Had to look it up as I don’t really play video games. Based purely on the designs I saw of Odin and Thor, I’m not particularly thrilled about that one either. Maybe the games themselves are super faithful to Norse mythology and the designs are just an oopsie. I dunno.
Generally it seems like Americans interpret Norse Mythology in a very materialistic way. It is always to polished and over the top when they depict Norse gods. To most Scandinavians, Norse mythology and folklore too, is completely and utterly intertwined with nature. It is gnarled, ugly and brutal as well as delicate, beautiful and poetic.
Odin can be a bombastic god adorned in armor and riding Sleipner into battle, sure. But most depictions of him in Scandinavia is the unassuming cloaked stranger with the staff and the hat or hood.
And that is kind of how most gods and jotuns are for us. Everyday people with everyday problems that are just a bit more extraordinary than ours. It is easier to relate to and it is more authentic. I haven’t yet seen an American depiction of Norse mythology or culture that isn’t just complete and utter nonsense that only cares about looking cool. I think one of the best depictions of Norse mythology, culture and folklore are the ones done by Erik Hjorth Nielsen. That man gets it. Probably because it is his culture too.
I love the depictions of Odin as a wandering stranger. There was a creepypasta where anon was at a far out ranger station in the north and went through some shit. Towards the end, he’s thinking of just laying down and dying or killing himself or something and the old dude with an eye patch shows up and kinda like picks him up, dusts off his pants, and sets him on the path he needs to be on. That’s probably one of my favorite contemporary depictions of Odin.
At least there’s Age of Mythology, no?
Had to look it up as I don’t really play video games. Based purely on the designs I saw of Odin and Thor, I’m not particularly thrilled about that one either. Maybe the games themselves are super faithful to Norse mythology and the designs are just an oopsie. I dunno.
Generally it seems like Americans interpret Norse Mythology in a very materialistic way. It is always to polished and over the top when they depict Norse gods. To most Scandinavians, Norse mythology and folklore too, is completely and utterly intertwined with nature. It is gnarled, ugly and brutal as well as delicate, beautiful and poetic.
Odin can be a bombastic god adorned in armor and riding Sleipner into battle, sure. But most depictions of him in Scandinavia is the unassuming cloaked stranger with the staff and the hat or hood.
And that is kind of how most gods and jotuns are for us. Everyday people with everyday problems that are just a bit more extraordinary than ours. It is easier to relate to and it is more authentic. I haven’t yet seen an American depiction of Norse mythology or culture that isn’t just complete and utter nonsense that only cares about looking cool. I think one of the best depictions of Norse mythology, culture and folklore are the ones done by Erik Hjorth Nielsen. That man gets it. Probably because it is his culture too.
I love the depictions of Odin as a wandering stranger. There was a creepypasta where anon was at a far out ranger station in the north and went through some shit. Towards the end, he’s thinking of just laying down and dying or killing himself or something and the old dude with an eye patch shows up and kinda like picks him up, dusts off his pants, and sets him on the path he needs to be on. That’s probably one of my favorite contemporary depictions of Odin.