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| Shining light into the world of fiction, Neil Gaiman. |
Neil Gaiman’s book Norse Mythology is an anthology of Norse
myths. The stories found in Gaiman’s
book cover various parts in Norse mythology such as the Norse creation myth,
how the gods received their treasures, the robbery of Thor’s hammer, Loki’s
pregnancy (you read that right), and the end of the word – Ragnarök. Gaiman reportedly searched through multiple
sources to ensure that the finished product was both true to the original
source while still fresh for readers already familiar to the world of Norse
Gods and their kingdom Asgard.[1]
Firstly, Gaiman’s ability as a
writer shines through in this book by how he captures the comedy and tragedy found
in the tales of the Norse Gods. Along
with being the first book I have read on Norse Myth, Norse Mythology is also the first book I have ever read by Neil
Gaiman; his writing style – from what I have experienced thus far – is appropriate
for the for the world of the gods, giants, elves, trolls, and dwarves. Gaiman presents to the reader a celestial
world separate and distant from our own but is at the same time equally as
grim, dark, and carefree; the gods are just as human as we are in Gaiman’s
view. The best example of this can be
seen in the story of Balder’s death.
Odin, the all-father, learns that the visions his son Balder has been
experiencing are a foretelling of Balder’s death.[2] In response to this revelation, Frigg – Odin’s
wife and mother of Balder – travels throughout the world making all things vow
not to harm Balder.[3] Frigg’s plan works, the gods even make a game
out of seeing what will avoid harming Balder, until Loki learns of a sprig of
mistletoe growing on an oak tree that made no such vow to Frigg.[4] Loki then collects the mistletoe, fashions it
into an arrow, and trick Balder’s blind brother Hod into throwing it at Balder,
killing him.[5]
While Gaiman conveys the tragedy
of Balder’s death, the humour can be seen at Balder’s funeral, where anything
that can go wrong does go wrong. Not only does Balder’s boat Hringhorn refuses to budge when being
pushed out to sea, but a giant causes the rollers to catch fire when trying to
help![6] At the same time, Thor proves to be the most
disrespectful at the funeral when accusing everyone of not having any respect
at all. In his frustration, Thor
threatens to kill the giant for the fire and even kicks and kills a dwarf who
was attending the funeral into the pyre.[7]
With a story dealing with the
death of a character as highly praised as Balder, Gaiman is able to present a
balanced story. There is a sense of
urgency when Odin and Frigg learn of Balder’s fate; tragedy in Balder’s
downfall; and comedy in the events that unfold at Balder’s funeral. These three elements work together to complement
each other, by juxtaposing and balancing each other to create a well-balanced
story.
If there were one criticism to
be found in Norse Mythology it would
be the inconsistency in some parts. One
example of this can be found in this book would be in mortality of the Norse
Gods as noted in the stories “The Mead of Poets” and “The Apples of Immortality”. In “The Mead of Poets”, the reader is
introduced to Kvasier, the wisest of the gods, who is killed by two dwarves and
drained of his blood to be made into an enchanted mead.[8] When, Kvasier’s body is returned to the gods,
Gaiman notes that the “gods are not as others, and death is not always permanent”,[9]
suggesting to readers that the gods are able to return from death. However, in “The Apples of Immortality”, we
are told that the gods require the Apples of Immortality from ash wood box of
the goddess Idunn to stave off old age and death,[10]
suggesting to the reader that the gods are actually mortal and not as godly as believed. While this is an issue, it is important to
note that Gaiman did not come up with these stories on his own but researched
and compiled these stories from multiple sources. To blame Gaiman for that inconsistency would
be a gross injustice as one can only do so much with what is available. Gaiman even makes note of this struggle
researching for his book and mentions that many Norse myths are lost to time.[11]
In conclusion, Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology is a book worth
reading. Gaiman proves to be the right
writer to present the stories of the Norse gods in a well-balanced way. Gaiman was able to work against the fact that
many Norse myths have become lost and has openly pointed this out to the reader
in his introduction, providing insight to his methodology in writing. Overall, this is a book worth reading for
anyone with the faintest inkling of interest in mythology or fantasy or just
looking for a good book to read.
Bibliography
Gaiman, Neil. Norse Mythology. London: W. W. Norton
and Company. 2017.
Pictures
http://www.neilgaiman.com/works/Books/Norse+Mythology/
http://nerdist.com/humble-bundle-announces-rare-neil-gaiman-bundle/
Notes
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