Ancient Religions

Principal beliefs of Nordic religion and its meaning to adherents. The ancient Norse religion was commonly followed and practiced by people in northern regions of the world, such as Scandinavia, Norway, Iceland and surrounding countries. It was believed that the world first came about when a northern and southern land, Niflheim and Muspellheim, both joined together. Niflheim (house of mists) , an extremely cold, icy land and Muspellheim (home of desolation) the seemingly opposite of Niflheim, a hot, fiery land. As both lands joined together, the reaction of the contrasting temperatures caused the ice of Niflheim to melt creating the first two living creatures Ymer, the giant and Audhumla, a female cow. From these two the first Gods were created (Odin, Vile and Ve), and from them the first human beings were created by Odin from an elm and ash tree. Due to a disagreeance between Ymer and the God’s, the giant was killed and from his body, landforms and other living races were created. The gods were revered by many as they were the creators of the races and established the different parts of the world, the world tree or Yggdrasil included. The Yggdrasil is one of the principal beliefs in Nordic religion as it was known as the centre of their nordic universe, the world tree was said to have held nine different realms within its branches. The realms were situated in different areas of the tree at the top, within the canopy; Asgard (heaven) was located. This is where many gods lived including Odin in Valhalla. In addition to Asgard two other realms Vanaheim (home of the fertility god) and Aflheim (home of light elves) were located at the highest level of the world tree. These realms were known as â€Å"divine†. Norse folk believed that Midgard, the middle section of Yggdrasil held the human world. Along with midgard, Nidavellir, Jotunheim and Svartalfhiem, home of the dwarves, giants and dark elves were also present here. At the third and bottom level of the tree the two lands that created the first living beings are found. It is believed that Hel, the place of death, is part of the harsh, destitute lands of Niflheim. Hel is connected to one of the three main root of the world tree and it is known as the underworld, the second root leads to Jotunheim( realm of the giants) and the third is connected to the divine realm, Asgard. The roots linked together the different levels and realms of the tree, likewise Bifrost, a magical bridge located between Asgard and the human world, Midgard was another connection between realms, allowing gods an entrance into the mortal world. The Influence of the Nordic beliefs in society was great as followers of the ancient religion could identify with the extreme life conditions and harsh weather that was also portrayed in the Nordic creation story. The Norse saw their conditions of life as a blessing from the gods and often used these gifts to the greatest advantage for example men often became farmers, cultivators, tradesmen or traders. Women in Nordic society also searched for meaning and insight from the gods as they held powerful positions in the religion. Women played a strong part in the community and often had to run the villages when the Viking warriors were away. The Norse strived to maintain a balanced lifestyle from the influence of what they had learned and incorporated from the gods. Odin was known as a wise and great warrior and many Viking men chose to follow the same path by becoming a warrior also. I was believed that one of the only worthy ways to die was to die in battle. This factor greatly contributed to the decisions of the Norse men. When a warrior died in battle he would go on to Valhalla, in the divine realm, if not they would go to Hel. The Norse people not only sought meaning from the gods, but from the actions and rituals they performed.

How high street fashion brands are picking up on trends through Dissertation

How high street fashion brands are picking up on trends through advertising and celebrity endorsements - Dissertation Example Fashion has become much more accessible, the process from catwalk to high street taking a maximum of 9 weeks which means that consumers are becoming allot more trend – savvy. With the many styles that are available, one of the core ways in which consumers are making decisions on style is based upon what they see celebrities wearing. Therefore, brand managers have had to adapt. Choosing the right celebrity will greatly affect the success of a fashion product so it is an important decision for a brand, usually based on many qualities, such as appeal, looks, popularity or even just a fantasy figure. In today’s highly competitive fashion marke high street brands such as Topshop and Miss Selfridge are at loggerheads when it comes to products, each having a similar product to that of the rival. It is harder for one brand to gain quintessential advantage; such as advertising, service, promise of trust and even price factors. A key celebrity endorsement will take tip the compet itive edge from one to the other. Advertising seems to be the best platform from which brands compete, which requires hiring the best advertising agencies in order to get the biggest and best celebrities to advertise for brands. The company needs to invest in a good creative agency, a large enough promotional budget and a huge star to endorse the brand to ensure success over the competing brand. Brand communication delivered by celebrities and famous personalities generate a higher appeal, attention and recall within the fashion industry than those executed by non celebrities or models. The attraction to the celebrity creates a quick message that can reach the consumer with an impact that is all too essential in today’s competitive market. Because of the core importance of celebrity endorsement, the different models applied by brands used to achieve the full potential of such endorsements, highlight the need for a convergence between the pragmatic and theoretical approaches o f brand building and effective advertising. The opportunity and importance of a celebrity brand match and the various roles played them as brand associates shows the momentum this strategy has gained over the last few years. Celebrity endorsements offer the opportunity to maintain the contact with potential customers, sometimes without them even being aware of the advertising aim. Advertising concepts such as ‘positioning by association’ ‘diminishing celebrity utility’ and the multiple effecters which show the triangular relationship between the brand, the consumer and the celebrity provide a framework in which to create an understanding of the importance of choosing the right celebrity to endorse a brand in order to add to the mythology of the product. When a brand is created for a company, more than just a method of selling a product is put into place. Brand identity is the emotional context in which a consumer will form a relationship with a product or p roduct name. In fashion, the way in which the product is identified with one celebrity or another can make or break a brand. Juicy Couture did no advertising during the first few years of their emergence onto the fashion scene. However, through the power of celebrity endorsement alone, through getting their track suits on people with highly visibly branding of their own through their celebrity, such as Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, the brand was able to make a powerful mark on the fashion industry (Steele 2010, p. 129). Without large amounts of spending, a fashion entity can get their products onto the right people when they are getting photographed by paparazzi and create a powerful buzz

Discussion 8 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 8 - Article Example The university philosophy promotes cultural diversity. Students from diverse cultural backgrounds get the opportunity to meet and interact with each other. This enables the students to provide health care services to diverse groups irrespective of race or ethnicity (FIU, 2015). Moreover, the philosophy enables the students to play critical roles in overcoming the healthcare challenges of the ever-changing world. Entering the workforce, students are able to work excellently in their roles and cooperate with other health professionals in providing patients with a complete variety of care. The Florida International University has developed a strategic plan to enhance student learning and academic excellence. The strategic plan also enhances the quality, quantity and impact of research and creative initiatives to help in solving health care problems within the society. The nurses are able to link research to local economic development in providing quality health services to the community. The University has human and material resources that promote learning and achieving nursing goals. The resources fund research and training projects that are domineering in promoting health services delivery to the society. Furthermore, the institution evaluates the trained nurses to ensure that they deliver exceptional health care services to the