Trying to find a myth or story about not eating bone marrow.
May 17, 2011 2:38 AM Subscribe
Trying to find a myth or story about a god telling a family not to eat the marrow of his animals.
For some reason i'm hung up on this myth or story that i can't seem to find the origin of. Wondering if anyone has an idea that would help.
Basically, some god or whatever gives his animals, goats or something, to this family that is starving. Tells them that they can eat them, but not the marrow from the bones, and put the bones on the fire. The next day they will be alive again, and they can keep doing this, as long as they don't eat the marrow. Of course at some point they do eat the marrow, and something bad happens.
I'm feeling this is norse or something, but the odd part is that i'm "remembering" hearing this in church when i was young, which is odd, as that's not really a christian story i think.
Anyone know?
For some reason i'm hung up on this myth or story that i can't seem to find the origin of. Wondering if anyone has an idea that would help.
Basically, some god or whatever gives his animals, goats or something, to this family that is starving. Tells them that they can eat them, but not the marrow from the bones, and put the bones on the fire. The next day they will be alive again, and they can keep doing this, as long as they don't eat the marrow. Of course at some point they do eat the marrow, and something bad happens.
I'm feeling this is norse or something, but the odd part is that i'm "remembering" hearing this in church when i was young, which is odd, as that's not really a christian story i think.
Anyone know?
Response by poster: Thank you! I'm almost positive that's the one, even though it's been over 20 years since i heard it.
posted by usagizero at 3:14 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by usagizero at 3:14 AM on May 17, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
"At the end of the meal, Thor places the skins of the goat on the opposing side of the fire and tells the peasants to throw the bones of the goats on to the goatskins. The peasant's son Þjálfi takes one of the goat ham-bones and uses a knife to split it open, breaking the bone to get to the marrow.
After staying the night, Thor wakes up and gets dressed before the break of dawn. Thor takes his hammer Mjöllnir, raises it, and blesses the goat skins. Resurrected, the goats stand, but one of the two goats is lame in the hind leg. Noting this new lameness, Thor exclaims that someone has mistreated the bones of his goats; that someone broke the ham-bone during the meal the night before."
posted by alchemist at 2:51 AM on May 17, 2011 [3 favorites]