A Book of Mythical Proportions: A Review of Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology

Shining light into the world of fiction, Neil Gaiman.

                Since I was a kid, I have had a love for mythology and grew grew up reading myths of gods and goddesses from Greek Myth.  Personally, I find those myths overrated; all the stories are either caused by jealousy between gods, jealousy between gods and humans, or because Zeus couldn’t keep it in his pants.  In recent years, thanks mainly to the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’ve begun to fall in love with Norse Myth, stories about Thor, Odin, Loki, Freya, others.  It would be little surprise that I started hunting for a book of Norse mythology.  After much hunting, I found Neil Gaiman’s recent publication, a book of Norse myth entitled Norse Mythology.  Today’s blog is a review of this book and how Gaiman was able to take tales that have been around for centuries and make them fresh.

                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

[1] Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, (London: W. W. Norton & Company, 2017), 15.

[2] Ibid., 233.

[3] Ibid., 234-235.

[4] Ibid., 235.

[5] Ibid., 237-239.

[6] Ibid., 241.

[7] Ibid., 241-242.

[8] Ibid., 131.

[9] Ibid., 132.

[10] Ibid., 184.

[11] Ibid., 14.

Canadian Beat

Like all other countries, there are songs that are synonymous with the Canadian spirit.  All over the world, people listen to Canadian artists like Bryan Adams, Neil Young, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Stars, and Walk off the Earth.  For that reason, I want to present a list of top Canadian songs.  Now, this won’t be a top [insert number here] list since tastes differ, but I set up some rules for how this is going to go down.

1.         The artist must be from Canada, immigrated is ok but they have to still be considered a Canadian citizen or ex-pat
2.          Song has to have something to do with Canada, either in the lyrics or in part of the song
3.         The song must be longer than 1 min.

So, with that out of the way, let’s look at the list below!

The Hockey Song – Stompin’ Tom Connors

           Stompin’ Tom Connors is the ultimate figure of Canadian music.  With songs about all parts of Canada from “Bud, the Spud” (about shipping potatoes from PEI), “Sudbury Saturday Night”, “Red River Jane”, to “Long Gone to the Yukon”, it’s hard to narrow down a single song by Stompin’ Tom and Canada when all his songs celebrate the Canadian spirit. Even after his passing in 2013, Canadians still know of the hard partying over the weekend in Sudbury,  the terrors of bugs rural Canada thanks to the simple beat and memorable lyrics of Stompin’ Tom.  Despite this set back, there is one song that stands out: “The Hockey Song.”

            There is nothing complicated about this tune.  “The Hockey Song” is literally, as the name implies, about watching a hockey game.  While listening, we are given the image of people listening to a game with Stompin’ Tom giving a play-by-play of the game.  It is a song that sums up the experience of Canadians gathering for one of their favourite games.

The Black Fly Song – Wade Hemsworth

            A Canadian classic that is widely remembered people my age for the famous animated video released in the 1990s by the National Film Board.  Wade Hemsworth spend much of his adolescent life traveling for work and only released two albums in the entirety of his career.  Written in 1949, “The Black Fly Song” is the story of a man travelling to Northern Ontario to work in a survey crew on the Abitibi River.  The job in the north is hard enough, from a moody crew captain named Black Toby to a cook named Blind River Joe, but the narrator also has to contend with the wrath of the blackfly!

The Canadian Railroad Trilogy – Gordon Lightfoot

            Anyone who went through learning Canadian history know that the railway was crucial in Canada’s development after Confederation.  Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” covers the development of Canadian Pacific Railway by presenting three different points of view, the politicians and industrialists who were optimistic of what the railway would bring; the navies who risked their lives to survey the land and plan the route; and the builders who all too often dies building the railway.  Lightfoot uniquely structures the song like a steam engine, starting slow and slowly building up to the actual pace of the song.  While the main verses continue to have a much slower pace, the chorus continues to build up and roar into full speed as it tells of bringing out the rails and traveling through the muskegs and prairies from St. Lawrence to the west.  It is a song that encompasses both the magic and excitement of Canada’s future while celebrating the past and remembering the sacrifice made for the new nation.

Maple Leaf Forever – Alexander Muir

            Not a commonly known song, “Maple Leaf Forever” was written by poet Alexander Muir in 1867, the same year of Canadian Confederation.  The song had stood as an unofficial anthem of Canada and only lost out as Canada’s national anthem because George VI and the Queen Mother confused “O Canada” as the anthem during their royal tour in 1939.

            “Maple Leaf Forever” tells the story of Canada’s ties to the Britain, though Muir rewrote part of the first stanza to add French symbolism through the lily.  The song recounts the past glories of Wolfe capturing Quebec and other memorable moments from events like the Seven Years War and the War of 1812.  It is a song that has been associated with Canadians since and has been played at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and was even sang by Michael Bublé at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Helpless – Neil Young

           “What?  Neil Young? but he doesn’t even live in Canada.”  Is what you might be thinking, but the first rule allowed for ex-pats and nothing screams Canada like Neil Young.

            A song about innocence in childhood, “Helpless” is a Canadian classic by Neil Young – though it first appeared Neil Young was part of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.  The reason it makes the list is that it is set in a Northern Ontario town based on the town of Omemee, Ontario, where Young grew in for a time.  “Helpless” captures the innocence of childhood with misconceptions of the world around the song’s narrator such as describing the passing planes as big birds or the element of smallness compared to the rest of the world.  Childhood is an interesting time where one changes, thinking and confusing the world’s elements and the sense of smallness.

Canadian Dream – Sam Roberts Band

            The Sam Roberts Band is a band that adds a Canadian twist to Psychedelic Rock.  With their smooth guitar riffs and mesmerizing lyrics, it is only natural that Sam Roberts and his band would produce a song celebrating the easy-going Canadian Spirit.  The song lays out a connection with well-known aspects of Canadian life like the cold weather and Canada’s use of socialism.

Bobcaygeon – The Tragically Hip

            A very cottage sounding song that isn’t about cottages.  The Tragically Hip – or “The Hip” for all you cool cats – are a Canadian staple in the world of Canadian Rock with a career spanning 30 or so years.  Lead singer Gord Downie has always described Bobcageon as a story about two cops, one from the city of Toronto and the other from Bobcageon, falling in love.  The lyrics compares each cops home, the quite countryside of the Kawartha Lakes region from the hectic urban landscape of Toronto.  

Rest of My Life - Sloan

            A simple song.  Sloan’s “Rest of My Life tells of growing up and wondering where to go in life.  This song makes the list by the fact that the song is set in Canada; Chris Murphy – lead singer of Sloan – mentions in the the song that he would be most likely be spending the rest of his life in Canada.

I am Canadian – Arrogant Worms

            Anyone who grew up in 1990s Canada would remember the Molson Canadian “I AM CANADIAN” commercial from aroundCanada's 130th celebrations, with a jaunty tune coupled with images of iconic moments in Canada’s 130-year history.  The lyrics celebrate the pride  The song in question is song by Canadian band Arrogant Worms, who (much like Stompin’ Tom) have written many songs about Canada, though in a more humorous way.