#+SETUPFILE: ../../../template/level-2.org
#+TITLE: Who would you choose?
#+DATE: <2017-03-23 Thu 20:02>
#+AUTHOR: vaeringjar
#+EMAIL: vaeringjar@land
#+DESCRIPTION: If you were to pay tribute to an Aesir, which one would you choose? Why?
#+KEYWORDS: myths Norræn goðafræði

A friend asked me a question.

> If you were to pay tribute to an Aesir, which one would you choose?
> Why?

Well, because I have no vengeful feelings towards others and because I
care about the future/survival, I would at least include ones that
give hope. Maybe laughter, but the main person for that, Loki, goes
mad. Odin goes mad too.

For hope you've basically got Odin, for survival against extinction
events/holocaust, Freyja for procreation, and Thor for justice
(against tyranny). All three count as wanderers on whatever quest,
either alone or in small bands.

Loki and Freyja have some complexity. They have in-universe
(Loki/Fenrir/Lopt/Fenrisulfr/Garm) and out-of-universe
(Freyja/Frigg/Frey) time slices or instances. So remain careful which
you ask for help.

Odin certainly has both in and out of universe variations.

Thor, unless we look at Snorri's claim that he was also Odin's dad out
of universe (which I dismiss), has the most straight forward and
noncomplex personality. Also, if you believe in time travel, possibly
a bullet in his brain. I think Tolkien hinted the Gandalf used a
pistol against the goblins that night the unexpected party and the
hobbit rested in the cave. Or just a rock and a fire cracker! fine...

I think I would probably pick Odin because he's the best planner. He
somehow manages to convince the valkyries to save einherjar from
oblivion, something the chief Norns probably teased him about, since
life magic typically belongs to women, seidrs often. And even though
he dies at the doom, without him, Baldr would have fallen at
Ragnarok. Instead we are free to assume that Baldr eventually leaves
Hel, probably to fight Nidhogg. After that we don't really know what
happens. We also don't know much about Freyja's story anymore, just
that she's searching for Odr, who could just as well be Odin in
disguise.

Unfortunately I did not make good on my promise, yet, to release my
notes and prose on the norse myths.
