Homey Traditions

Hero Homes

Valhalla, the idealized afterlife home for Norse warriors, is known from 10th- and 13th-century epic poems of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The general depiction involves daylong battles followed by nights of drink and feasting. Lesser known is the tradition that only half of eligible combatants enter Valhalla; the others have been chosen by the goddess Freyja for her own battlefield, Fólkvangr. Nevertheless, all warriors will rise to fight alongside Odin during Ragnarök.

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According to tradition, King Arthur was slain at the Battle of Camlann by his son-nephew Mordred. This historical conflict took place AD 537.

Later narrators Geoffrey of Monmouth and Thomas Malory say that after being gravely injured at Camlann, Arthur was borne away “to the Isle of Avalon to be cured of his wounds.” Folk beliefs, written down beginning in the 10th Century, proclaim that Arthur will return “to save Britain in its darkest hour.”

This legend was not only held among the “lower” classes. In 1554, Philip II of Spain married Mary I of England, and swore that he would resign the kingdom if Arthur should return.

This entry concludes our look at some Hero Homes of myth and history. Remember, the greatest Hero of all wants to come home ... into your life.

Merry Christmas!  See you Monday.

  

Super Homes!

 Hero Homes

            Fans of DC’s Silver Age are familiar with Superman’s Arctic Fortress of Solitude. Only super-muscles could lift the giant Golden Key to its door.

(When unused, the Golden Key was supposedly a directional marker for airplanes.) The Fortress held trophies from super feats; separate rooms dedicated to family and friends (including a decoy Clark Kent room); a lab full of exotic equipment and experiments; an armory (including the Phantom Zone Projector); and the miniaturized Bottle City of Kandor, which Supes had sworn to restore to normal size.

Many tales involved Fortress visitors ignoring safety protocols—firing a weapon or releasing a dangerous critter from Superman’s Interplanetary Zoo.

 Superman #187, from 1966, was an 80 Page Giant reprinting many Golden Age tales. The cover proclaimed “A Super-Scoop! Superman Unlocks Secrets of the Fortress of Solitude!” These stories included previous locations for Superman’s retreat, including underwater and the outskirts of Metropolis (for public tours, no less!).

PS I learned about the Fortress and Kandor at an early age.  I was 6½ when this photo was taken, holding the now-classic Superman #158.

PPS and here's a cheat sheet.

See you Thursday.