I was reading Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, his retelling of the stories of the Old Norse gods that are contained in the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda – and I caught myself laughing out loud. I was giggling, it was half past two in the morning, and I just couldn’t put it down. With this one, Gaiman really outdid himself in terms of presenting perfectly crafted stories, each one a gem with a complete story arch, interesting plot, entertaining characters, dry and witty dialogue, and succinct and expressive language. He turned the very long, detailed, and occasionally obscure Prose Edda (written or compiled by Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220) and parts of the Poetic Edda, which dates from a later period in the 13th century, into amusing and intriguing stories.
(Above, left) Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (In Sagas, Mythology, Historical Fiction; Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition, March 6, 2018; paperback; 304 pages.) (Right) The promotional poster of the book. At the time, Gaiman tweeted that some book stores were giving it away for free. Nowadays, secondhand copies of the book sell at triple the price, and the poster is a collector’s item. Good job I didn’t mangle my copy with notes this time around!
Sometimes, the narrator addresses the reader directly to point out that the events in the story explain where certain things in life come from, like where bad and good poetry come from. (You’ll have to read that hilarious part yourself to find out.) That reminds you, again, that these Eddas are of the oldest documents in existence that explain the world, humanity, and human behaviour. These Norse myths, part of the larger body of Nordic or Scandinavian myths, stemmed from Old Norse religion and continued to exist in other forms after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period.
The world of the gods of Asgard
Gaiman starts the stories with a chapter on the most important characters in the stories, “Odin”, “Thor”, and “Loki”, who live in Asgard. Thor turns out to be not the smartest but certainly the strongest of the gods. Odin is the wisest of all, and sacrificed one of his eyes to get that wisdom. Loki is a right bastard, mean just for the fun of being mean, I’d say he’s a psychopath.
The stories combine to depict, in a paced revelations, how these gods, the other gods at Asgard (such as “Balder”, whom everyone and everything loves – except one), and other entities came to exist. The other entities are the lesser gods, humans who did not die in battle, giants, dwarves, giant world snakes, Fenrir, the largest wolf in the world, and so on. They also explain what the different levels or parts of the universe or world are, and how these were formed. They build into a climax which is the end of the world of the Norse gods, a cataclysm called Ragnarok, the ultimate battle between Loki and Odin, and their followers.
Ragnarok is the end of the world of gods, but out of that battle in which most of the gods, and their enemies, die, the human world, the world of mankind, as we know it, is created. I thought it was interesting that in the myths, Ragnarok starts because of many successive ice ages that are followed by massive earthquakes, and these break the chains of the monsters, like Loki, and set them free.
Of course, many things in the myths are metaphors, but it makes you wonder how the Scandinavians, the Icelanders specifically, came up with these metaphors. What did they see, and think of, all those centuries ago, when they looked at the world around them, with the wild, icy sea, volcanoes, fjords and glaciers.
Loki causes most of the trouble
Loki, who is handsome, charming, persuasive, and scarred, is the god who causes no end of trouble. He is naturally jealous, evil, malicious, and a complete and unrepentant liar. He has a relationship with a female giant, and their three children end up being the worst monsters in the world. One of them is a half-alive, half-dead woman called “Hel”, who becomes master of the netherworld (literally, nether – down and down and down you go to get there) where the legions of the dead who did not die in battle and ended up in Valhalla, go for eternity.
Another is Fenrir, the strongest, most blood-thirsty, most dangerous wolf of all. (Though it must be said that Fenrir hates Odin and the gods for good reason – the gods are sometimes horribly deceitful.) Loki is Odin’s blood brother and Odin made an oath not to kill him, but then, there are other ways to stop Loki, permanently.
But, regardless of the seriousness of some of the stories, Gaiman’s writing is splendidly sparse and witty, making good use of subtexts:
“All of the giants and ogres fell beneath Thor’s hammer: the guests at the wedding that was never to be. Even Thrym’s sister, who received a bridal gift she had not been expecting. And when the hall was silent, Thor called ‘Loki?’ Loki climbed out from under the table, in his original shape, and surveyed the carnage. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you appear to have dealt with the problem.’ Thor was already taking off his women’s skirts, with relief. He stood there wearing nothing but a shirt in a room filled with dead giants. ‘There, that wasn’t as bad as I had feared,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I’ve got my hammer back. And I had a good dinner. Let’s go home.’”
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman, Freya’s Unusual Wedding, p. 123
In just a few lines, Gaiman encapsulates Thor and Loki’s characters: the situation was Loki’s idea, but when it’s time to fight, he hides under the table. He is a master of understatement, particularly about his own lies and deceptions. Thor is like a dumb brute. He is cheerful so long as he’s had a lot to eat and has his hammer. When he isn’t allowed to thump someone he gets grumpy and mutters a lot. He is about as sensitive as a stone pillar, and not very smart.
For example, in this incident, Thor, a wise god named “Kvasir”, and their party, hunt down Loki, who has fled and taken the form of a salmon, hiding in a deep river. To cover all options, Loki made a net to see if something like that could catch him, and then burned it. But Kvasir found the ashes:
“‘You are correct. But ask yourself, why would you, if you were Loki, invent something to trap fish with, and then throw the net you made onto the fire when you knew we were coming?’ ‘Because…’ said Thor, creasing his brow and pondering so hard that distant thunder could be heard in the mountaintops. ‘Er…’ ‘Exactly. Because you would not want us to find it when we arrived.’”
Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman, The Last Days of Loki, pp. 256, 257
Yes, Thor is more brawn than brain.
Very highly recommended
Neil Gaiman teaches a course on The Art of Storytelling on Masterclass, one of the courses that I completed. This book is like a demonstration of the principles that he teaches in the course. He is not only able to teach, and teach very well, he also does, and does exceptionally well. I enjoyed every word and every story, and also the Introduction, Notes and Glossary, the latter especially since there are many gods and it’s easy to mix up the names of the lesser gods and the place names. Sometimes I thought that the stories each held a lesson, like a fable, proving various instances of “…thou shall not…” Betrayal and faithlessness, particularly, have bad, bad consequences – thou really shouldn’t have. I completely and highly recommend this book. It’s is a finely polished gem – enjoyment is guaranteed.
A high quality product
On a related subject: There are many people who, for many reasons, prefer to read printed books, printed on paper. I do, and the books I have read look thoroughly used, with pages folder over as markers, pencilled notes, underlining, etc. But, often when I buy a printed book, the print job, and/or the design of the book, is mediocre, bad, damaged or ugly. The appearance of a book, like any product, is an important factor in whether or not you pick it and buy it.
Norse Mythology is beautifully designed and printed. This includes the cover, the chapter icons, numbering, fly leaves, title pages, fonts, etc. (And of course, there are no typos in the text. Believe me, I looked for them.) Congratulations on a job well done, W.W. Norton & Company, the publisher; LSC Communications for the printing, and Chris Welch of Chris Welch Design for the design management.
Inside pages of Norse Mythology, showing the cream-coloured, deckle-edge paper, the fine, decorative monogram on the chapter title page, and the good use of white space.
The cover, even though it is for a paperback, is luxurious. It depicts Thor’s hammer and the image has been embossed, and on top of that, given a pearlescent metallic finish – not the usual straight gold, silver or plain gloss. It looks like a bronze-blue-silver mix. Unlike other books with this type of metallic ink application, it has not been smeared. It’s very clean and precise, down to the network of bubbles on the waves, the tiny, shining pinpoints of stars, and, on the back cover, double streaks of meteors. (All these elements feature in the stories, so a lot of through went into the design.) The cover design is by Steve Attardo, and the cover art is by illustrator Victo Ngai (whose work is fantastic – have a look at her Instagram page), and all I can say is bravo, and thank you for this lovely thing.
I loved holding this book in my hands and tilting it this way and that, to see the twinkles in the graphics. One day I really should write something about the best designed and printed books I’ve had the pleasure to read. This would be top of the list.
SEVEN CIRCUMSTANCES 
I was reading Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, his retelling of the stories of the Old Norse gods that are contained in the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda – and I caught myself laughing out loud. I was giggling, it was half past two in the morning, and I just couldn’t put it down. With this one, Gaiman really outdid himself in terms of presenting perfectly crafted stories, each one a gem with a complete story arch, interesting plot, entertaining characters, dry and witty dialogue, and succinct and expressive language. He turned the very long, detailed, and occasionally obscure Prose Edda (written or compiled by Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220) and parts of the Poetic Edda, which dates from a later period in the 13th century, into amusing and intriguing stories.
(Above, left) Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (In Sagas, Mythology, Historical Fiction; Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition, March 6, 2018; paperback; 304 pages.)
(Right) The promotional poster of the book. At the time, Gaiman tweeted that some book stores were giving it away for free. Nowadays, secondhand copies of the book sell at triple the price, and the poster is a collector’s item. Good job I didn’t mangle my copy with notes this time around!
Sometimes, the narrator addresses the reader directly to point out that the events in the story explain where certain things in life come from, like where bad and good poetry come from. (You’ll have to read that hilarious part yourself to find out.) That reminds you, again, that these Eddas are of the oldest documents in existence that explain the world, humanity, and human behaviour. These Norse myths, part of the larger body of Nordic or Scandinavian myths, stemmed from Old Norse religion and continued to exist in other forms after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period.
The world of the gods of Asgard
Gaiman starts the stories with a chapter on the most important characters in the stories, “Odin”, “Thor”, and “Loki”, who live in Asgard. Thor turns out to be not the smartest but certainly the strongest of the gods. Odin is the wisest of all, and sacrificed one of his eyes to get that wisdom. Loki is a right bastard, mean just for the fun of being mean, I’d say he’s a psychopath.
The stories combine to depict, in a paced revelations, how these gods, the other gods at Asgard (such as “Balder”, whom everyone and everything loves – except one), and other entities came to exist. The other entities are the lesser gods, humans who did not die in battle, giants, dwarves, giant world snakes, Fenrir, the largest wolf in the world, and so on. They also explain what the different levels or parts of the universe or world are, and how these were formed. They build into a climax which is the end of the world of the Norse gods, a cataclysm called Ragnarok, the ultimate battle between Loki and Odin, and their followers.
Ragnarok is the end of the world of gods, but out of that battle in which most of the gods, and their enemies, die, the human world, the world of mankind, as we know it, is created. I thought it was interesting that in the myths, Ragnarok starts because of many successive ice ages that are followed by massive earthquakes, and these break the chains of the monsters, like Loki, and set them free.
Of course, many things in the myths are metaphors, but it makes you wonder how the Scandinavians, the Icelanders specifically, came up with these metaphors. What did they see, and think of, all those centuries ago, when they looked at the world around them, with the wild, icy sea, volcanoes, fjords and glaciers.
Loki causes most of the trouble
Loki, who is handsome, charming, persuasive, and scarred, is the god who causes no end of trouble. He is naturally jealous, evil, malicious, and a complete and unrepentant liar. He has a relationship with a female giant, and their three children end up being the worst monsters in the world. One of them is a half-alive, half-dead woman called “Hel”, who becomes master of the netherworld (literally, nether – down and down and down you go to get there) where the legions of the dead who did not die in battle and ended up in Valhalla, go for eternity.
Another is Fenrir, the strongest, most blood-thirsty, most dangerous wolf of all. (Though it must be said that Fenrir hates Odin and the gods for good reason – the gods are sometimes horribly deceitful.) Loki is Odin’s blood brother and Odin made an oath not to kill him, but then, there are other ways to stop Loki, permanently.
But, regardless of the seriousness of some of the stories, Gaiman’s writing is splendidly sparse and witty, making good use of subtexts:
In just a few lines, Gaiman encapsulates Thor and Loki’s characters: the situation was Loki’s idea, but when it’s time to fight, he hides under the table. He is a master of understatement, particularly about his own lies and deceptions. Thor is like a dumb brute. He is cheerful so long as he’s had a lot to eat and has his hammer. When he isn’t allowed to thump someone he gets grumpy and mutters a lot. He is about as sensitive as a stone pillar, and not very smart.
For example, in this incident, Thor, a wise god named “Kvasir”, and their party, hunt down Loki, who has fled and taken the form of a salmon, hiding in a deep river. To cover all options, Loki made a net to see if something like that could catch him, and then burned it. But Kvasir found the ashes:
Yes, Thor is more brawn than brain.
Very highly recommended
Neil Gaiman teaches a course on The Art of Storytelling on Masterclass, one of the courses that I completed. This book is like a demonstration of the principles that he teaches in the course. He is not only able to teach, and teach very well, he also does, and does exceptionally well. I enjoyed every word and every story, and also the Introduction, Notes and Glossary, the latter especially since there are many gods and it’s easy to mix up the names of the lesser gods and the place names. Sometimes I thought that the stories each held a lesson, like a fable, proving various instances of “…thou shall not…” Betrayal and faithlessness, particularly, have bad, bad consequences – thou really shouldn’t have. I completely and highly recommend this book. It’s is a finely polished gem – enjoyment is guaranteed.
A high quality product
On a related subject: There are many people who, for many reasons, prefer to read printed books, printed on paper. I do, and the books I have read look thoroughly used, with pages folder over as markers, pencilled notes, underlining, etc. But, often when I buy a printed book, the print job, and/or the design of the book, is mediocre, bad, damaged or ugly. The appearance of a book, like any product, is an important factor in whether or not you pick it and buy it.
Norse Mythology is beautifully designed and printed. This includes the cover, the chapter icons, numbering, fly leaves, title pages, fonts, etc. (And of course, there are no typos in the text. Believe me, I looked for them.) Congratulations on a job well done, W.W. Norton & Company, the publisher; LSC Communications for the printing, and Chris Welch of Chris Welch Design for the design management.
The cover, even though it is for a paperback, is luxurious. It depicts Thor’s hammer and the image has been embossed, and on top of that, given a pearlescent metallic finish – not the usual straight gold, silver or plain gloss. It looks like a bronze-blue-silver mix. Unlike other books with this type of metallic ink application, it has not been smeared. It’s very clean and precise, down to the network of bubbles on the waves, the tiny, shining pinpoints of stars, and, on the back cover, double streaks of meteors. (All these elements feature in the stories, so a lot of through went into the design.) The cover design is by Steve Attardo, and the cover art is by illustrator Victo Ngai (whose work is fantastic – have a look at her Instagram page), and all I can say is bravo, and thank you for this lovely thing.
I loved holding this book in my hands and tilting it this way and that, to see the twinkles in the graphics. One day I really should write something about the best designed and printed books I’ve had the pleasure to read. This would be top of the list.
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