Odin and Valhalla

If very early Christianity was hardly averse to suicide, Alvarez argues that in warrior and pagan cultures, suicide was positively respected.

_ _ _

Thus in some warrior societies whose gods were those of violence whose ideal was bravery, suicide was often looked on as a great good. For example, the paradise of the Vikings was Valhalla, “the hall of those who died by violence,” where the Feast of Heroes was presided over by the god Odin. Only those who died violently could enter and partake of the banquet. The greatest honor and the greatest qualification was death in battle; next best was suicide. Those who died peacefully in their beds, of old age or disease, were excluded from Valhalla through all eternity.

-- A. Alvarez, “The Savage God”

_ _ _

Who do you suppose would throw a better banquet: Odin or Jesus? I am not a very raucous, he-man type of guy myself.

Odin and Valhalla

If very early Christianity was hardly averse to suicide, Alvarez argues that in warrior and pagan cultures, suicide was positively respected.

_ _ _

Thus in some warrior societies whose gods were those of violence whose ideal was bravery, suicide was often looked on as a great good. For example, the paradise of the Vikings was Valhalla, “the hall of those who died by violence,” where the Feast of Heroes was presided over by the god Odin. Only those who died violently could enter and partake of the banquet. The greatest honor and the greatest qualification was death in battle; next best was suicide. Those who died peacefully in their beds, of old age or disease, were excluded from Valhalla through all eternity.

-- A. Alvarez, “The Savage God”

_ _ _

Who do you suppose would throw a better banquet: Odin or Jesus? I am not a very raucous, he-man type of guy myself.

War on Terror and the Cost to Democracy

Glenn Greenwald, who I take it is a fairly mainstream journalist, has written a scorching piece on America's newfound bloodthirstiness, a lamentable trend that has shown itself more clearly since the assiassination of Osama bin Laden. Killing bad guys is the one area where America can still demonstrate its superpowerfulness. Greenwald notes that what is unfortunate is that, with the liberal Democrat Obama in the White House now, this macabre glee is now bipartisan and is therefore deeper cast in the American character, arguably.

It is a darker turning. It is not the best we can be. On the other hand, it would be a worse thing, if the stories were about our frustrations with trying to capture suspected terrorists for trial, while the deaths of American innocents continued to accumulate thanks to terrorism, in which case Obama and the Democrats would definitely lose what power in Washington they have in favor of the Republicans and cowboy right-wingers. When you are in war, I am afraid that supreme virtue becomes a secondary ideal.

What is all the more worrisome, though, is that the War on Terror could go on for years, for decades. Forever? And American life can become much darker yet. One dreads the day when Americans will be picked up off the streets of this country and subjected to torture or even execution on grounds of suspicion. Can that day be far off?


( Read more... )

War on Terror and the Cost to Democracy

Glenn Greenwald, who I take it is a fairly mainstream journalist, has written a scorching piece on America's newfound bloodthirstiness, a lamentable trend that has shown itself more clearly since the assiassination of Osama bin Laden. Killing bad guys is the one area where America can still demonstrate its superpowerfulness. Greenwald notes that what is unfortunate is that, with the liberal Democrat Obama in the White House now, this macabre glee is now bipartisan and is therefore deeper cast in the American character, arguably.

It is a darker turning. It is not the best we can be. On the other hand, it would be a worse thing, if the stories were about our frustrations with trying to capture suspected terrorists for trial, while the deaths of American innocents continued to accumulate thanks to terrorism, in which case Obama and the Democrats would definitely lose what power in Washington they have in favor of the Republicans and cowboy right-wingers. When you are in war, I am afraid that supreme virtue becomes a secondary ideal.

What is all the more worrisome, though, is that the War on Terror could go on for years, for decades. Forever? And American life can become much darker yet. One dreads the day when Americans will be picked up off the streets of this country and subjected to torture or even execution on grounds of suspicion. Can that day be far off?


( Read more... )

The Columbia History of American Poetry

“One can hardly imagine our debt, as a culture, to Walt Whitman, who was able to summon a vision as defiantly idiosyncratic yet as thoroughly central and representative as any in the history of our poetry.”

-- Jay Parini, “The Columbia History of American Poetry”

On my library trip, I thought I would pick up an anthology of poems, and while I was browsing, I happened onto Parini’s survey and critical study of American poetry, which looks like a graduate course on the subject, and a course that I would like to try. It looks like fun. Though, I will have to lay Hamlet aside for a while to fit it into my busy life.

Nevertheless, the above quote, taken from the introduction, is a little discouraging. I have never been able to find much in Whitman that is to my liking. In the last month, for instance, I was giving “Leaves of Grass” another crack, and it just does not sing to me. Ninety percent of it strikes me as loose prose, and not very gripping or inspiring prose at that. But it is not like the book is centrally about Whitman, and I am still good to go.

The Columbia History of American Poetry

“One can hardly imagine our debt, as a culture, to Walt Whitman, who was able to summon a vision as defiantly idiosyncratic yet as thoroughly central and representative as any in the history of our poetry.”

-- Jay Parini, “The Columbia History of American Poetry”

On my library trip, I thought I would pick up an anthology of poems, and while I was browsing, I happened onto Parini’s survey and critical study of American poetry, which looks like a graduate course on the subject, and a course that I would like to try. It looks like fun. Though, I will have to lay Hamlet aside for a while to fit it into my busy life.

Nevertheless, the above quote, taken from the introduction, is a little discouraging. I have never been able to find much in Whitman that is to my liking. In the last month, for instance, I was giving “Leaves of Grass” another crack, and it just does not sing to me. Ninety percent of it strikes me as loose prose, and not very gripping or inspiring prose at that. But it is not like the book is centrally about Whitman, and I am still good to go.