#+SETUPFILE: ../../../template/level-2.org
#+TITLE: Norse Myths
#+DATE: <2016-09-27 Tue 23:11>
#+AUTHOR: vaeringjar
#+EMAIL: vaeringjar@land
#+DESCRIPTION: My reaction to yet another retelling of Norse Mythology by pop culture.
#+KEYWORDS: Norræn goðafræði

I cannot remember ever not knowing Loki, Erik the Red, or Greenland.

In 2005 I started research after reading Carolyne Larrington's claim
that the Norse Myths could not unite under a single
narrative. Challenge accepted.

I grew fond of the Old Icelandic spellings as opposed to the
contemporary Icelandic. By early 2008 I had already read and reread
many sources, especially _The Norse Myths_ by Kevin Crossley-Holland,
a work that I feel like will pose a challenge not to copy from.

However, I have taken from other author's retellings. But not of Norse
Mythology itself, but that which it has influenced. How easy to borrow
back from Tolkien the camaraderie between Gandalf and Strider into
Odin and pick anyone. Also, note that Tolkien took Gandalf's name at
least from Snorri.

In 2009, a thief broke in and stole a bag of mine that had my current
notebook. Late in that year I started my graduate studies. The
combination of the loss of momentum and the academic load effectively
halted my project.

After graduate school, I started recollecting books that I had
originally found at the county and university libraries. Particularly,
three that I left off on and lost many notes included HR Ellis
Davidson's _The Road to Hel_, Eirikur Magnusson's _Odin's Horse
Yggdrasill_, and Jenny Jochens's _Old Norse Images of Women_.

Earlier this year, 2016, I regathered all of my paperwork and files.

Earlier this month I learned that a popular author, Neil Gaiman, has
plans to release a retelling of the myths, for publication due
sometime early next year. However, I feel skeptical after seeing a
Marvel Comics style Mjolnir and a Wagnerism of the Twilight of the
Gods. Does the capitalism or even simply the fanaticism constitute
cultural appropriation? I hope not.

Either way this gives me either the opportunity, the spark to rekindle
my task, or the ability to read someone else's work as either a guide
or a warning for lessons learned.

To differentiate the story, I had decided to write it in first person,
past tense, meant for the reader to read aloud to others. What I have
written to date I have written from the point of view of Odin, though
not initially named as such; he had so many names. But over time I
changed my mind; the Sagas, which I grew fonder and fonder of, always
read like a journal.

Another point to make: I have no motivation for anything but the
survival of the work. And because my loyalty to the freedom of use and
because I would honour the fact these stories date before me or anyone
in my known tree, I must give it back. So, I will make it a point to
release parts of the story ever so often. I target the release of
Lokasenna before that of the Gaiman's publication.
