Norse Mythology

by Neil Gaiman

The Norse myths are the myths of a chilly place, with long, long winter nights and endless summer days, myths of a people who did not entirely trust or even like their gods, although they respected and feared them.

Loki makes the world more interesting but less safe. He is the father of monsters, the author of woes, the sly god.

Odin and Vili and Ve killed the giant Ymir. It had to be done. There was no other way to make the worlds. This was the beginning of all things, the death that made all life possible.

Interesting to see significantly different cultures utilizing similar slain-god themes to create the Earth. Ymir's fate parallels China's Pangu (though he died of exhaustion after separating heaven and earth rather than of murder).

Odin and Vili and Ve knew that a world is not a world until it is inhabited.

Mimir shook his head. Nobody drank from the well but Mimir himself. He said nothing: seldom do those who are silent make mistakes.

“Because,” said Thor, “when something goes wrong, the first thing I always think is, it is Loki’s fault. It saves a lot of time.”

That was the thing about Loki. You resented him even when you were at your most grateful, and you were grateful to him even when you hated him the most.

“Treacherous Odin!” called the wolf. “If you had not lied to me, I would have been a friend to the gods. But your fear has betrayed you. I will kill you, Father of the Gods. I will wait until the end of all things, and I will eat the sun and I will eat the moon. But I will take the most pleasure in killing you.”

Illustrates the dangers of prophecies - are you acting to prevent a certain future or did your reactions to the prophecy caused what was foretold?