Lambda Omega
Encyclopedia
Lambda Omega was a national collegiate sorority operating in the United States from October 31, 1915 until 1933.
. The sorority remained a local for seven years. The name meant "Breath of the North". The ritual combined a Native American
legend
with a Norse
motif
. The motif emphasized the hardihood, hospitality, economy, and friendship of the Norse (Miner, p. 180).
In 1923, the name changed to Lambda Omega. By 1931, eight collegiate chapters had been chartered, with a total membership of 500. The sorority was granted associate membership in the National Panhellenic Conference
(Martin, p. 70.)
In 1933, Lambda Omega and Alpha Sigma Delta were absorbed by Theta Upsilon
(Miner, p. 180).
(Martin, p. 70)
(Miner, p. 181). It changed its name to Alpha Sigma Delta and had four chapters by the time it was abosrbed by Lambda Omega.
The badge was a shield of red enamel, bearing the Greek letters vertically.
sorority. In 1962, Theta Upsilon joined Delta Zeta (Miner, p. 181).
History
Norroena Club was founded in 1915 on the campus of University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. The sorority remained a local for seven years. The name meant "Breath of the North". The ritual combined a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
with a Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
motif
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
. The motif emphasized the hardihood, hospitality, economy, and friendship of the Norse (Miner, p. 180).
In 1923, the name changed to Lambda Omega. By 1931, eight collegiate chapters had been chartered, with a total membership of 500. The sorority was granted associate membership in the National Panhellenic Conference
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...
(Martin, p. 70.)
In 1933, Lambda Omega and Alpha Sigma Delta were absorbed by Theta Upsilon
Theta upsilon
Theta Upsilon was a national women's fraternity operating in the United States from February 1921 until May 1962, when the group was absorbed by the Delta Zeta sorority.- Local Club :...
(Miner, p. 180).
Insignia and Traditions
- Open Motto- I Will Be Worthy
- Pledge pin- Silver pharetra
- Member pin- Monogram of sorority letters
- Colors- Violet and green
- Flower- Wood violet
- Jewel- AmethystAmethystAmethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
- Symbols- Pharetra, TorchTorchA torch is a fire source, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end. Torches were often supported in sconces by brackets high up on walls, to throw light over corridors in stone structures such as castles or crypts...
- Patron- ArtemisArtemisArtemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
- Publications- The Pharetra (1925) The Norroena (esoteric, 1925)
(Martin, p. 70)
Alpha Sigma Delta Sorority
Iaqua Club was founded in 1919 at BerkeleyUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(Miner, p. 181). It changed its name to Alpha Sigma Delta and had four chapters by the time it was abosrbed by Lambda Omega.
The badge was a shield of red enamel, bearing the Greek letters vertically.
Delta Zeta
Lambda Omega and Alpha Sigma Delta sororities, through their absorption by Theta Upsilon, have their legacies in Delta ZetaDelta Zeta
Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...
sorority. In 1962, Theta Upsilon joined Delta Zeta (Miner, p. 181).