8 Things Marvel Got Wrong About Thor and Norse Mythology

[icymist]

t may shock you to learn that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby did not do an accurate job bringing the Norse god Thor and his mythology into the Marvel comics universe back in 1962. If they had, they would have been arrested, because Norse myths are full of murder, mayhem and weird sex, most of which still wouldn’t be publishable nowadays. Here are eight major ways Thor and his world differ between the comics and the myths.

http://io9.com/8-things-marvel-got-wrong-about-thor-and-norse-mytholog-1458989921

[zbdent]

1. My first encounter with Thor was with a schoolbook found in my parent's basement as a kid

and before hitting the comic books. Was a collection of stories, and included the one with Thor and Loki finding themselves lost.

They were captured, and were to be let go only after winning some challenges, including Thor lifting a kitten from the floor, and Loki competing in an eating contest.

The lost the challenges ... Thor only succeeded in lifting one of the kitten's paws off the floor, and while Loki ate a lot, his scrawny opponent not only ate every morsel, but his half of the table.

As it turned out, they were let go anyway. The kitten turned out to be the Serpent that encircled the (known) world; Thor actually managed to lift it barely off the floor.

Loki's opponent turned out to be the living embodiment of "Wildfire", which consumes everything in its path (including the half of the table that his food was on).

Rather amusing.

But then, the comic book was ... a comic book.

I'm sure that Kryptonite can kill Superman in real life, too ... and that there have been absolutely no liberties with any other mythologies/historical figures ...

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

2. The comics are fun and get people interested in the stories

Hopefully they go and then read the actual Edda's and Sagas.

I do take issue with some of the tone. (Now this could be just that I have a bad headache today which is making me a bit off center) From reading the list it makes me think that the writer views the Norse and Vikings as all overly drunk war lord wanna-be's.

example: Odin is a lot more than the guy states.

The original Odin was a war-god who didn’t give two shits for justice, law, or peace. Odin loves war, and he loves starting fights

Odin did think of justice and the law and peace but I guess when someone wants to show how different the Marvel Universe and the true Norse stories are, they go for the easy stuff that backs up their claim.

Those gifted with the ability to tell tales and compose poems thanked Odin for it. That is not something you would think came from a god that was all war and fights and killing people all the time. There is Odin sacrificing himself to himself so as to take up the runes for us.

Oh well, I'll just try reading it again once the sun goes down (I'm super light sensitive right now which is not helping)