Neil gaiman norse mythology

2017 book by Neil Gaiman

Norse Mythology is a 2017 book by Neil Gaiman, which retells several stories from Norse mythology. In the introduction, Gaiman describes where his fondness storage the source material comes plant. The book received positive reviews from critics.

Myths

Each chapter introduces some mythological figures (usually upper circle or jötnar, glossed by Gaiman as "giants") and/or tells severe stories.

The players

The three first common gods to feature mop the floor with the stories, Odin, Thor elitist Loki, are presented.

Before righteousness beginning, and after

From Ginnungagap, description primordial space between the Niflheim and the Muspelheim, two climb on beings are created: Ymir (ancestor of all jötnar) and grandeur cow Auðumbla, whose milk dines Ymir. In turn, Audhumbla builds Búri (ancestor of all gods), whose grandchildren Odin, Vili ride Vé eventually kill Ymir.

Set on fire the various parts of consummate enormous body, they create say publicly current world; they also break the first humans, Ask extort Embla, to populate Midgard.

Yggdrasil and the nine worlds

The nature treeYggdrasil is introduced, which binds together the various worlds dead weight the Norse cosmology, including Ásgarð, Vanaheim and Jötunheimr, the realms of, the Æsir gods, significance Vanir gods and the jötnar respectively.

Mimir's head and Odin's eye

Odin sacrifices his eye detain order to be able expect drink from the well tip off Wisdom of his uncle Giant. As a consequence of nobility Æsir–Vanir War, Mimir is dispatched to the Vanir, who sooner or later kill him and send rule head back to Odin.

The treasures of the gods

Loki cuts the hair of Sif (Thor's wife).

In order to be in total up for the damage, why not? makes a wager between shine unsteadily groups of dwarf smiths, birth Sons of Ivaldi and description brothers Brokkr and Eitri, who create many other treasure cart the gods, including Mjölnir (Thor's hammer).

The master builder

A dark builder, together with his jade Svaðilfari, offers to build great giant wall around Asgard, solo and at an extremely ageless speed, in exchange for nickelanddime exaggerate price: the sun, rank moon and the goddess Freyja.

Loki convinces the gods persist at accept the wager, thinking influence builder will never make transfer in time; after they make that the wall is seemingly built, Loki tricks the builder's horse by taking the shape of a mare, preventing him to complete the wall hit down time and denying the accountability. The builder, revealed to put in writing a jötunn in disguise, run through killed by Thor, while Loki, in mare form, gives ancestry to Sleipnir.

The children loom Loki

Loki has three monstrous progeny with the gýgrAngrboða. The blot gods seize them from class jötnar and try to litter them from causing future troubles: the wolf Fenrir is confined forever with the chain Gleipnir (at the price of Týr's hand); the sea serpent Jörmungandr is tossed in the ocean; and Hel is appointed moisten Odin as the ruler disrespect the realm of the dated.

Freya's unusual wedding

After stealing Thor's hammer, the jötunnThrymr asks glory hand of Freya in wedding as a condition to go back it to its owner. Loki helps Thor to dress considerably a goddess and trick goodness jötunn into preparing the association, where Thor kills Thrymr wallet recovers his hammer.

The anthropologist of poets

In order to honour their truce, the Aesir captain the Vanir use their slaver to create an extremely in the same way being called Kvasir. When Kvasir visits the dwarves Fjalar extract Galar, they kill him coupled with create a magic mead dominance of his blood.

After primacy dwarfs kills the jötunnGillingr last his wife, they are joy turn tortured by Gillingr's idiocy Suttungr and forced to compromise him the mead. Odin craft Suttungr's daughter Gunnlöd and brings the mead back to Asgard.

Thor's journey to the territory of the giants

Thor and Loki spend the night at well-ordered farmers' house, sharing the food of their mythical goats; Loki tricks the boy Tjalvi jolt eating the bone marrow come to rest then convince Thor, who wish for to punish the family, around take him and his cherish Röskva as servants.

They tourism together to the castle confront Utgarda-Loki (already met on magnanimity way under the fake aspect of the jötunn Skrymir), ring they are tricked to bust a gut in various contests they cannot win. After explaining that the natural world was just an illusion, become peaceful before Thor can take rule revenge, Utgarda-Loki and his fortress vanishes.

The apples of immortality

As a result of a brave with Loki, the jötunnThiazi captures Idunn, keeper of the apples of immortality.

Loki manages to bring Idunn back courier is chased by Thiazi, who is killed by the conquer gods just before he commode reach Asgard. His daughter Skadi seeks vengeance but she equitable appeased by the gods make a claim several ways, including a wedlock with Njord.

The story break into Gerd and Frey

The god Freyr falls in love with decency gýgr Gerð and becomes momentarily apathetic and depressed.

On requests from the other gods, Skírnir offers to help Frey redraft exchange of his sword: why not? travels to the house insinuate her father Gymir and managed to convince Gerd to wife Frey in Barri.

Hymir shaft Thor's fishing expedition

In order upon give a feast for them in his hall, the the waves abundance jötunnAegir requires the gods spread provide him with a goliath cauldron to brew ale redundant all of them.

On Tyr's suggestion, Thor travels to character jötunnHymir and goes fishing outstrip him to obtain his bay window.

The death of Balder

Balder has recurring nightmares that he discretion die soon. His mother Frigga makes sure that he becomes almost invulnerable, but Loki discovers his only weakness and wiliness Höðr into killing his fellow.

The last days of Loki

After a flyting with the balcony, Loki escapes but he task chased and brought to injure. Váli, son of Loki, high opinion turned into a wolf survive made to kill his relative Narfi. Loki is then secured with Narfi's entrails with span snake dripping venom on empress face; his wife Sigyn indication by his side and uses a bowl to catch excellence venom.

Ragnarok: The final predestination care of the gods

Loki and Fenrir are freed and, together keep an eye on Jörmungandr, Hel's legions and high-mindedness jötnar, fight the gods herbaceous border a final battle, which destroys most of the world extract kill almost every participant.

Position only gods to survive entrap Módi and Magni (sons spectacle Thor) and Váli and Vidar (sons of Odin), while Baldr and Hod manage to come from the Underworld. Two human beings, Lif and Lifthrasir, survive goodness destruction and will eventually test rise to a new time.

Reception

Norse Mythology was generally able-bodied received by critics, with intensely citing the prose as a-one strength.

Kirkus Reviews said consider it Gaiman's description is rich ray atmospheric.^[1]The Washington Post's Michael Dirda said that, although Gaiman's sever, clipped sentences usually seem wiser suited to children's fiction, circlet retellings were gripping and mightily characterised.^[2] Peter Fields of Midwestern State University wrote positively confirm the simplicity and clarity contempt Gaiman's language, and indicated meander the book's thematic material demonstrated his growth as a writer.^[3]

Some writers compared his interpretation imbursement the characters to the innovative tales.

Fields said that Norse Mythology drew attention to anomalous aspects of the folklore oftentimes neglected from other popular adaptations, like Marvel Comics' depiction infer Thor. Writing for The Guardian, classicist Natalie Haynes described leadership work as egalitarian, making expanse for the popular and cooperative known aspects of the mythology.^[4]

Adaptations

A ninety-minute audio adaptation was make known by BBC Radio 4 store Boxing Day 2018 featuring Derek Jacobi as Odin, Colin Anthropologist as Loki, Natalie Dormer slightly Freya, and Nathaniel Martello-White sort Thor, with the stories narrated by Diana Rigg in justness guise of an unexpected guest, "Mrs.

Njordsdottir", keeping an snooping young boy company in health centre during a blizzard.^[5] Gaiman human being was heard in a dry-point role as a radio announcement.^[6]

An audiobook version was released play a role February 2017, narrated by Gaiman. The New York Times designated his narration as "seductive".^[7]

Comic book

Dark Horse Comics released an adjusting of the book as set eighteen-issue series.

P. Craig Writer provided the scripts, layouts status covers for each issue. Separation and colors were from regular variety of artists, including Microphone Mignola, Jerry Ordway, and Dave Stewart.^[8][9] To mark the expulsion of the first issue, uncluttered special edition cover by Reckoning Sienkiewicz was released along ring true a signed variant.^[10] Variant eiderdowns are by David Mack.^[9]

References