Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman provides a comprehensive account on the interesting faith and mythology of the Germanic or Norse people. In addition, it also describes that during the Middle Ages, the Norse had a distinctively complex and state-of-the-art native religion. The Norse mythology comprises an array of religious narratives Vikings (Norse) articulated to one another. They focused on deities with fascinating and greatly complicated characters such as Loki, Freya, Thor, and Odin. The mythology is an exceptionally deep and prosperous folklore, endowed with a wide range of incredible poems and memories of the Nordic culture.
The Norse Pantheon
The Norse mythology was considered an important phase of tradition. In fact, it provides a different worldview from the world religions or contemporary science. In addition, it demonstrates adoration of pantheistic, polytheistic and animistic (Gaiman 62). Norse mythology explicitly describes the crucial Norse pantheon. Since Norse was polytheistic, they worshipped many goddesses. There were two categories of gods, which included the Vanir and Aesir although they had numerous mythical beings such as dwarfs, giants, and other creatures (Gaiman 85). Precisely, in this culture, Odin was the Supreme Being who is cunning, daring, and wise. Frigg is his spouse and the Asgard Queen. In addition, it describes Odin's son, Thor, who is extraordinarily strong although he is not wise among the deity. He is the divinity of thunder and the guardian of Midgard the realm of man (Gaiman 79). On the other hand, the giant's son is referred to as Loki and he is blood brother to the highest gods. Furthermore, Loki is a trickster and unsurpassable schemer and trickster aiming to upset the Aesir (Gaiman 97).
The Nine Worlds
The myths revolve around the rights of the gods and their relationship with various beings such as the jotnar and humanity. The mythology depicts the interaction between foes, lovers, friends and the gods' family. Additionally, the universe in Norse mythology comprises of Nine Worlds that border a main astral tree, Yggdrasil (Gaiman 150). Numerous types of creation folklores are explained in the Norse mythology where the world is established from the Ymir's flesh that is a primordial being, and the initial human beings Embla and Ask. Worlds are prophesied to be recreated following the proceedings of Ragnarok when a massive battle took place between the deity and their foes (Gaiman 184). The mythology suggests that the world would be engulfed with infernos only to be regenerated afresh. Subsequently, the surviving divinities will converge, and the earth will be green and fertile, while the two humans will reproduce.
Supernatural Beings and Cosmology
The Norse mythology is an amazing piece of fiction because it describes the influence of gods, cosmology and humanity on the Norse popular culture. In this regard, it pays close attention on the powers and roles of supernatural beings such as Freyja, Odin, and Loki in the culture (Gaiman 196). Other beings such as dwarfs and elves have a special role in the community and they are interdependent. Secondly, the mythology appreciates the role of cosmology in the survival of all beings. The deity dwell in the heavenly dominion referred to as Asgard while the humanity occupies the Midgard. The Nine Worlds also shelters other beings such as dwarfs and elves (Gaiman 170). The humanity is a critical foundation of life. Many heroes featuring in the mythology and are feted in narratives, songs, and poems. For this reason, the critical narratives succeed in strengthening popular culture among the Germanic/Norse society.
Conclusion
Norse mythology is an exceptional collection myth from the Germanic/Norse people. It captures reliable information on the interesting religion and culture of the society during the middle Ages. It also provides an interaction between human beings, supernatural beings and the cosmos (Gaiman 150). In this regard, it suggest that each are interdependent hence the need to maintain cultural values.
Work Cited
Gaiman, Neil. Norse Mythology. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017,. Print.
