eBook, 256 pages
English language
Published Nov. 29, 2017
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their …
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
I read this book in almost one sitting, during a flight over Greenland and Iceland. It is a series of very enjoyable short stories that form chapters of a larger time frame, from the beginning to the end of time. The story-telling is remarkable. The characters are endearing and I was touched by their humanity, even though they are gods.
collection of stories about the gods of Asgard and the elves, dwarves and giants around them, book-ended by the Norse creation myth and the world-ending battle of Ragnarok. It’s a storytelling approach, not a scholarly description. And it’s not the shiny, techno-magical Asgard of Marvel’s Thor, or the ethereal Olympus we’ve come to think of with Greek myths. For all the magic and impossible feats that get tossed around, it’s still a gritty, harsh world with wars, murders, lust, deception and betrayal.
The stories are mostly separate, but a pattern emerges: not just when stories refer back to earlier events, but the slow transformation of Loki from the kind of trickster who steals Sif’s hair, tricks rival smiths into creating fantastic gifts, and generally outwits his opponents (while finding ways to embarrass the other gods if he can) to the kind of trickster who thinks it would be hilarious …
collection of stories about the gods of Asgard and the elves, dwarves and giants around them, book-ended by the Norse creation myth and the world-ending battle of Ragnarok. It’s a storytelling approach, not a scholarly description. And it’s not the shiny, techno-magical Asgard of Marvel’s Thor, or the ethereal Olympus we’ve come to think of with Greek myths. For all the magic and impossible feats that get tossed around, it’s still a gritty, harsh world with wars, murders, lust, deception and betrayal.
The stories are mostly separate, but a pattern emerges: not just when stories refer back to earlier events, but the slow transformation of Loki from the kind of trickster who steals Sif’s hair, tricks rival smiths into creating fantastic gifts, and generally outwits his opponents (while finding ways to embarrass the other gods if he can) to the kind of trickster who thinks it would be hilarious to trick a blind man into killing his own brother.
In his introduction, Gaiman notes that we don’t actually have a thorough record of the stories. Like most myths, they were told and retold and changed through oral storytelling. The Norse didn’t write them down until well after Christianity had established itself in the region. And so there are a lot of figures who are mentioned in passing in one tale or another that we don’t really know much about.
And I realized that most of what I know of the mythology comes from modern works influenced by it. Comic books of course, not just Marvel’s Thor, but Vertigo’s Sandman and the manga and anime Ah! My Goddess. The Ring Cycle (by way of Bugs Bunny). Oddly enough, a lot of it by way of Neil Gaiman himself: Sandman, American Gods, Odd and the Frost Giants, probably a handful of short stories too.
Great fun. These ancient, outrageous tales are told in a casual and relaxed manner.
নীল গাইম্যানের কথকতা দারুণ। পড়তে বেশ লেগেছে।
ছোটবেলায় সুকুমারের লেখায় যখন থরের অপদস্থ হওয়া বা র্যাগনারকের কথা পড়েছিলাম, হজম করতে কষ্ট হয়েছিল। শুধুমাত্র হিন্দু মিথোলজির সাথে পরিচিত কারো মনে হতেই পারে "দেবতারাও মরে?! এ আবার কী?!" তারপর তো অনেকদিন কেটে গেলো।
মিথ কিছু একটা বলে আমাদের, আক্ষরিক সত্যি নিয়ে এর কারবার না। একে শিরোধার্য করে মারামারি কাটাকাটি যা দেখি চারপাশে, নেহায়েতই নির্বুদ্ধিতা। পলিথেইস্ট ধর্মগুলোর (যেমন হিন্দু, গ্রীক বা নর্স) দেবতারা হয় অনেকটা মানুষের মত, যে মানুষেরা তাদের বানিয়েছে। মানুষের মত এদের লোভ-লালসা, ইগো, চাতুর্য ও নির্বুদ্ধিতা সবই আছে। তবু নর্স দেবতারা একটু বেশিই মানবিক, বা পুরুষালি। পুরুষালি বলতে বোঝাতে চাচ্ছি এদের শৌর্য-বীর্য এমনকি সতীত্বের সংজ্ঞাও এজটু বেশি পুরুষের চোখে দেখা, আর বেশ মারকুটে একটা জাতি ছিল বোধহয়, তাই সবকিছুতে একটু মারামারির সুযোগ খোঁজে।
তবে সবচেয়ে ভালো ব্যাপার র্যাগনারক বা প্রলয়। দৈত্য-দানোদের সাথে দেবতাদের ভীষণ এক যুদ্ধে হলো, বাঁচলো হাতে গোণা তরুণ কিছু দেবতা। পুরনো সময় চলে গেলো, এলো নতুন সময়, …
নীল গাইম্যানের কথকতা দারুণ। পড়তে বেশ লেগেছে।
ছোটবেলায় সুকুমারের লেখায় যখন থরের অপদস্থ হওয়া বা র্যাগনারকের কথা পড়েছিলাম, হজম করতে কষ্ট হয়েছিল। শুধুমাত্র হিন্দু মিথোলজির সাথে পরিচিত কারো মনে হতেই পারে "দেবতারাও মরে?! এ আবার কী?!" তারপর তো অনেকদিন কেটে গেলো।
মিথ কিছু একটা বলে আমাদের, আক্ষরিক সত্যি নিয়ে এর কারবার না। একে শিরোধার্য করে মারামারি কাটাকাটি যা দেখি চারপাশে, নেহায়েতই নির্বুদ্ধিতা। পলিথেইস্ট ধর্মগুলোর (যেমন হিন্দু, গ্রীক বা নর্স) দেবতারা হয় অনেকটা মানুষের মত, যে মানুষেরা তাদের বানিয়েছে। মানুষের মত এদের লোভ-লালসা, ইগো, চাতুর্য ও নির্বুদ্ধিতা সবই আছে। তবু নর্স দেবতারা একটু বেশিই মানবিক, বা পুরুষালি। পুরুষালি বলতে বোঝাতে চাচ্ছি এদের শৌর্য-বীর্য এমনকি সতীত্বের সংজ্ঞাও এজটু বেশি পুরুষের চোখে দেখা, আর বেশ মারকুটে একটা জাতি ছিল বোধহয়, তাই সবকিছুতে একটু মারামারির সুযোগ খোঁজে।
তবে সবচেয়ে ভালো ব্যাপার র্যাগনারক বা প্রলয়। দৈত্য-দানোদের সাথে দেবতাদের ভীষণ এক যুদ্ধে হলো, বাঁচলো হাতে গোণা তরুণ কিছু দেবতা। পুরনো সময় চলে গেলো, এলো নতুন সময়, নতুন সূর্য-
“I can see further than you can, Loki. I can see all the way to the world-tree,” Heimdall will tell him with his last breath. “Surtr’s fire cannot touch the world-tree, and two people have hidden themselves safely in the trunk of Yggdrasil. The woman is called Life, the man is called Life’s Yearning. Their descendants will populate the earth. It is not the end. There is no end. It is simply the end of the old times, Loki, and the beginning of the new times. Rebirth always follows death. You have failed.”
I loved the stories and Gaiman's narration made it even better. My only real complaint is that I wanted more.
I loved the stories and Gaiman's narration made it even better. My only real complaint is that I wanted more.
A great take on the Norse tales. I would recommend this book to everyone who has anything above a passing interest in myths or European folk tales of any sort. The dialogue and sensibilities have been modernized a bit, but you get the impression this was done to lower the barrier to understanding the archetypes instead of changing them. I will be reading this book again.
A great take on the Norse tales. I would recommend this book to everyone who has anything above a passing interest in myths or European folk tales of any sort. The dialogue and sensibilities have been modernized a bit, but you get the impression this was done to lower the barrier to understanding the archetypes instead of changing them. I will be reading this book again.
Forgot to shelve this, whoops! Anyway, excellent retelling of Norse Mythology read by the author who I will listen to read pretty much anything. All of the love for Freya and Loki, they are the actual best. And because I have to, fans of this work check out the Myths and Legends podcast for similar presentation of world mythology (including many of the tales featured in this book).
Forgot to shelve this, whoops! Anyway, excellent retelling of Norse Mythology read by the author who I will listen to read pretty much anything. All of the love for Freya and Loki, they are the actual best. And because I have to, fans of this work check out the Myths and Legends podcast for similar presentation of world mythology (including many of the tales featured in this book).
