by Pa Rock
Reader
Nearly twenty years ago I enjoyed the rare privilege of being able to take part in an educational adventure to Russia and Sweden. Our group, graduate social work students and professors from the University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri, visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, and then boarded a flight across the Gulf of Finland to Stockholm, Sweden.
We had one "free" afternoon during our brief stay in Stockholm, and while my friends rushed off to visit the royal palace and enjoy other activities in the Sweden's capital city, I walked down to the waterfront and bought a ticket for a boat ride to visit Birka, a Viking island that lies a couple of hours out into the Stockholm Archipelago. Birka was the object of an on-going archaeological dig at that time. I enjoyed a fascinating afternoon as I viewed exhibits in the island's museum and walked many of the same rugged trails that the Norsemen had trod centuries before.
That afternoon did much to pique my interest in the Viking culture - and when I recently came across Neil Gaiman's new book, "Norse Mythology," I knew that I was destined to enjoy some time absorbing his insights into that unique era of world history.
Professor Gaiman's book is largely what the title suggests, an overview of the complicated lives and interactions of the old Norse gods. It is populated with gods, goddesses, dwarfs, elves, giants, a trickster, and even an enormous serpent - along with an assortment of mere mortals who help to move the stories along. Gaiman, who has long been a devotee of the mythologies of the Nordic world, spends time laying out a careful map of the mythic world and terminology of the Norse gods, and then he resurrects several tales of the gods that have been passed down through the centuries. Gaiman presents those stories in a more-or-less modern vernacular.
The main characters highlighted in this work are Odin, the one-eyed King of the Gods, his son, Thor, the God of Thunder (and a bit of a goof) whose ultimate power lies in a mighty hammer that is always within his reach, and Loki, the Trickster, whose treasonous activities ultimately help to bring about an end to the time of the Gods.
Reading these stories put me in mind of the time a few years ago when I read the complete collection of the Brothers Grimm. The Norse tales are, like the stories collected by the Grimm's, morality tales wrapped in wonder and adventure. They lead the readers to unique vistas while imbuing those travels with cautions and moral restraints.
Like the tales of the Brothers Grimm, the tales of the old Nordic gods have had an impact on our folklore and traditions, and now with the efforts of people like Professor Gaiman, the fullness of their unique contributions to our western culture may finally begin to be realized.
"Norse Mythology" is quite an enjoyable read, and it opens doors to a better understanding of the human animal.
Reader
Nearly twenty years ago I enjoyed the rare privilege of being able to take part in an educational adventure to Russia and Sweden. Our group, graduate social work students and professors from the University of South Carolina and the University of Missouri, visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, and then boarded a flight across the Gulf of Finland to Stockholm, Sweden.
We had one "free" afternoon during our brief stay in Stockholm, and while my friends rushed off to visit the royal palace and enjoy other activities in the Sweden's capital city, I walked down to the waterfront and bought a ticket for a boat ride to visit Birka, a Viking island that lies a couple of hours out into the Stockholm Archipelago. Birka was the object of an on-going archaeological dig at that time. I enjoyed a fascinating afternoon as I viewed exhibits in the island's museum and walked many of the same rugged trails that the Norsemen had trod centuries before.
That afternoon did much to pique my interest in the Viking culture - and when I recently came across Neil Gaiman's new book, "Norse Mythology," I knew that I was destined to enjoy some time absorbing his insights into that unique era of world history.
Professor Gaiman's book is largely what the title suggests, an overview of the complicated lives and interactions of the old Norse gods. It is populated with gods, goddesses, dwarfs, elves, giants, a trickster, and even an enormous serpent - along with an assortment of mere mortals who help to move the stories along. Gaiman, who has long been a devotee of the mythologies of the Nordic world, spends time laying out a careful map of the mythic world and terminology of the Norse gods, and then he resurrects several tales of the gods that have been passed down through the centuries. Gaiman presents those stories in a more-or-less modern vernacular.
The main characters highlighted in this work are Odin, the one-eyed King of the Gods, his son, Thor, the God of Thunder (and a bit of a goof) whose ultimate power lies in a mighty hammer that is always within his reach, and Loki, the Trickster, whose treasonous activities ultimately help to bring about an end to the time of the Gods.
Reading these stories put me in mind of the time a few years ago when I read the complete collection of the Brothers Grimm. The Norse tales are, like the stories collected by the Grimm's, morality tales wrapped in wonder and adventure. They lead the readers to unique vistas while imbuing those travels with cautions and moral restraints.
Like the tales of the Brothers Grimm, the tales of the old Nordic gods have had an impact on our folklore and traditions, and now with the efforts of people like Professor Gaiman, the fullness of their unique contributions to our western culture may finally begin to be realized.
"Norse Mythology" is quite an enjoyable read, and it opens doors to a better understanding of the human animal.
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