Books on mythology are usually written by academics and intended for academic reading, so seeing the same material approached by a storyteller, and one as acclaimed as Neil Gaiman at that, was always going to be interesting. Norse mythology was famously an oral tradition. The onset of Christianity in the Nordic regions led to an active discouragement of the propagation of the ‘heathen’ Norse religion. As a result, there are few authoritative texts on the arc of Norse mythology, and no comprehensive source text to which to revert. Indeed, some of the stories are lost forever in the mists of time.

In Norse Mythology Gaiman tells the tales of the world of Asgard (one of the Nine Worlds and the home of the Aesir tribe of gods), its formation and eventual demise, not in the manner of an academic teaching a course at a university, but in the manner of a storyteller telling tales from times gone by. In so doing, he is choosing to tell the tales in a manner closer to their original telling, and that helps build a much more interesting atmosphere around the stories. The book is also structured almost like a novel, with a clear flow from the creation of the universe down to its eventual downfall and each story pulling in plotlines from its predecessors.

There are gaps in this narrative though, either due to some of the stories having been lost over the ages, or because Gaiman chooses to focus on certain key events in the overall mythological canon. As a result, the narrative is not so much a complete timeline from end to end, but a patchwork of vignettes that are stitched together skilfully to show the overall picture. Not every detail is filled in, but the general impact is dramatic enough.

A faithful retelling of Norse mythology for the young adult audience

In the recent past, Norse mythology has primarily reached the popular consciousness through the universe of comic books, and lately the Marvel film adaptations. The world of comics was also where Gaiman discovered the world of the Norse myths and to a large extent the voices of the gods in his book are influenced by the world of the comic books. Cracking wise, speaking in colloquialisms — these gods aren’t all that godlike.

And this is something that keeps coming back to me. That these gods don’t behave in a very divine manner. They lie, they steal, they break their word, they betray and are betrayed, conspire and connive. In other words, they exhibit traits that can only be described as, well, human. Thor, the mightiest of them all, is characterised in a manner similar to a jock in American culture, blundering into situations and relying on sheer physical strength to get him out of them, and prone to violent outbursts. Loki, the trickster, is a manipulator and troublemaker whose utility is presumably his ability to get the gods out of trouble; yet it appears that the problems he helps the gods to solve are, more often than not, ones he caused in the first place. And neither is he repentant, nor do the other gods hold him accountable.

This anthropomorphic aspect of divinity is present, to a large extent, in all mythological constructs. What stands out in this interpretation, though, is that the humanity of the gods, rather than their divinity, seems to be primary. This results in an interesting conflict in the mind, as the gods behave in manners that are sometimes difficult to reconcile with divine beings. Odin, in particular, is perplexing. For all his wisdom, he displays a remarkable level of insecurity and myopia. Or perhaps he sees the inevitability of how the world he created will end, and is but a pawn to the relentless flow of fate. Gods as pawns. That is not only a unique concept, but also a recurring one. After all, rebirth always follows death.

Gaiman’s credentials as a storyteller are beyond reproach. His skill at weaving ancient myths into modern settings is well acknowledged, as is his appeal across genres and age groups. I would say Norse Mythology is probably best directed at a young adult audience, giving them an accessible way to tap into the world of mythology. The canon is one that they will find relatable, and the nature of the stories and the way of telling them makes it easier to step into the world of the frost giants, and the fire giants. The characters are also written in broad brushstrokes, making them easier to approach (although not as fun to deconstruct).

What Norse Mythology isn’t, is almost as important as what it is. This is not a prequel to Gaiman’s earlier novel American Gods, where Norse mythology also plays an important part. Gaiman has also stuck faithfully to canonical source material, retelling them in his voice but not filling in the blanks in existing material by imagining new adventures for the gods of old. At the same time, he has breathed new life, and humanity, into the old gods. As a result the book feels true, but also a missed opportunity. After all, what new mischief would Loki get up to if Gaiman’s legendary imagination were given free rein.

Norse Mythology harks back to simpler times. When there was no need to agonise over motivations and drivers, and arguments were best settled with a well-placed blow of the hammer. The Vikings lived in brutal, unforgiving and bloody times, where expediency and survival were paramount, and the best (perhaps only) kind of honour was found by falling valiantly in battle. Norse Mythology captures the cadences of that time well, building suspense supported by a fast-paced narrative that never lets up and encourages the reader to come along on the journey, all the way to Ragnarok.

The reviewer is a finance professional and occasional bookworm

Norse Mythology
By Neil Gaiman
W. W. Norton & Company, US
ISBN: 978-0393609097
304pp.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, June 18th, 2017