Ben reviews Gaiman's retelling of some Viking myths

Published by Bloomsbury

Our society and culture have been heavily influenced by the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples of ages past, from our laws to the very names of the days of the week. Growing up, we often hear of characters like Thor, Odin, and Loki, and the popularity of Marvel’s Thor franchise has only helped to bring awareness to them. Naturally, there is great interest in the old tales. This book has to be one of my favourite approaches to the area of Norse mythology.

Gaiman takes a good selection of the Viking myths and weaves them into a (relatively) chronological narrative beginning with the creation of the world to the final battle at the end of the world, Ragnarok. Using elegant prose he tells familiar and foreign stories, such as Thor and Loki’s journey in the land of the giants and Odin’s discovery of poetry, with the myths often explaining why things, like the tides, are the way that they are. There is something comforting about Gaiman’s writing, and it is easy to imagine yourself sitting around a warm fire on a cold winter night listening to the tales instead of reading them.

Overall, the book is a very approachable way into learning about Norse mythology, with a colourful and interesting cast of characters to guide you along the way. Gaiman breathes life into old stories that have often been kept in the realm of academia, making these fascinating myths accessible to a public audience.

You can also check out Norse Mythology in our catalogue.

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