A version of the tree of life, Yggdrasill stands at the centre of the Old Norse universe. Where biblical texts and other legends attributed floods, plagues and pestilence to the wrath of God or the gods, the story of Yggdrasill resonates more in a world that is alert to the impact of man. From an elegiac exploration of the environment, musings on masculinity and a reckoning with existence, these ancient Nordic myths underpin many of the ways we think today So they have a note of pessimism which resonates in a more secular world."ĭespite this, they are not without hope or enlightenment. Its inhabitants are marching towards the end of time. "And unlike Greek and Roman myths, they portray a world which is finite. "The Norse myths are important because they take place in a landscape which for people in Britain and the English-speaking world, we recognise as being like our own," Professor Larrington tells BBC Culture.
The joy of reading is to commune with other people through the stories they have left behind – but to recognise in their worlds something of our own.Ī new book, The Norse Myths that Shape the Way We Think by Carolyne Larrington, a professor at Oxford University, explores the contemporary resonances of Norse myths, and examines their reimagining in popular culture. Reading stories from centuries' past, it's reassuring to discover that while times change, human instincts and emotions are more constant and universal. The stories we tell reflect who we are, as both individuals and societies, at any given time. In this discipline, the premise that there are seven basic plots (as outlined in a book of the same name by Christopher Booker) holds sway. I am a novelist, and teach creative writing.
We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations." This is particularly true of storytelling. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.
In this gripping book, discover the passion, cruelty and heroism of these unforgettable stories.The US writer Mark Twain famously wrote: "There is no such thing as a new idea. The Norse myths are as thrilling to read as they are of vast cultural and historical importance. You'll discover how Thor got his hammer and how Odin lost his eye, the terrible price of binding the wolf Fenrir and why Loki the Trickster can never be trusted. The Penguin Book of the Norse Myths compellingly retells these stories for the modern reader, taking us from the creation of the world through the building of Asgard's Wall to the end in Ragnarok. The extraordinary Scandinavian myth cycle is one of the most enduring, exciting, dramatic and compelling of the world's great stories. 'Burning ice, biting flame that is how life began' THE DEFINITIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE RETELLING OF NORSE MYTHOLOGY
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