Norse Mythology

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text throughout your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Serpents are a significant symbol in Norse Mythology.

• What figurative idea do the literal serpents stand for? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence from at least three stories supporting your interpretation of this symbol.
• In your concluding sentences, connect your analysis of this symbol to the text’s themes of The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Inevitability of Fate and The Bound Monster.

2. Prophecy plays an important role in Norse Mythology.

• What message is conveyed in this text by events concerning prophecy? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence from at least three stories supporting your interpretation of the meaning of prophecy.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, show how messages about prophecy support the text’s concern with The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and the Inevitability of Fate, The Bound Monster, and Sacrifice.

3. In the Norse belief system, the dead go to two different settings, depending on their life behavior.

• What values are conveyed by separating the two groups of dead in Hel and Valhalla? (topic sentence)
• Offer evidence that shows how these two settings differ.
• Offer evidence that shows which two groups spend the afterlife in each setting.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how these two settings and the two groups of dead convey important cultural beliefs to the stories’ audiences.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The first three stories in this anthology are a myth called “cosmogonic” stories, which means they establish important facts about how the world was created and ordered. Additionally, they are “dismemberment” stories. Write an essay analyzing the messages in the dismemberment motif, connecting this motif with Norse ideas about Sacrifice. How does the motif of removing body parts run through these stories? Are all of these dismemberments voluntary? What does a voluntary sacrifice convey that is different from an involuntary sacrifice? Support your analysis with evidence drawn from at least the first three stories in Norse Mythology, making sure to cite any quoted evidence or outside sources.

2. Golden apples are not a symbol exclusive to Norse mythology. Research how golden apples have been used in the traditional stories of one or two other world cultures and identify common patterns. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the symbolic use of golden apples in Norse stories with their use in one or two other cultures’ stories. Why might apples—particularly golden ones—be a suitable vehicle for the ideas implied by these patterns? What do any differences reveal about what is uniquely Norse about the golden apple symbolism in Gaiman’s stories? Support your analysis with evidence drawn from both Gaiman’s stories and your outside research, making sure to cite any quoted evidence and all evidence from outside sources.

3. Weddings play an important role in the stories in Norse Mythology. Write an essay in which you analyze the cultural values transmitted through weddings and marriages in Norse Mythology. You might consider which weddings are planned to stop conflict and which are inspired by love. What does this imply is true about marriage in Norse culture? You might also consider the messages about individual choice and responsibility conveyed through Freya’s reaction to the marriages others try to arrange for her. Are men and women encouraged to expect the same degrees of autonomy and obligation? Support your assertions with evidence drawn from throughout the text, and cite any quoted evidence.