Marriage

A very important aspect of this book is the power that parents still have over their daughters, they decide who they marry to. “´If it’s on your mind´ she said´ you must go to my father´.” (Pg 53) This is said by Hoskuld Dala-Kollson to Gunnar who wants to marry her. Here we see the control that is still practiced then (in this saga) and that powerful men like Gunnar have an edge on women. “Favourably” (Pg 53) is the answer of Hoskuld´s parent. Here we see how the honor of Gunnar of being known as a warrior is great and lets him have an advantage on parents. They will want their daughters married to a hero like him.

Blood Has Been Spilled

This Saga is one that doesn’t leave the bloody part of lives outside. There are a lot of fights in which Gunnar participates. He does the impossible to kill his opponents. This shows his powerful roll in this story. He even kills a man who “has put a spell so that no weapon but his” (pg 49) could kill him. We then see how Gunnar doesn’t let this stop him and kills this man, “Gunnar struck at Hallgrims arm and the arm was crippled, but the sword did not bite. The halbalerd fell; Gunnar grabbed it and thrust it through Hallgrim.”(Pg 49) Why is the conquest against the Vikings being done? There is no explanation of this violence. Is there a good reason for this or is it just blood thirsty people who just want to carry deaths upon them? I must investigate this.

Literary Groups

Class work in Literary Groups Njal’s Saga

Blog Topics:

1. Vengeance
2. Fame and Glory
3. Friendship
4. Female Power
5. ViolenceExtremely

Interesting Lines:

1. “He was well off for property and handsome to look at, but there was one thing about him: no beard grew on him.” (20)
2. “It will be avenged against him, but the vengeance and the credit will not be ours. It’s likely, in fact, that he will turn too our kin for friendship.” (24)
3. “You have served other better than yourself today-by taking away their thirst.” (30)
4. “You will be tried much more, because many men will envy you.” (32)
5. “And you will often have to defend yourself.” (32)

Essential Questions:

1. During what time period did the events written occur?
2. To what kingdom did Iceland belong to at the time?
3. Why did Gunnar not follow Njal’s advice to not attend the Thing?
4. Why does the saga focus more in Gunnar that Njal at the start?
5. What is the roll of woman during this time in Iceland.

An Imperfect Heroe

At my start of Njal´s Saga I saw a very common thing that happens a lot in book. Njal is described very in detail and with boosting adjectives. “He was well off for property and hansom to look at,” (pg 35) Not only the description stops there but continues saying he is, “wise and prophetic”. He is like a hero, perfect to the eye of man, intelligent, hansom, and as if it wasn’t important he helps other people. He is as Hercules in a way. They both have in common that are almost perfect beings, well I say “almost” because they say that Njal has a defect that is that he doesn’t grow beard. Why is this a defect? He is hansom and intelligent, what else did they want from him? Was he also not tall enough or something! I think that if all we look at is his defect (because he only seems to have one) he is a perfect man. This case can also apply to heroes that have one defect, therefore making them not a perfect being. Everyone is imperfect in one way, so why actualy say that? We should be able to take it as something already done, everyone sees defects on people, so if we just focus on these then we won´t see the good parts.

Logging AMND

Act 3, Scene 1

- “Well, we will have such prologue, and it shall be written in eight and six” : denominates the meter of the verse
- There will be two prologues where they mention that Pyramus won’t die and that the lion won’t be real.
- “These are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself, which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?”
- “Will not the ladies be afeard of the lion?”
- Robin arrives and transforms Bottom’s head in a hogs head.
- Titania falls in love with Bottom.


Act 3, Scene 2

“Capatain of our fairy band,Helena is here at hand,And the youth mistook by me,Pleading for a lover’s fee.Shall we their fond pageant see?Lord, what fools these mortals be!” (112-117)
- Pun: “The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so?” (195)
- Lysander loves Helena: “Helen I love thee. By my life, I do” (258)
- Demetrius as well loves Helena: “I say I love thee more than he can do” (261)
- Helena loves Demetrius
- Hermia loves Demetrius
- Hermia thinks Helena is a “thief of love” because she stole Demetrius’ love to her.“O me! (To Helena) You juggler, you cankerblossom,You thief of love! What, have you come by nightAnd stol’n my loves heart from him?” (296-298)
- Helena and Hermia fight for Demetrius’ love.
- Athenian Lovers and Fairies occupy the stage simulaneously.
- Lysander and Demetrius have a duel for Helena's love (both switch their love from Hermia to Helena).
- Here we start to see the repercussions of the potion which was previously used to provoke a confusion amongst the four Athenian lovers. We can see aggresive effects between Hermia and Helena
.- Hermia threatens Helena to scratch out her eyes.
- Lysander and Demetrius vow to protect Helena from Hermia.
- Helena runs away from Hermia, while she disappears
- Oberon sends Robin Goodfellow to prevent Demetrius and Lysander from fighting.
- He leaves them in a confusion, and consequently applies the nectar on Lysander's eyes while he is asleep."And the country proverb known,That every man should take his own,In your waking shall be shown.Jack shall have Jill;Naught shall go ill;The man shall have his mare again, and all shall be well" (487-492).

The Tao of Avatar

To fully understand the Tao you shall learn the arts of control, knowing each element and its different effect. The secret to learn each art is to have an understanding of what you know. To control fire you must know yourself. To control earth you must be patient. To control wind you must find what you want. To control water you must want to help others.

All men need the elements to survive. The same way, the art of elements need men to be practiced. If there be no elements then there be no humans and also no art of the elements. The elements were not created to make war, they were created to make art. The Avatar is the total controller of the elements. He knows their secrets, and learns from them. The Avatar grows as all men do, and understands the importance of peace and brings it to men.

Fire complements earth, wind, and water. Wind complements earth, fire, and water. Earth complements fire, water, and wind. Water complements earth, fire, and wind. The real achievement that can be celebrated is peace. If there be peace, there be harmony between the elements. All men can control the elements, they create art with them, then calling it the art of the elements.

The four elements are used by their people to celebrate their existence. The earth masters use their art to create things. Water masters use their art to heal people. Fire masters use fire to destroy things. Fire is an aggressive element. The war was caused by their desire. Self control is the key to know the secrets of fire. Only two men have learned the secrets. The Avatar and his fire master.

Each element has its masters who do art with it. These masters live in places, there is a earth kingdom, wind kingdom, water kingdom, and fire kingdom. The biggest of all kingdoms is the Earth kingdom. It is solid as its element. The Avatar know the secrets of each kingdom, and has gone to all of them.

“Before you control fire you must be able to control yourself” said the fire master. “If you don’t you may hurt someone you love” he said then. The Avatar then learned that fire was meant to be danger. “Ambition has been brought by fire” said the Avatar. “The fire king is full with it.” The Avatar has a great self control over his feelings. Each fire lord lacks it. Fire brings desire, a feeling that has been erased by violence and ambition. The men who have desire for things have self control. To desire things is good, it leads you to have a good thought about them.

“Water, and all the elements are not to be controlled by women” said the fire master. The Avatar and Katara were there to listen. “I believe differently” said Katara who already knew how to control water. The Avatar knew her powers. How he had seen here used water to heal people. “Yes” he said “I have seen her work with it, she does know the art to control water.” Then the Avatar taught water masters that all people could control the elements.

To know the control of earth you must feel it under your feet, and learn what it tells you. The earth is moving, and to understand what it says you must feel it, then you can create art with the element. “When I am near earth, I feel comfortable, it is my partner” said the blind girl, master of the art to control earth. The Avatar knew her well, and learned how to control earth thanks to her teachings. All earth masters are harsh, their element is also harsh, masters are the same way as the element that they control and that they do art with.

Wind is an element hard to control. The Avatar was the last wind master in the world, and couldn’t teach it to anybody. Anyways this was his solid companion. All men rely on wind. We breath wind, with no wind there will be no life. But this element means more to the Avatar. He knows the wind, and has learned its secrets. The wind that is made to control is the wind that gives knowledge.

Peace is meant to be created by those who know the secrets of the elements. The Avatar knows the secrets of all elements meaning that he can bring peace and harmony to all men and elements. Only the one who knows the arts of control can teach them. Is The Avatar knows to control it all, he is the one who can teach that. All that was learned by him was taught by other people. If knowledge of the elements be given to you, you must understand the importance of it. These arts must be understood well so then they can be controlled.

The Game of GO

After playing for about 20 minutes I began to understand the way we need to play go. It is a game based on patience, you can’t precipitate and do moves that weren’t clearly thought. It’s a game were you don’t need your opponent to loose, but you are the one who doesn’t need to lose. You are not to attack the other player, but to defend yourself from him. To be and become victorious in this game you must understand the concept of you not depending on your opponent. I did understand very well this game, I had good strategies and made intelligent moves. I never looked at what the opponent could do but I looked at what I could do so he wouldn’t get me. This means that you should have a strategy based on your opponent and not based on how to get your opponent. I may conclude that this was a great game that was very entertaining.