Symbols

Mjölner

1. What are the cultural origins of the symbol?
This symbol, known as Mjolner, represent Thor's hammer. Thor was the second highest of the Nordic gods. He was the son of Oden. This symbol comes from the Aesir religion, the time period of which coincided with the Viking era. Thor drove over the clouds in his cart, slamming his hammer, Mjolner, to make thunder.

2. Describe the knowledge portrayed by the symbol.
This Mjolner symbol is engraved in stone or cast in metal for use as an amulet. This symbol represents the power of a supreme Nordic god. It is a very fearful weapon, and it is assumed that it would bring power and protection to the bearer. Some people nowadays also wear it as a symbol of their religious affiliation.

3. Is the symbol ambiguous, emotive, or vague?
This symbol is emotive. It expresses power of the bearer and emanates a fear that may even be palpable to a believer. The symbol can be ambiguous too because it also manifests the beliefs of one who bears it for religious reason.

4. What are the problems of knowledge you identify for the symbol?
The symbol may easily be misinterpreted; it does resemble a hammer, but to someone who is unfamiliar with it, they might not realize its deeper meeting in Nordic mythology. The symbol does has different meanings as well, as it expresses power and fear, but it also shows devotion to a religion. Someone may perceive the symbol as a threat.

Save the Tehuelche language!

The Tehuelche language is spoken by the Tehuelche people southern Argentina, the region of Patagonia. The Tehuelche people were traditionally nomadic hunters from the southern tip of South America, the Tierra del Fuego, living in present-day Argentina and Chile. They have inhabited the area for 12,500 years. However, now their numbers have been reduced to only 200 ethnic Tehuelche in southern Argentina. Of these 200 Tehuelche, only four elderly people speak the language fluently.

The Tehuelche have a rich and unique culture. They are a rather tall people, mostly hunters on the Pampas, and they have interesting traditions. The marriage traditions consist of dowries, the slaughtering of mares, religious festivals, and sacrifices to ward off evil spirits. In the case of a Tehuelche man dying, all of his animals are killed, all of his possessions are burned, and all of the meat from his slaughtered horses is distributed to relatives.

The Tehuelche have a creation legend that goes as follows:

1. "For the Tehuelches, Creation was atributed to an ever existing being, who was sorrounded by dense and obscure clouds where the sky and the sea meet. Since he felt very lonely, he burst into tears and cried for a long, unimaginable time. His tears formed the primitive sea, ARROK, the first element in nature. That allmighty eternal god is called KOOCH. When he stopped crying, he gave a deep sigh. His sigh gave origin to the wind, which dissipated the clouds and gave birth to light."

The Tehuelche have a unique syntax and formation of clauses that can be seen here: http://books.google.com/books?id=xfRgLERcAP0C&pg=PA137&dq=tehuelche+language&hl=en&ei=whOqS93pKcGBlAeQlsXRBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=tehuelche%20language&f=false

The following link shows a myth of the Tehuelche and a rough English translation, showing the beauty of the language and the imprecision of the translated text, as it doesn't truly define the unique Tehuelche words:
http://books.google.com/books?id=LjPrXSkf8wMC&pg=PA582&dq=tehuelche+language&hl=en&ei=whOqS93pKcGBlAeQlsXRBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=tehuelche%20language&f=false

It is very important to maintain the Tehuelche language as demonstrated by the examples above, and to, in effect, preserve the Tehuelche culture. Culture is manifest in language, and the two intertwine. The Tehuelche are integral to a comprehension of Argentine heritage, especially the nomadic lifestyle, which translated to the present-day gauchos. The language helps keep the lives of the Tehuelche intact. For example, the creation myth above can only be truly understood if one speaks the Tehuelche language and understands the connotations of each world, as there exist fallacies when it is translated. Even though ethnic Tehuelche survive and their traditions are passed down, without a language, their people and culture are not truly alive.

This picture further demonstrates the beauty of the language, and shows that it has greatly been affected by Spanish oral tradition (words such as Dios), echoing the need for its individual preservation:
Resources:
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=teh
http://www.christusrex.com/www1/pater/JPN-tehuelche.html
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/southamerica/tehuelche.html
http://www.bariloche.com.ar/museo/TEHUEING.HTM
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZCYSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464&dq=tehuelche+language&hl=en&ei=whOqS93pKcGBlAeQlsXRBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=tehuelche%20language&f=false