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 MoreJohannes 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.