A Book Review: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Why does the thunder rumble in the sky? Where did poetry come from? What causes the tremors in the earth?

Once upon a time, an ancient people had the answers to these mysteries. These people dwelt in Northern Europe, where the light of its summer days were as long as the darkness of its winter nights. They told colorful stories about gods and monsters in a cyclic cosmos, a cosmos that began with a creation and would one day end in Ragnarok, and then resumes with a creation again. They believed this cycle is never ending, just like the sun and the moon, the summer and the winter, and the fire and the ice. To these people, the distant heaven and the dreaded hell were meaningless to them. Instead, they believed the sacred revealed itself in all living things, here and now, because the world is full of wonders as it is full of terrors. These tales are very old.

Fortunately, these ancient stories are not completely lost in the passage of time. Today, these stories are known as Norse mythology, and it has inspired a generation of fantasy literature. Indeed, Norse mythology is the tale of all tales, it is the DNA in iconic works in the genre, such as The Lord of The Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons, and A Song of Ice and Fire. Yet, due to its age, and the style of narrations, modern readers may find Norse mythology a bit dry. Just pick up one of the Eddas and you will see what I mean.

When Neil Gaiman announced, he was going to fashion Norse Mythology into a book with a novelistic arc, the news excited many readers (including me). We know Neil Gaiman can spin ripping yarns, so what can we expect from the author of American Gods and Stardust, should he directs his talents to forging a novel about Norse mythology?

The answer arrived a few months later. Norse Mythology arrived at my doorstep with thunder and lightning. And behold, Thor's hammer dominated the book's front cover. Its look was majestic! But what about its content?

Simply putting it, I really like this book!

On the other hand, to those who are expecting an epic fantasy novel, you will be disappointed. Norse Mythology is a “retelling” of the Norse myths. When I read this book, it didn't feel like a novel. This book is similar to Kevin Crossley Holland's Norse Mythology. It consists of multiple stories about the adventures of the Norse gods, starting from the creation and ending at the Ragnarok. While there is an overarching theme that connects the stories, but its structure is far from being an epic fantasy book. Instead, Neil Gaiman retold these ancient tales using words that are easy to understand. Meanwhile, many Norse gods appeared in the stories; Odin, Thor, Loki, Tyr, Freya, etc, who, in today's world, still have the days of the week devoted to their names. Colorful and vibrant, these characters are very human, but they are also deeply flawed. In my opinion, the most interesting character is Loki. He is mischievous. In some stories Loki was the villain, yet in others he appeared as an anti-hero. I also noticed, the stories at the beginning of the book were humorous and lighthearted, but the book increased in its shade of darkness as the gods gradually moved towards the Ragnarok.

When viewed holistically, these Norse myths are conveying the theme of cycle – from birth to life to death and rebirth – like the cyclic phenomena we often observe in the nature. I found this theme particularly interesting. Why? I have a hypothesis. I think every culture and its mythology (metaphysical belief) is shaped by the natural environment it inhabited. Let me explain.

Say, for example, in the Bible, the god of Judeo-Christianity is angry at the humankind. The Bible's overarching theme is the reconciliation between the god of Abraham and his people, via the offering of sacrifices. Now, let's look at the geographical climate for the birthplace of Judeo-Christian mythology. This metaphysical belief originated in the deserts of the ancient near east, where resources were scarce and the climate (such as rainfall and drought) could heavily impact people's livelihood. So it stands to reason, in the ancient near east, due to the harsh living conditions, people would think they were punished by their god because they committed some offense. Then in the Bible, they established a system of ritualistic sacrifices to asking their god's forgiveness, not only in this world, but also hoping for the arrival of a better world through the apocalypse.

On the other hand, in the case of Norse mythology, the ancient Nordic people inhabited in Northern Europe, where the days are extremely long in summer but very short in winter. The climate in the Nordic land is polarized from one season to the next. Inevitably, this also means, the amount of available resources fluctuate, cyclically, between the different seasons in a year. I speculate, from this observation, these people extrapolated a metaphysical interpretation about the cyclic cosmos. They came to believe that sacredness is revealed by the wonders and the terrors in the world, here and now, while the concept of a distant heaven or hell were of no concern to them. This is why, when Christianity first arrived in Northern Europe, the Nordic people felt no connection with Christianity altogether.

There you have it, that is my speculations, on how climate and geography can shape a culture's view about life, its metaphysical beliefs and its associated mythology, and often leading to significant cultural differences.

Ok, enough with my rant. Back to the book. Let me just say Norse myths is my favorite mythology, and Neil Gaiman did a wonderful job at retelling it. In Norse Mythology, Mr. Gaiman made these stories fun and easy to read. It serves as an excellent introduction to the Norse myths, and I highly recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre.