2a) “My balder son” is Baldr, Wednesday is Odin, and Friday is Frigg, all of Norse mythology
2b)
Client is a widowed, white goddess experiencing debilitating psychological symptoms after a
series of recent traumatic events. Client presents as a cognitively typical goddess, with well-groomed
appearance and emotionally labile affect. She remained engaged throughout psychological assessment,
describing the recent deaths of her son and husband and the impact of these tragedies on her overall
daily functioning.
Client requested this assessment to address recent feelings of “overwhelming despair” at her
husband's death two days previously. Client notes that she “can't stop wailing,” about the tragedies that
she's experienced, and is fixated on this issue in all aspects of her life. Client describes symptoms that
are consistent with a primary diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed
mood, but also demonstrates an obvious lack of empathy and perspective-taking ability consistent with
Antisocial Personality Disorder. Client's symptoms are further complicated by delusions which have
negatively impacted family dynamics. Please note that client endorses history of homicidal ideation in
response to her son's death, but does not does not endorse any current homicidal feelings at this time.
Client describes a history of problematic interactions with her son, Baldr, who was killed by his
brother in a mistletoe-related incident several years ago. Client remembers having a great deal of
anxiety about Baldr's welfare throughout the course of his life and endorsing delusional ideas of
prophetic dreams foretelling his death. Client describes an extensive psychotic incident of “begging
everything on the planet,” to spare her son's life in an effort to forestall these dreams. This history
indicates past struggles with Anxiety Disorder with psychotic features, although client does not
describe any current symptoms of this at this time.
Client describes a history of impulsive and aggressive behaviors in response to her son's death.
Client reports taking revenge on fellow god Loki “for not weeping for Baldr,” and admits complicity in
her son Höðr's execution. Client seems to have been struggling with the anger stage of grief while
engaging in this aggression, showing enormous difficulty regulating emotions and maintaining sound
judgment. Client's lack of empathy and perspective-taking skills is salient in her acts of revenge,
indicating potential history of Antisocial Personality Disorder.
By her own admission, client has yet to process the feelings of anger and loss that she
experienced during Baldr's death, which have been re-triggered by her husband's recent death. Client
reports characteristic depressive symptoms, including uncontrollable weeping and inability to complete
daily tasks. However, client's symptoms do not warrant a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder at
this time, due the proximity of loss as a life changing event.
Client would benefit from ongoing individual therapy to address her family history of loss and
her dysfunctional and aggressive coping mechanisms. Sessions would help client to work towards the
treatment of increased insight into antecedents and consequences of behaviors, and help her to learn
effective coping skills to address feelings of despair and anger. Client would also benefit from
participation in a grief and loss support group, to improve ability to connect with peers and practice
empathy and social thinking skills. Client would benefit from case management services to re-engage
with the activities of daily life in overcoming crippling Adjustment Disorder symptoms.
DSM Diagnosis Codes:
Axis I: Primary diagnosis: Adjustment Disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, 309.28
Secondary diagnosis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder with psychotic features, by history, 300.02
Axis II: Antisocial Personality Disorder, by history, 301.7
Axis III: Family history of allergy to mistletoe.
Axis IV: Generalized Assessment of Functioning score of 9.
2c)
That fool Baldr. That poor fool. “Look at me! I'm invincible!” The Aesir had their fun with
him, pitching stones and arrows at him to no effect. Pathetic. If there's one thing I hate more than a
good party, it's a good party where my trickery is not the main event. Something had to change.
How did Baldr suddenly become invincible, anyway? Just days before, Frigg was out of her
mind with some prophecy that he was going to get hurt, and now the Aesir were happily using him as a
dart board! To Frigg's delight, none the less! Disguised as a woman, I asked Frigg about the nature of
her son's powers. She said she had gotten vows from all things on Earth to not harm her son. “All
things?” I asked, to which Frigg replied, “Well, all but the small shoot mistletoe. It is so young, I could
not demand its oath.” Ha!
I hurried to the place where this mistletoe grew and plucked a branch of it. I brought it to Höðr,
who could not see what he was throwing at his brother. “Go for it! Everybody's doing it!” I
encouraged him. The mistletoe struck Baldr and killed him instantly, and the Aesir blamed blind Höðr
for his murder. Brilliant!
Frigg, distraught over the apparent fratricide, allowed for the execution of Höðr. With that
child out of her way, she sent Hermóðr on my son Sleipnir to Hel. There, she begged my daughter to
allow her precious Baldr to come back to Earth. What a spoilsport. What's the point of killing
somebody if they can just come back to life?
Hel agreed to allow Baldr to return to earth if every being would weep for him. Frigg sent out
messengers to ask everybody to weep, but the giantess Þökk had no tears for him. Some say that I used
my shapeshifting powers to become Þökk; I know this is just self-involved Frigg refusing to believe
that anybody would not care about her precious Baldr.
Frigg and the Aesir caught me and punished me for this perceived wrongdoing. I was bound
with the entrails of my son Nari, while my son Narfi was changed to a wolf. A venomous snake was
fastened above my face so that its venom may cause me pain whenever it fell upon me.
At the onset of Ragnarök, my son Fenrir and I were each freed from our Aesir-imposed
bondage. Frigg's newest episode is a result of another fulfilled prophecy: Fenrir ate her husband, Odin.
So she is grieving? She has not been bound for years by the entrails of her own son. Let her weep, for
she has brought this on herself.
This is Ragnarök. This is my turn.
5)
6a)
Clearly, sexism means that men are entitled to women's bodies whenever they want. Naked
lady in the lake? She's there waiting for Herne's attention! Besides, how does one not become lustful
when they see a fertility goddess in the flesh? Besides, this Hernes's forest, and he is a God!
6b)
The other is Artemis, twin sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus. She is the Greek goddess of
the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, and virginity.
6c)
Her bowstring is taught, her sights set on Herne. “Stop right there. Give me one good reason
why I shouldn't dispatch you. Although I look meek, I am no normal woman, and my arrows never fail
to hit their mark.”
“Oh! Apologies. Do you not know that this is my wood?” Herne retreats, gripping one of his
arrows by the shaft.
“Your wood?” She eyes him skeptically, her eyes tracking downward. “Not impressive. I am
the daughter of the Great Zeus, the huntress of Mount Olympus, and protector of virginity. Now tell
me why I should not kill you.”
“Please, m'lady, I beg your forgiveness. I knew not your lineage, nor your prowess. My
bowstring is taught, but only so that you cannot kill me mercilessly. If there is something I can do to
gain your favor...”
Artemis narrowed her eyes. “You can do one thing.” Herne eased slightly, but his bow was
still drawn. “You do not know my father, Zeus? You will not tell him?”
Herne quickly, silently shook his head. “No. Never. Wouldn't dream of it.”
“Then do this for me, and I shall spare you and your pathetic wood. You have one day to fetch
me the most beautiful woman and the most beautiful man on the planet, and you shall find me humans
who will worship me and fulfill my deepest sexual desires. Aphrodite gets all the play, and I'm jealous.
My father cannot hear a word of this! Should you fail, know that you are crossing Artemis, the great
huntress. You will never be able to set foot in a forest again.”
So what happened? Only time can tell...
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
