 mins). Picasso’s works between 1907 and 1909 were strongly influenced by primitive African art. He was, however, more inspired by the primitivist art’s compositions and structure than their symbolic value (Goldwater, 1986, p. 258). Later, in the 1930’s, Picasso began to use the imagery of classical myths in his works. “Picasso’s return to the classical myth was a gesture, a kind of search for a story appropriate to art, at a time when — for him — art’s magical power was regrettably somewhat diminished” (Cox & Povey, 1995, 183). His use of the Minotaur (perhaps most famously portrayed in his work ‘Guernica’ (see fig. 4) from 1937) was interesting, as it went beyond mere imagery. Its symbolic value was much higher for Picasso than primitivism had been. For example, for the Surrealists, with which Picasso was affiliated, the Minotaur was an important figure. Among other symbolic interpretations, “the struggle between Theseus and the Minotaur could represent the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious” (Cox & Povey, 1995, p. 188). It also directly linked the Surrealists to one of their main sources of inspiration, Sigmund Freud, who used Greek myths to explain psychic complexes (such as the Oedipus Complex) and simultaneously underlined the Surrealists’ claim to “reinterpret the history of the human cultures” (Cox & Povey, 1995, p. 188). Picasso also used the Minotaur to express “a feeling of guilt or punishment for past transgressions against family, friends or lovers” (Cox & Povey, 1995, p. 183). Traditional mythology have been used by artists in very different ways. At the Museum of Modern Art in New York there was an exhibition in 2010, called The Modern Myth: Drawing Mythologies in Modern Times, that featured artists that were inspired by mythology. “Artists have long considered mythology part of their aesthetic language, a tradition continued by modern and contemporary artists who address and reinterpret mythologies in their works” (Moma, 2011). The exhibition featured many well-known artists, including Picasso, and one of the works exhibited was Mark Rothko’s Archaic Idol (see fig. 5). Rothko used mythology to comment on the modern world, saying that “those who believe that the world today is less brutal and ungrateful than in these myths, with their overwhelming primeval passions, are either unaware of reality or 46

Fig. 4: Pablo Picasso, Guernica (1937)

they do not want to see it in art” (Baal-Teshuva, 2003, p. 33). Rothko thereby used mythology to show how the modern world is, though very different on the surface, still the same brutal world of the traditional myths. Is there also a place for myths in the more commercial realm of design? Mariel Brown and Karen Rosenkranz from the research, trends and strategy team at Seymourpowell, a leading London-based innovation and design company, think so. They believe there’s a new trend where designers look to myths and folklore to take consumers “on a more spiritual journey. [...] As an antidote to everyday efficiency and rationality, people are looking for meaning in narrative to help them reconnect with the planet in a more spiritual way” (Seymourpowell, 2011). This is something Joseph Campbell would agree with. He thought that today’s man has to “learn to get back into accord with the wisdom of nature” (Campbell, 1988, p. 31). Campbell says in his book The Power of Myth that even though people say that we are seeking the meaning of life, he thinks we are really seeking “an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive” (Campbell, 1988, p. 3). What you are learning from myths, according to Campbell, “is about yourself as part of the being of the world” (Collins, 2011). Klaus Haapaniemi and Mia Wallenius use traditional mythology with a modern influence. Their Mammoth tapestry (see fig. 6) shows characters from folklore with an erupting volcano, a reference to the 2010 ash cloud chaos in Europe. “Taking inspiration from Finnish folklore, history and nature, the design duo has added a modern twist to mythology” (Seymourpowell, 2011). They use mythology to comment on the modern world, similar to what Rothko did. 47

Fig. 5: Mark Rothko, Archaic Idol (1945)

Communication of mythology: Myths have always been changing, adapted by the people telling them and influenced by their surroundings as well as the means of communication. Norse mythology, for example, started out as orally transmitted stories. These stories spread from Asia, through the European Mediterranean lands, and eventually was carried north and west by migrating Germanic tribes. The tribes settled and their stories began to change with the local geography, climate and temperament of the people. When, during the Viking Age, the Norse people began to explore and populate countries from the British Isles and the rest of Europe to North America, the Near East and Russia, settling in the lands they conquered, they brought their myths with them. The Norse myths were not written down, however, until the 13th century, by which time Christianity was established in northern Europe and had displaced paganism. Therefore, much has been lost and what remains is fragmented and often distorted by the Christian monks who edited the pagan tales as they wrote them down for the first time. (Daly, 2010, pp. vii-ix) Since then, Norse mythology has been popular in the mainstream media. There have been literature, comic books, music (especially Richard Wagnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operas), video games, television and films (documentaries, animations and 48

mainstream Hollywood films) about Norse mythology (Wikipedia 2011a). Unfortunately, some of these has led to some common misconceptions, such as “the belief that Vikings wore horned helmets and blew bronze lurs” (Gabrielsen, 2000, p. 6). Nevertheless, this shows that Norse mythology is still a popular subject today and that it lends itself to new technologies. Marshall McLuhan argues that, after ‘extending our bodies’ in the mechanical age, “today, after more than a century of electric technology, we have extended our central nervous system itself in a global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as our planet is concerned” (McLuhan & Zingrone, 1997, p. 149). This evolution continues today with the age of the Internet. A study on communication in ‘Web 2.0’, also known as the read-write web, says that with new software developments “have come new types Fig. 6: Klaus Haapaniemi and Mia Wallenius, of internet portals, such as blogs, Mammoth (2011) social networks and virtual lives. In many ways these are the true essence of the new generation of the internet and the major drivers of user communication behaviour changes” (Wright & Zdinak, 2008, p. 8). In the new web model, the authors are also the audience. “The Web is no longer a passive environment; it is one in which people actively contribute” (Wright & Zdinak, 2008, p. 9). This, in a way, reflect how the stories started in the first place, as orally transmitted stories, unedited by any authority, but interpreted by the people telling them, changing them to fit their own environment. Mythology is, essentially, a “system of communication” (Barthes, 2000, p. 109). Even if the means of communications change, myths adapt. Myths are part of semiology, the “science of signs” (Barthes, 2000, p. 111) and, as 49

humans, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we think only in signsâ&#x20AC;? (Innis, 1985, p. 19). Therefore, although the myths themselves may change with time and adapt to their surroundings, the essence of mythology will always be there. Conclusion: We still surround ourselves with myths every day, even if we may not always realise it. By exploring myths and mythology, we may learn something about, or get a different perspective on the world we live in, and maybe even ourselves. Myths can be a way to escape the strains of reality and delve into something deeper; into the spiritual realm. According to Joseph Campbell, there are four main functions of myths; a metaphysical function, a cosmological function, a sociological function and a psychological function. Today, myth has arguably lost two of these functions, but Campbell believes it still retains the metaphysical and the psychological function. We have seen how, according to Jung and Campbell, there is still a place for traditional mythology in the modern world. We have also seen how artists and designers use mythology to symbolise their own feelings (Picasso) and to comment on the modern world (Rothko, Haapaniemi and Wallenius). Norse myths started out as orally transmitted stories and changed with the environment and spread as far as the Norse people themselves did. As the environment and the means of communications changed, so did the myths. Mythology, as part of semiology, is a way of communicating. If the means of communications change, mythology will adapt. As humans, we think in signs. Therefore, it seems, myths are not going anywhere any time soon. They may change with time, but the essence of myths will always be there. It is part of being human.

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MA Graphic Design Communication Chelsea College of Art and Design 2011