Jotuns

9 years ago #9438323          

This is actualy the main reason I got problems with the Thor movies.... What the heck caused the them to translate Jotuns as ''Ice Gigants''?? I dosen't make sense! I mean, it's not like you need any extensive research to find this information, just use google or something!
And I know that I shoulden't react so strongly to it, (after all, it IS America..) but it's my own history, for goodness sake! And it annoys me that they can't get it right..

9 years ago #9439921          

@DaugtherOfTheSea Tell me about it. I grew up with the Danish Valhalla comics so I'm ticked off as it is about Thor being interpreted as a some Shakespeare-mouthed blond twink in Marvel's interpretation. There's being loose on the interpretation and then there's "why the heck are you even trying to link that to Norse mythology??"

9 years ago #9441320          

@Aryllia In the Marvel comic/movie continuity, Thor and his people are a race of aliens whose technology is so advanced that it's indistinguishable from magic or that they use magic/technology combination. In the SHIELD show, it's showed that the norse mythology is based on stories told by an asgardian left behind in Ancient Scandinavia. I don't know where the Marvel Thor creator get the notion that Thor should be blonde.

9 years ago #9452016          

@DaugtherOfTheSea Hell, I'M pissed at the Marvel interpretation, and I was born on another continent entirely. There are so many different myths and interesting stories in Norse lore, and it's a shame that they feel the need to "americanize" it (read: change every single thing except the Aesir names).

9 years ago #9455636          

@Darkwyng I agree, but then agein... it is 'Merica... If they get their hands on something, they apperently have to make it ''better''. One would think that they'd have learned by now that not all things can be americanizen

8 years ago #9644474          

@DaugtherOfTheSea dude if your this upset about the marvel stuff don't get into dan machi! For one in that series Loki's a chick....

9 years ago #9478658          

I've always wondered about this, were the Jotuns really symbols of chaos and nature? Or is this some sort of modern construction to add philosophy to the germanic religion?

In "primitive" religions (or rather, uncomplicated) the Gods are the powerful beings running the world, you sacrifice to them to get boons and avoid trouble. There's no metaphor for the conflict between humans and nature.

Once again, is this something actually based in old norse beliefs or something made up in modern times?

7 years ago #9767752          

Best explanation for Jotuns ever!

9 years ago #9440869          

Yay learning things!

9 years ago #9437345          

You got Skadi up there! But that's the only one I can pick out of the group up there. Too bad a lot of the stories don't include descriptions of the Jotun in the English translations I read. In fact the book I have calls them "giants" and it irks me, since they still refer to the other gods as Aesir and Vanir.

9 years ago #9436985          

I wouldn't call them a race... Odin is also kinda a jotun, so the Aesir are not really a separate race. But otherwise nice explanation, since most people don't get what the nature of the jotuns are and think they are giants.
Can't remember that the Elder Edda says that it is because of Ymir that they fight against the Aesir, so I am wondering what your source is.

9 years ago #9436640          

Heh, the first three paragraphs (chaos and nature... things you cannot control) made me think I might be Jotun-gendered (which has occurred to me before). But once we get to passivity, I sort of stop identifying...
Anyway, I always love hearing more about Norse gods! But I keep wondering: I've read the Eddas and several Sagas, as well as analyses of Norse myth and culture, but you seem to know lots of stuff that I've not encountered ... Can you direct me toward something to read to fill in the gaps in my knowledge?

9 years ago #9436051          

Interesting

9 years ago #9435896          

This is great, I love it! But I was wondering, what font is it that you always use on here? o3o