The Norse myths need better treatment.

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PolytheistWitch
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The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #1

Post by PolytheistWitch »

Perusing YouTube I came across some previews for movies involving Greek myths. It look like there was quite a bit of potential there for it to be a fairly decent movie but it had me wondering. Why is it that whenever a movie is done addressing the Norse/ Germanic gods that they are either one, a movie about Vikings where the gods are barely touched upon or two, a modern adapted take where the northern gods aren't the only gods that are characters? What is it about the Norse myths that people aren't making movies directly about them like they do with the Greek, Roman and Egyptian?
Is Marvel Thor really all we can ask for or expect?

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Miles
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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #2

Post by Miles »

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Perhaps the producers had no intention of addressing the Norse/ Germanic gods, and perhaps that they should is an unwarranted expectation on your part. Perhaps?

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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #3

Post by PolytheistWitch »

[Replying to Miles in post #2]

No one is under any obligation to reply if they don't want to address what I said. People can make whatever movies or TV shows they want to it's an observation on my part and I thought I do a post about it. What I keep forgetting is on these debate sites where religion tends to be the main topic, all people want to do is argue with Christians or argue with atheist nobody really gives a crap about other religions so when post like these come up people are completely insincere about it. Not to mention this isn't a serious religious topic it's an observation about religion on TV and movies which is what this forum actually is so it's not like I'm taking anybody's precious time up in an important forum where important topics of being discussed.

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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

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Post by Difflugia »

[Replying to PolytheistWitch in post #3]

Let's say for a moment that someone wants to accurately portray the Norse gods. What do you consider a source of accurate information? Is there anything that could be considered canonical?
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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

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Post by PolytheistWitch »

[Replying to Difflugia in post #4]

The Poetic and Prose Eddas and various sagas. Though heavily christianized due to the translation of Snorrison they are the main sources. Of course many scholars have started to try to piece through those documents in conjunction with archeology and other sources to find out what's been Christianized and what hasn't. But it would be a place to start. There have been several interpretations that I haven't found that bad the series from Norway called Ragnarok is pretty good and The Almighty Johnsons from New Zealand was cute.

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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #6

Post by Purple Knight »

PolytheistWitch wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 1:36 pmWhat is it about the Norse myths that people aren't making movies directly about them like they do with the Greek, Roman and Egyptian?
Is Marvel Thor really all we can ask for or expect?
I think that once you get something that successful and that corny you're going to put up a big obstacle to less corny versions of the same thing being a success.

However, and I know it's still silly, I think Stargate treated the Norse myths decently, despite going with the take that they were all aliens all along. This is actually an example of a universe that has the Norse myths be true and not necessarily any other myths be on the same level, since the other "gods" (such as the Egyptian ones) turned out to be evil parasites, while the Norse gods were helpful.

However I do think you're onto something about there being little representation in media for the Norse gods.

It might even be that because the general group that had these gods was so thoroughly subsumed by Christianity that movies about Jesus (that have him look very Caucasian, lol) gobbled up the representation in media that rightfully belonged to the likes of Thor and Odin.

...And maybe if Christianity keeps falling out of favour, the Norse gods may even get back some of their piece of that pie.

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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #7

Post by boatsnguitars »

PolytheistWitch wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 1:36 pm Perusing YouTube I came across some previews for movies involving Greek myths. It look like there was quite a bit of potential there for it to be a fairly decent movie but it had me wondering. Why is it that whenever a movie is done addressing the Norse/ Germanic gods that they are either one, a movie about Vikings where the gods are barely touched upon or two, a modern adapted take where the northern gods aren't the only gods that are characters? What is it about the Norse myths that people aren't making movies directly about them like they do with the Greek, Roman and Egyptian?
Is Marvel Thor really all we can ask for or expect?
I really bemoan the modern movies. There are so many great, true stories that ought to be told, but also, as you suggest, better treatments of known stories.

Where is Golgamesh? Dante's tales, Etc?

Beowulf and Grendel was pretty good, but it deal with the dragon, etc.

Where is the Odyessy and the Illiad? Where are all these tales that have lasted for millenia, that could be retold with great SFX?

I'm not talking about adaptations, just the real tale, told well.
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Re: The Norse myths need better treatment.

Post #8

Post by LittleNipper »

boatsnguitars wrote: Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:33 pm
PolytheistWitch wrote: Tue Jan 03, 2023 1:36 pm Perusing YouTube I came across some previews for movies involving Greek myths. It look like there was quite a bit of potential there for it to be a fairly decent movie but it had me wondering. Why is it that whenever a movie is done addressing the Norse/ Germanic gods that they are either one, a movie about Vikings where the gods are barely touched upon or two, a modern adapted take where the northern gods aren't the only gods that are characters? What is it about the Norse myths that people aren't making movies directly about them like they do with the Greek, Roman and Egyptian?
Is Marvel Thor really all we can ask for or expect?
I really bemoan the modern movies. There are so many great, true stories that ought to be told, but also, as you suggest, better treatments of known stories.

Where is Golgamesh? Dante's tales, Etc?

Beowulf and Grendel was pretty good, but it deal with the dragon, etc.

Where is the Odyessy and the Illiad? Where are all these tales that have lasted for millenia, that could be retold with great SFX?

I'm not talking about adaptations, just the real tale, told well.
Producers don't want to invest in a really good story, they want to make money. And actually Ulysses, Hercules, Jason and the Argonauts, The Siege of Troy, and Atlantis the Lost Continent --- have all been done.

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