Mr. Cobb wrote:

>>From "Michael Lee Yohe" <myohe@cs.uah.edu>
>>1)  I said "personally" - that I thought the idea of a mother and father
in
>>the sense of our own parental units is absent.
>
>And yet, we have clear evidence from the Manga of Bell and Skurudo's mom
>doing something that would normally be considered entirely proper for a
>human mom to do.
>
>Note that the reference isn't even to some database or cosmic force but
>the simple act of reading from a picture book.
>
>One can picture the scene.
>
>The mother goddess (let us call her Diana for the moment ;-)

Is this an A-KO reference, or some obscure mixing of Greek and Norse mythologies?
:)

>, is sitting
>with a 5 year old Skuld to her right, a twelve year old Belldandy to her
>left and a 14 year old Urd leaning against the couch and looking over her
>adoptive mom's shoulder.

A touching scene, for sure, but remember that it was Belldandy (and Urd, according
to Urd herself - kind of like the "cupid of love" bit, don't you think?) who raised
Skuld.

>Urd is bored and wants to run off and commit some mischief.

I don't know, remember Urd got a kick out of Fenrir doing his Godzilla impression.


>  Belldandy is
>happy to be with mom and Skuld is intent on the book, asking zillions of
>questions about every little detail.

As unlikely as this scene is (and a change of pace - from a kinder, gentler Oni-Cobb?
;), we do know Belldandy and Skuld's mother gave them a picture book.  Not a likely
event in a creche-oriented childhood, though the idea of communally raised children
as Mr. Yohe suggests neatly solves the "What happened to Mom and Dad?" question.

I would suggest that the preoccupation with Urd's heritage, indicating at least an
awareness of bloodlines, as well as her inheritance of the "Lord of Terror" title,
adds to the argument for some kind of family, even dynastic system.  At least in Nifelheim,
that is.

Brian Welch