Norse Mythology

After my tryst with Greek mythology (Mythos), I thought I’d turn to mythology from other countries and chanced upon Norse Mythology from one of my favorite writers – Neil Gaiman.

What it’s about

In this book, Neil Gaiman turns primeval Norse mythological stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through his deft and witty prose, Gaiman reminds us of these old half-forgotten myths about these Gods and their fiercely competitive, passionate, and childish natures.

My Review

My only knowledge of Norse myths comes from the Thor movies, which I assumed were primarily fictional.

I was so surprised to read these stories and find out that the Marvel characters come close to the characters in this book! I seriously had no idea that Ragnarok was derived from Norse mythology, that Loki was a troublemaker, or that Thor was so thick in the original stories. Even the seemingly minor characters, such as Heimdall, are in the original Norse mythological stories.

Now that I have fully revealed my ignorance, let’s get on to the actual book review, shall we?

Norse Mythology is an easy-to-read compilation of short stories. I read them at leisure – finishing a story daily, usually at bedtime. I read some of these stories with my son, who was super invested in them after hearing they were about Thor and Loki – yes, he’s completely immersed in the Marvel world.

I am a bit puzzled by these Gods, though. They don’t come across as righteous or God-like. The gods rely on Thor’s strength—which he often uses to commit unprovoked murder—or Loki and Odin’s cunning. Odin will lie, cheat, or defraud his enemies in an ends-justify-the-means frenzy; Loki will behave just as badly for fun.

What these Gods are, though, is fun! At least, the way Gaiman writes them!

“Fair enough,” said Thor. “What’s the price?” “Freya’s hand in marriage.” “He just wants her hand?” asked Thor hopefully. She had two hands, after all, and might be persuaded to give up one of them without too much of an argument. Tyr had, after all. “All of her,” said Loki. “He wants to marry her.” “Oh,” said Thor. “She won’t like that.”

So, overall, it was a pretty entertaining book. I loved most of the stories. They are simple and easy to read – very fairy tale in quality. And I highly recommend them for their easy-to-read and magical quality. I am probably dating myself here, but they remind me of those Ukrainian folk tales that I used to read as a kid.