connectionskvm.blogg.se

Unknown (Public Domain) Days of the Week Named after Norse Gods A number of modern-day scholars have attempted to reconstruct pre-Christian Norse beliefs using textual and archaeological evidence, but any conclusions must finally be speculative because there is no written record of the tales before the arrival of the Christian missionaries. The Poetic Edda is a compilation of verses from around the 10th century while the Prose Edda is a narrative written by the Icelandic mythographer and scholar Snorri Sturluson (l.

The two main sources for all extant Norse mythology are the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, both from the 13th century. Christian scribes preserved the tales either to argue against their validity or, it seems, as historical curiosities or for reasons that are unclear. As noted, the great tales of the gods and heroes were transmitted orally until the arrival of Christianity which, because it was based on the revelation of scripture, encouraged literacy.

From Gaiman's deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.Although the pre-Christian Norse had the writing system of the runic alphabet, runes were used for brief messages such as inscriptions on memorials, not for longer works. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning Thor, Odin's son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods and Loki, the son of a giant, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.

In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Introducing an instant classic-master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.