Jakub's blog

There are a lot of fictional creatures described in mythology that are known in almost every culture. In today’s times they are used as evil villains in video games and movies. This is another example of mythology having an effect on our culture. Kraken : It is said that the kraken originates from the Norse Mythology. It comes from the giant fish called Hafgufa. It is described as an enormous octopus/squid that uses its tentacles to drag ships under water. It can also cause a deadly whirlpool by submerging itself under water. We can’t confirm its existence but there are many theories and extinct animals that match the description. This mythological beast can be seen in today’s pop-culture like video games and movies, for example “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Cyclopes : Cyclopes were giants with only one eye located at the center of their forehead. Even though, they were physically powerful, they were weak in the mind (dumb). They were described in Greek mythology and were said to...

Based on Norse mythology, dying in battle was the most honorable way to advance into the afterlife. The people of Scandinavia called it Valhalla, a hall of slain warriors drinking and feasting by the side of Odin himself and brawling each other for eternity (off course until Ragnarök, when they would march out the palace to fight under the command of Odin). They also believed that when they fought, gods were on their side and helped them in battle. For example, Modi helped warriors get their mind straight before battle. When praying to Modi, it was believed that a person could enter a trance state in which they were able to conquer and defeat enemies with ease. Also, they would often pray to Freya, a goddess that took care of families when a warrior was away fighting. Vikings were persuaded into thinking that they had the power of gods on their side. This allowed them to charge into battle without any hesitations nor fear (their fate was already set). Even if they were to die, Valhal...

I think we all know from school who Prometheus was. The titan who stole fire from Olympus to help humans evolve their civilizations. He was later punished by Zeus himself and was tied to the side of a mountain where an eagle feasted on his liver which regenerated over and over again. He was placed in a never-ending cycle of pure agony, but his doings were never forgotten. Later in history Prometheus became the symbol of rebellion and sacrifice for the greater good. In the romantic era he was compared to the spirit of the French revolution and was a base for authors to create their characters on. A perfect example is “Konrad Wallenrod” written by Adam Mickiewicz. The main character, similarly to Prometheus, sacrificed himself for the good of other people and rebelled against the German army. Prometheus became a well-known hero in the literature and also became a “model” for popular paintings. This show the significance of myths in the popular culture and how deeply they are embedded...

Myths were written and told to explain natural phenomena. They used to be, and still are, a part of every culture in existence. They state where certain civilizations originated from, how humans appeared on the world’s surface, origin of animals, traditions and cultural values. Another important thing they touch, is the meaning of death and the afterlife. These are only just a few topics mentioned from a long list. They were used to put order in the chaotic world full of surprises and mysteries. Using myths, people have created rules that people lived by in order to keep everyone in line.   A good example is the Norse mythology. The Vikings believed that that only a true warrior deserves a place in Valhalla. This belief motivated them to fight with passion and determination, which led to their success as a race. Most importantly, the stories called “myths” gave life meaning and a goal. They explained, comforted and directed a community of like-minded believers. https://www.worl...

Recently I saw people hanging up Christmas decorations at the begging of December. A lot of shops and shopping malls have started to adapt the Christmas spirit. It is clearly visible for example in the Mlociny shopping mall where there is one decoration after another. In my opinion it is a little too early. However, I don’t have a problem with it, I like the decorations and when they are properly and thoughtfully designed and placed, they can put a smile on a person’s face. Although they can sometimes look astonishing, not everyone likes them, for example people of different religion. Also, in my opinion this transformed the idea of Christmas. People have transformed a sacred holiday of the Christian religion into a shopping advertisement. It is now an excuse for us to buy each other presents and for the shop owners to put products on sale.      

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is struggling with a geese/bird problem. These flocks of birds interfere with the plane routes and the safety of takeoffs and landings. When hit they can easily distract the pilot during landing or takeoff and can also be sucked into the engines. This can cause malfunctions which are expensive to fix or even, this might resolve in the plane crashing. Laser beams and special noises are used to scare (deter) the birds but that is not enough. That is when they decided to use pigs, which consume the beats that the geese are looking for in the area. In my opinion this is a very interesting initiative. It benefits both sides, us humans and the pigs that have a place to stay and food to eat. I think we should come up with ideas like this more often - fixing two problems at once. This shows that sometimes it is easy to fix complex issues. Also, we don’t need some new fancy machinery and sometimes all that is needed is a drift (group) of pigs. https://www.thegua...