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Keeping track of time by remembering where you came from.
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The month of October is the tenth month of the year and has thirty-one days. In 2014, October the First was on a Wedesday and October the Thirty-first was on a Friday. Halloween always falls on October the 31st.
Days of The Week in English
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Throughout history, mankind has wondered at, pondered over, and reflected about what he finds within his surroundings. Looking upwards towards the heavens has always given him a better idea about his orientation, general location, and thus, a higher sense of security within the vast cosmos. Calendars, whether based on either celestial or terrestrial bodies, invoke a culture’s primal understanding and religious perspective bar none. Man’s recognition of his own limiting mortality ushers him to cherish the time allotted to him in a celebration of life, whether that be on earth or within the halls of Valhalla.
The Day of The Moon
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In Norse mythology, Máni was the man who drove the chariot that carried the Moon across the sky. He is the brother of Sunna the Sun and the son of Mundilfari. Mundilfari named his children Máni, which in Norse is masculine and simply means “moon,” and Sól (Sunna), feminine for sun, because he thought they out shown all other things in creation except those two celestial bodies. A girl who was blonde of hair with golden curls that looked like rays of sunshine. A boy with raven black hair and silvery eyes who seemed to prefer the night, the girl was always pleasant and kind as was her brother and they played contently as children. The Gods were not pleased with his boasting and they took his children and placed them in giant carts to guide the sun and the moon on their courses. Máni flies through the night sky in his horse-driven chariot, chased by the wolf Hati. Whenever the wolf gets too close, a lunar eclipse takes place.
Máni lights the way for hunters at night illuminating the forest with his silvery eyes. He doesn’t travel on his nightly journeys alone. He has two companions, a girl named Bil and a boy named Hjuki. These children are brother and sister and once had a very cruel father. Máni observed them being mistreated and moved by compassion, came to steal them away. They now accompany and assist him on his nightly journey. The tale of Hjuki and Bil is said to be the origin of the nursery rhyme Jack and Jill.
At Ragnarok, the wolf will capture the Moon and devour him plunging the night into unbroken darkness.
The Day of Tyr
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The name Tyr means "god" and goes back to the original chief god in Norse mythology, the precursor of Zeus in Greek mythology. Tyr was overtaken in popularity and in authority by Odin, who was revered as the ancestor of the Saxons, in both the North Germanic and West Germanic traditions, however among East Germanic tribes, remained the supreme diety.
According to the Edda, the Norse gods decided to shackle the wolf Fenrir, but the beast broke every chain they put upon him. Eventually they had the dwarves make them a magical ribbon from a woman's beard and a mountain's roots. Fenrir sensed the gods' deceit and refused to be bound with it unless one of them put his hand in the wolf's mouth. Tyr, known for the solemn pledge, agreed, and the other gods bound the wolf. Fenrir sensed that he had been tricked and bit off the god's hand. Fenrir will remain bound until the day of Ragnarok, when Tyr is destined to kill and be killed by Garm, the guard dog of Helheim.
Tuesday is derived from Tyr, the god of honorable war, the wrestler and the son of Odin, the Norse god of war and Frigga, the earth mother.
The Day of Odin
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Deriving from the Scandinavian Woden (Odin), chief god of Norse mythology, who was often called the All Father. He is a son of Bor and Bestla. With Frigg he is the father of Balder, Hod, and Hermod. He fathered Thor on the goddess Jord; and the giantess Grid became the mother of Vidar.
Odin is the god of war and death, but also the god of poetry and wisdom. He hung for nine days, pierced by his own spear, on the world tree. There he learned nine powerful songs, and eighteen runes. From this throne in Asgard, he observes all that happens in the nine worlds. The daily tidings are brought to him nightly by his two ravens: Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory). He also resides in Valhalla, where slain warriors are taken, but capriciously travels incognito among mortals.
Odin's attributes are the dwarven spear Gungnir, which never misses its target, the magical gold ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appear, and his eight-footed steed Sleipnir. He is accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gives his food for he himself consumes nothing but mead. Odin has only one eye, which blazes like the sun. His other eye he traded for a drink from the Well of Wisdom, and gained immense knowledge. On the day of the final battle, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir.
The Day of Thor
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Thor is the red-haired and bearded god of strength, thunder and lightning in Norse Mythology. He is the son of Odin and Jord. Whilst Odin is the god of the powerful and aristocratic, Thor is much more the god of the common man, often siding with mortals against other gods. Thor is an outright hero for mankind, powerfully defeating his enemies, though he lost a wrestling match to an old woman named Elli, Old Age. He is the only god who cannot cross from earth to heaven upon the rainbow bridge, for he is so heavy and powerful that the gods fear it will break under his weight. During Ragnarok, Thor will kill and be killed by Jormungand the serpent.
His golden-haired wife was called Sif. With Jarnsaxa, Thor was the father of Magni, Thrud, and Modi. Thor travelled in a chariot drawn by goats, wielding a short-handled war hammer, Mjollnir, which when thrown at a target, returned magically to the owner. To wield this formidable weapon, even a deity like Thor needed special iron gloves and a belt that doubled the wearer's strength. The strike of the hammer caused thunderclaps, and indeed, the name of this deity has produced the word for thunder in most Germanic languages. With the hammer, Thor indulged in his favorite sport of killing giants. Most of the surviving myths center on Thor's exploits, being the favorite deity of ancient Scandinavians.
The Day of Frigg
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As the wife of Odin, Frigg means "beloved" and is the foremost goddess of Norse mythology. She is the patron of marriage, motherhood, household management, and domestic arts while also serving as the goddess of love and fertility. She has the power of prophecy although she insists on keeping silent about such knowledge to inhibit male corruption and is the only other person other than Odin who is permitted to sit on his high throne and look out over the universe. She also participates in the Wild Hunt along with her husband.
Frigg is especially concerned with keeping social order. She is called on for blessings when women are giving birth and for help in matters of traditional women's crafts: spinning, weaving, cooking and sewing. Frigg can also be called on by mothers who want to protect their children in olden days. This was especially the case with sons going out to battle, for whom their mothers would weave or sew special protective items to be worn during combat.
In the older myths, Frigg is the divine noble woman and housewife. Minor goddesses serve her and run her errands. She is the embodiment of womanhood and following Germanic tradition she is fiercely equal in authority to her husband. In no less than three of the myths she pits her cunning against Odin, and on each occasion she gets her way. Men wield physical power, while women take naturally to magical skills and are closer to the divine.
The Day of Saturn
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Loki is quite probably the most dynamic figure in Norse mythology being not only the spawn of the giant Farbauti and the giantess Laufey but also the blood brother of Odin. He is regarded as one of Aesir, but is on occasion their crafty and malicious enemy. Portraying seldom heroic aspects, he can be compared with the trickster from North American myths. Loki's mistress is the giantess Angrboda, and with her he is the father of three children: Jormungand the serpent, Fenrir the wolf, and Hel. The rascal also shows gender equality while shapechanging, mothering Odin's eight-footed steed Sleipnir.
Sigyn is his wife who stayed forever loyal to him, even when the gods punished Loki for Balder's demise. He was chained to three large boulders; one correspondingly under his shoulders, loins, and knees. A poisonous snake was placed above his head. The dripping venom that lands on him is caught by Sigyn in a bowl and then emptied at a safe distance, allowing the poison that falls on Loki's face to make him twist in pain, causing earthquakes.
Loki shuns weapons, preferring to utilize his gift of speech. In the event he needs a tangible device, persuasion suffices to acquire the object of his desire. Words, like Loki himself, can be wonderful allies or fearsome enemies, depending on the circumstances. As a positive revolutionary force, Loki brings equilibrium to Norse mythology.
The Day of the Sun
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The conception of the sun and the moon riding on chariots through the sky is evidently an ancient one among the Norse and other Germanic peoples. It can be found on rock carvings and other Scandinavian artifacts from the Bronze Age, perhaps the most notable of which is the Trundholm sun chariot. The idea that the sun deity was female is reaffirmed by the Old Norse feminine word Sól, which simply means “Sun,” and is also attested among the continental Germanic tribes.
Yggdrasill is an immense mythical tree that connects the nine worlds in Norse mythology. Yggdrasil is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Yggdrasil is an immense ash tree that is central and considered very holy. The gods go to Yggdrasil daily to assemble at their things. 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.
Journey through Midgard
Miðgarðr (Middle Earth) is located in the middle of the world, below Asgard. Midgard and Asgard are connected by the Bifrost (The Rainbow Bridge). Midgard is surrounded by an impassable ocean, which is occupied by a huge sea serpent. The Midgard serpent encircles the world entirely, biting its own tail. Odin and his two brothers Vili and Ve, created man from an ash log, and woman from an elm log.
Journey through Asgard
In the middle of the world, high up in the sky lies Asgard, home of the Aesir (male gods) and the Asynjur (goddesses). Odin is the ruler of Asgard, and the chief of the Aesir. Odin is married to Frigg, the Queen of the Aesir. Inside the gates of Asgard lies Valhalla, where fallen vikings that have died in battle will go in the afterlife to fight daily and then be served by the beautiful Valkyries.
Journey through Muspelheim
Múspellsheimr was created far to the south of the world as a burning hot place, filled with lava, flames, sparks and soot. Muspelheim is the home the of fire giants, fire demons, and ruled by the giant Surt. He is a sworn enemy of the Aesir. Surt will ride out with his flaming sword in his hand at Ragnarök and will then attack Asgard, turning it into a flaming inferno.
Journey through Niflheim
Niflheimr (Mist Home) is the darkest and coldest region in the world. Niflheim was the first of the nine worlds; Niflheim is placed in the northern region of Ginnungagap. The water from Elivagar flowed down the mountains to the plains of Ginnungagap, where it solidified to frost and ice, which gradually formed a very dense layer. As the world tree Yggdrasil grew up into the sky, it stretched one of its three large roots far into Niflheim, and drew water from the spring Hvergelmir.
Journey through Vanaheim
Vanaheimr is the home of the Vanir gods, an old branch of masters of sorcery and magic, being widely acknowledged for their talent to predict the future. Nobody knows exactly where Vanaheim is located. When the war between the Aesir and the Vanir ended, three of the Vanir relocated to Asgard: Njord and his children Freya and Freyr.
Journey through Jotunheim
Jötunheimr is the home of the frost giants, the sworn enemies of the Aesir. The whole world was created from the corpse of the first jotun named Ymir, who was slain by Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve. Jotunheim consist mostly of rocks, wilderness and dense forests, so the giants live from the fish in the rivers, and the animals in the forest, because there is no fertile land in Jotunheim.
Journey through Svartalfheim
Svartálfr (The Home of The Dark Elves) hides the murky underground world of the dark elves. Attested as overtly annoying and troublesome, they are considered as being solely responsible for nightmares, where a mare would sit on a sleeping person’s chest and whisper bad dreams to haunt the person. Dark elves can not be exposed to the sun, if the sun’s beams of light reached them they would instantly turn into stones. To obfuscate semantic terms, uncertainty prevails among the differences among svartálfar (black elves/ dwarves), myrkálfar (murky elves), and dökkálfar (dark elves).
Journey through Alfheim
Ālfheimr (Realm of The Elves) abuts Asgard and is also called Ljosalfheim. The ljósálfar (light elves) are led by the god Freyr, the ruler of Alfheim. Considered as guardians, light elves are minor gods of nature and fertility able to help or hinder humans with their knowledge of magical powers. As muses, light elves instantly inspire artists and musicians alike.
Journey through Nidavellir
Niðavellir (Dark Fields) is the home of the dwarves and also called Myrkheim (The World of Darkness). Hreidmar was the king of Nidavellir and killed for his magical ring that could make gold. The dwarves are masters of craftsmanship and the Aesir have received many powerful dwarven gifts including Thor's hammer, Mjölnir; Odin’s magical ring, Draupnir; and also Gungnir, Odin's spear.