Norse Mythology Part C

Question

Kate McConnaughey

The grammatical errors in this passage are intentional.

1 The Valkyries were beautiful female warriors. (16) They had some of Woden’s own strength and were armed with helmet and shield and spear. Like Woden, they rode unseen through the air and their horses were almost as swift as Sleipnir himself. They swiftly carried Woden’s favorite warriors to Valhalla, the hall of the slain. (17) The walls of Valhalla were hung with shields; its ceiling glittered due to polished spearheads. From its five hundred and forty gates, each wide enough for eight hundred men abreast to march through, the warriors rushed every morning to fight a battle that lasted till nightfall and began again at the break of each day. (18) When the heroes returned to Valhalla, serving them with goblets of mead such as Woden drank himself.

2 (19) The Teutons believed that unless there were any gods or any world there was a great empty space where the world now is. It was called by the curious name Ginnungagap, which means a yawning abyss.

3 To the north of Ginnungagap it was bitterly cold. (20) Nothing was there but fields of snow and mountains made of ice. To the south of Ginnungagap was a region where frost and snow were never seen. It was always bright, and was the home of light and heat. The sunshine from the South melted the ice mountains of the North so that they toppled over and fell into Ginnungagap. (21) They were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir). He had three sons. They and their father were so strong that the gods were afraid of them.

4 So Woden and his brothers killed Ymir. (22) They broke his body in pieces and made a planet. His bones and teeth became mountains and rocks; his hair became leaves for trees and plants; out of his skull was made the sky.

5 But Ymir was colder than ice, and the earth that was made of his body was so cold that nothing could live or grow upon it. So the gods took sparks from the home of light and set them in the sky. (23) Two big ones were the sun and moon, and the little ones were the stars. Then the earth became warm. (24) Trees grew and flowers bloomed, because of which the world was a beautiful home for men.
Question
Read the passage. Look at the underlined section marked number (21). There may be a mistake in the way the sentence is written. If you find a mistake, choose the answer that corrects the mistake. If there is no mistake, choose ‘Correct as is.’
Responses
A Correct as is.Correct as is.
B There they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir).There they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir).
C At last they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir).At last they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir).
D However, they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir).

Answer 1

The sentence in question (21) reads: "They were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir)." The subject "they" refers to the ice mountains that melted, suggesting a transformation rather than a chronological sequence or an adversative relationship.

Among the options given, the best choice that maintains the meaning of the original sentence while improving clarity is:

B: "There they were changed into a frost giant whose name was Ymir (e’mir)."

This option clarifies location and context more effectively without introducing unnecessary temporal or adversative elements.

So, the answer is B.