Courses - Tests

Lesson 2 - Tests and Reading

Comprehension Test

1. How was Fenris persuaded to accept the fetter made for him by the gods?
2. What are Odin's two ravens called?
3. Name three possessions of the god Thor?
4. Who will kill Odin at Ragnarok?
5. Which runes glyph may represent Odin's hat?
6. Who was responsible for Baldur's death?
7. Which god's major activity was protecting heaven and earth from giants
8. How did Odin lose an eye?
9. Which god maintains justice, order and cosmic law, overseeing and upholding contracts?
10. Who will be the new chief god after Ragnarok?

Reading

In Bernard King's The Elements of the Runes, read from the start of chapter 2 "Runes, Religion and Society" on p 19, to page 23 ending "..or throw this book away"

King writes powerfully about the quality of Norse mythology and the strength of its imagery. He is correct that it is a great shame that details of the Norse gods are now not more widely known. Since these gods play a key role in relation to the runes, you will find it aids your runic studies the better you understand them, and the more real they feel to you.

Further Exercises

1. Not all the gods have a high profile in the Norse mythology stories. Nonetheless the more we learn about them the more it will further our understanding of the gods. Choose a god from the following list:

   Njord, Bragi, Hodur, Forseti

   Using enclopedias and other reference sources you can find (such as Ellis-Davidson's Gods and Myths of Northern Europe (if you want to skip ahead a lesson or two you could even use an Edda translation) find out as much as you can about your chosen god. Write them up in a similar way to the format used in the lecture.

2. It is often suggested that the goddesses have a fairly minor role but this is not the case though it is true that some goddesses, such as Nanna, exist as little more than names. Several goddesses are important to the mythology, though not to the runes. Hence while the lectures focus on the gods because of their direct relevance to the runes, you should not ignore the goddesses. Chose one from this list.

   Idun, Frigga, Hel

   Research them in a similar way to your chosen god above. You should be able to find out much about them though. Consider factors such as appearance, partner if any, nature, motivations. If you have already started looking in the Eddas see what, if anything, is said about them in the Lokasenna.

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Lesson 2 - Test Answers

Please ensure you mark these exercises before moving on to the next lesson and do not take more than one Lesson a week.

If you have any questions, comments or difficulties with the exercises and you have formally registered with the Rune School please email coursehelp@werewood.com