This marks the third installment of JH Roberts's regular column Popular Resonances. Popular Resonances examines references to ancient Germanic culture and Germanic mythology in modern popular culture as it happens. For more information on the feature, please see Roberts's introductory post here. This installment includes Thor: Ragnarok, Jotun: Valhalla Edition, Great Whale Road game, The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo, and much more.
Read MoreAlvíss and Þrúðr by Lorenz Frølich, 1895. Wikimedia Commons.
American Gods is a novel by author Neil Gaiman. As the title suggests, the characters are mostly gods, but from many different pantheons (it is pan-pantheistic, if you will). The characters include several Germanic deities and figures, appearing in their American manifestations: Thor, Loki, Odin, Eostre, Alviss, the Norns, Yggdrasil, and Ratatoskr.
These gods are American because they live in the minds of people who traveled to America; from their minds, the gods took root and grew into American manifestations; as such, we see both the American and Icelandic manifestations of Odin in the novel.
Gaiman's conception of national deities resembles recent work by scholars such as Eric O. Scott, in that there is not a static manifestation of “Odin,” but rather different versions in Iceland and Norway.[i] Additionally, Gaiman’s conception of these gods as “American” allows him to use them in ways that might be offensive if the gods were their traditional manifestations. From the postcolonial perspective, however, this conception of America as a static entity, even in eras well before current borders were established, is problematic. Canada must be included as “America,” as Odin arrived in Canada, and then became American. It is unclear, however, if Mexico or any countries further south are American.
As a popular manifestation of Old Norse myth, Gaiman provides an interesting take on these characters, as well as the evolution of religious traditions through the ages. His reflections on the waning influence of pagan deities in the modern age are apt, and some specific details he includes (such as Loki's scarred lips), show he is very familiar with the source material.
[i] Scott, Eric O. “Pagan Sympathy as Political Resistance in Two Sagas of Icelanders.” Presented at the 51st International Congress on Medieval Studies, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2016
Popular Resonances is a new feature here at Mimisbrunnr.info overseen by myself, JH Roberts. Popular Resonances explores manifestations of ancient Germanic myth and history in popular culture.
I call these instances "resonances" following Wai Chee Dimock's definition of literary resonances: "frequencies received and amplified across time, moving farther and farther from their points of origin, causing unexpected vibrations in unexpected places" (1061).
The "unexpected places" include books, comic books, movies, video games, music, television, and sometimes even professional wrestling – I hope to find as many manifestations of Germanic myth as possible. This feature will include monthly reports and occasional Throwback Thursday features.
Please send any resonances you come across to jhrobert [AT] uga [DOT] edu.
NOTE: I won't talk much about Marvel's Thor comic series, as a simple report of "there was another issue of Thor this month" would not be very interesting.
References
* Dimock, Wai Chee. "A Theory of Resonance." PMLA 112.5 (1997): 1060-071. Web.
Johannes Gehrts's Hel, 1889. Wikimedia Commons.
This marks the first installment of JH Roberts's regular column Popular Resonances. Popular Resonances examines references to ancient Germanic culture and Germanic mythology in modern popular culture as it happens. For more information on the feature, please see Roberts's introductory post here.
Comics:
Loki shows up in Ms. Marvel #6, released April 27, 2016. Bruno and Mike “summon” him with a magic circle full of smart phones and coffee. “Hipster Viking” Loki first appeared in Ms. Marvel #12.
The Wicked and the Divine resumed in April. The comic series features an incarnation of Woden.
Movies:
Chris Hemsworth posted a video discussing why Thor and Hulk did not appear in Captain America: Civil War: “The kids just have a scrap and we sit on the sidelines.”
Marvel Studies announced new cast members for Thor: Ragnarok: Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, and Karl Urban. Cate Blanchett will play Hela, a character adapted from Hel, goddess of Hel, a location of the same name. Tessa Thompson will play Valkyrie, a character referencing the Valkyries. The third installment in the Thor film series begins shooting in June 2016. Moviepilot reports that Ragnarok may include elements from the Planet Hulk storylines.
Video Games:
There are rumors that God of War 4 from will include Odin and Thor and that Kratos, the main character, will visit Alfheim. Álfheimr is one of the Nine Realms in Norse mythology.
Gameinformer reports a new game under development, Logic Artists’ Expeditions: Viking, which will stay authentic to Viking history, while still "keeps things rooted with authenticity, while still giving characters a chance to seem larger than life." It will be released on PC later this fall.
Banner Saga 2 will be released for PS4 and XBox1 on July 26. It is currently available for Mac and PC on Steam. The Banner Saga trilogy is "an epic Viking saga."
Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, released in the US June 7, is now available for preorder. Leifthrasir is a HD remake of the 2007 Odin Sphere.
Books:
The second installment of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series The Hammer of Thor is now available. Excerpt here.
Theater:
Beowulf/Grendel, a dramatization of the Anglo-Saxon poem, was performed in Philadelphia this month by the Renegade Theater company.
Music:
Ashville, Ohio hosted a Viking Festival featuring Viking music.