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@sam-vimes-boots-theory
Hey everyone, so this is actually the side blog to a tumblr I never used and I'm just. Extremely annoyed that I can't make it my primary. So I'm switching over to a new account, samvimesbootstheory (as opposed to sam-vimes-boots-theory) where I'll post from now on. If you're interested in whatever the hell kind of posts I make you can check it out over there!
Norse fatalism vs Loki
In the introduction to Kevin Crossley-Holland’s translation of the Norse Myths, there’s a really interesting paragraph describing the mindset of the ancient Norsemen. Crossley-Holland quotes a stanza from Hávamál, a poem from the Codex Regius (basically the Norse version of the Biblical book of Proverbs, a list of wisdom and advice for how to live life). It says, in this stanza, ‘Cattle die, kinsmen die, I myself shall die; but there is one thing I know that never dies: the reputation we leave behind at our death.’ Crossley-Holland goes on to explain how the Norse believed that, though their fates were woven by the Norns and could not be changed, they could decide how they lived their lives, and that this was of great importance to them. Striving for heroism and fame that would live on after their death was their only chance at some form of immortality. Crossley-Holland points out how there is this kind of fatalism and inevitability in many of the myths, including and especially in the idea of Ragnarok, the inescapable shadow that looms over even the happier endings. In “Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes”, Edith Hamilton reiterates this point: “The only sustaining support possible for the human spirit...is heroism; and heroism depends on lost causes. The hero can prove what he is only by dying. The power of good is shown not by triumphantly conquering evil, but by continuing to resist evil while facing certain defeat.” She goes on to say that heroic death was “not a defeat, but a triumph”. So, we have a fatalistic culture that values resisting the inevitable, even while knowing resistance is futile. And then we have Loki. Loki is a trickster and a schemer and, eventually, a symbol of evil. He’s not meant to be sympathetic: back when these myths were first told, Loki’s gender-fluidity and sexual exploits would have been regarded with “distaste, rather than amusement” by listeners. He’s described as being good-looking but evil, cunning and capricious. He’s a slippery fellow: he’s a shapeshifter who doesn’t obey the confines of gender or even of species; he is the son of a giant but brother of a god. Sometimes he is simply mischievous, like when he cuts Sif’s hair; other times, like when he helps cause Balder’s death and prevents him from returning from Hel, he’s a lot darker and edging towards evil. (I personally think he’s fascinating and complex and there’s plenty of good stuff to analyze there, but I also think at the end of the day he was not really meant to be a sympathetic character). Loki doesn’t face things head on. Loki’s main schtick is getting out of stuff: he talks the dwarves out of taking his head and gets away with his mouth being sewn shut; he gets the other gods out of sticky situations multiple times, such as when he turns into a mare to distract Svadilfari; at the end of the world, he will escape his bonds to join in the chaos and destruction of Ragnarok. He literally turns into a fish to try to evade consequences by physically wriggling out of Thor’s grip. I don’t have a revelation here, really, it’s just interesting, on deeper reflection, to see how Loki’s very character is set in juxtaposition to the fatalistic, heroic Norse ideal: Loki evades rather than resists. It could be argued that evasion is a type of resistance, I suppose, but I don’t think that really holds up in this context. (Disclaimer: My musings are just that, musings, and I’m not making any claim that they’re true or correct or what the original writers and storytellers intended. I’m also speaking of the myths as literature; I know there are pagans and Loki is sometimes an important figure to them. I’m just talking about his representation as a character in the myths).
black and asian vikings 100% definitely existed (also, saami vikings)
you know how far you can get into eurasia and africa by sailing up rivers from the baltic and mediterranean seas? pretty fucking far, and that’s what vikings liked to do to trade
then, you know, people are people, so love happens, business happens, and so ppl get married and take spouses back home to the frozen hellscape that is scandinavia (upon which i’m guessing the horrorstruck new spouses went “WHAT THE FUCK??? FUCKING GIVE ME YOUR JACKET???????”)
and sometimes vikings bought thralls and brought them home as well, and i mean, when your indentured service is up after however many years and you’re a free person again, maaaaaaaaaaaaybe it’s a bit hard to get all the way home across the continent, so you make the best out of the situation and you probably get married and raise a gaggle kids
so yeah
viking kingdoms/communities were not uniformly pure white aryan fantasy paradises, so pls stop using my cultural history and ethnic background to excuse your racist discomfort with black ppl playing heimdall and valkyrie
Also we KNOW they got to Asia and Africa.
Why?
Because Asians, Africans, and Vikings TOLD US SO.
Also, we know there was significant mercantile trade between Scandinavia and parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Northern India, Kashmir, North and Eastern Africa because there is evidence in burial sites.
Check that out: the goods Vikings and Scandinavians were getting from their trade with the rest of the world was so important they buried themselves with it, as part of their treasure hordes.
We KNOW this.
There’s a reason you can still see many of the trade routes from the ancient world etched into the very earth.
Plus, we know that some Scandinavian cultures that participated in Viking raids had established minority communities of ethnically Mongolian folks living among them during the periods when such raids were common, and it’s difficult to credit that none of them would have signed on.
Islamic Ring in Viking Grave
Vikings in Persia
Black Vikings
Vikings in North Africa
Buddha statue in Viking hoard
Vikings brought Native American woman to Europe
Unflattering texts in Arabic about Vikings
Original text by Ahmad ibn-Fadlan
More about the Islamic World and Vikings (some Vikings converted to Islam! sort of sketchy site tho)
Viking technology came from Afghanistan
More on trade route determination via metallurgy
… is that enough? :)
Yet another on the pile of reasons why it monumentally honks me off when pusillanimous, pseudointellectual white supremacist scum try to use Scandinavian culture as a crutch for their arguments and act like Norse mythology agrees with their biases. No it fucking doesn’t, bitch. Odin would personally kick you in the dick for being a witless coward and then send your ass to the Realm of the Dishonored Dead.
I don’t usually reblog stuff, but this thread makes me so happy. See, I love the Viking aesthetic – I love the fusion of organic and geometric in its designs, I love the natural colors, the complexity of textures you get from juxtaposing metal/leather/cloth/fur–
–and I hate how the entire subculture has been so thoroughly co-opted by white supremacists. To the point where I, a person who likes viking stuff, am deeply and immediately suspect of anyone else who likes viking stuff, guilty until proven innocent, cuz that’s what the odds are these days.
Anyway.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone can be a viking, and thus I am so, so pleased to find that the historical record backs me up.
(And amused that Arab intellectual Ahmad ibn Fadlan was so thirsty for vikings.)
This
This
This
THIS
Freya, Ludwig Pietsch, 1865
If you're not riding in a chariot pulled by cats what's even the point
For the love of gods someone please get Loki a fidget spinner
Óðinn: We shall bind him to a rock with a viper atop him dripping poison onto his face!
Þor, holding one of those ball on string cuppy thingies: I dunno da, i ken thistle be more effekive
I accept Thor's Scottish accent as canon, I have no idea where it came from but neither does anyone else. It's just Thor being Thor and all the other gods accept it because he's too dumb to argue with, also he has a big hammer and a temper.
Red-haired heavy-drinking temperamental Scottish accent Thor tormenting Loki with stim toys is canon now, sorry Snorri Sturluson.
For the love of gods someone please get Loki a fidget spinner
You know what nevermind he'd just weaponize it and cause even more trouble
"An axe age, a sword-age, shields will be gashed: there will be a wind-age and a wolf-age and a fidget-spinner age before the world is wrecked."
-Myth 32: Ragnarok
For the love of gods someone please get Loki a fidget spinner
99% of all murders committed by women in ancient greek plays are completely justified
Clytemnestra: crack? Is it crack you smoke?
Okay so, last week I had some questions about Heimdall and some other stuff in Norse mythology, and I figured I'd find some videos to watch while I did the dishes -- something other than Overly Sarcastic Productions (because I've seen all of the ones they've done on Norse mythology and I love them but I wanted to hear something new). This guy, Jackson Crawford, shows up at the top of the list and I'm like.
That's a cowboy.
A cowboy professor.
And like not that you can't be a cowboy and have a PhD but it was just -- you know, when you look up this kind of stuff you think you're gonna get PowerPoint lectures with crappy audio or "dark academia" aesthetics and nope there's just this cowboy professor with a voice like melted dark chocolate drizzled over salted toffee (I'm a lesbian but I can appreciate a guy's dark-chocolate-and-toffee voice) who tips his hat at the end of his videos and wishes you all the best from beautiful Montana.
AND HIS VIDEOS ARE REALLY GOOD like this is his specialty, he knows his stuff and he's so invested that it draws you in, he talks to you and sometimes takes the time to speculate on ideas that aren't necessarily true but that he's had Thoughts about and it's just. It's my new favourite thing. Go check him out because he's great.
Also he speaks!! Old Norse!!! Like he will read the myths or poetry in the original before the English and you get to hear what it would have sounded like (or as close as we can get) and it's just.
It's so good.
Lonch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In today's myth ("The Necklace of the Brisings"):
Freyja is a cat lady confirmed (same tho)
Loki is bored so shit is going to go down
For fuck's sake Loki let a woman go jewelry shopping alone
Freyja has corvid-brain, confirmed (same tho)
Freyja has a boner for gold, the dwarves have boners for Freyja. A compromise is made.
Loki is a snitch
Loki is a rogue
Loki has Expertise and rolls a Nat20 for stealth
Odin slut-shames Freyja. I mean she did cheat on him but he seems more worried about the fact that it was dwarves and that she "sold herself". Bitch Heimdall slept with grannies while their husbands were in bed next to them and no one gave a shit about that
Freyja gives no shits
Freyja is willing to cause an eternal war between human kings for her necklace
That's literally it the story ends with her being like "Yeah sure I'll pit forty-two kings against each other and raise them from the dead eternally so they can keep causing this unending bloodbath but first gimme back my shiny"
I mean. Fair.
Loki insisted that Svaldilfari be allowed to help the mason build the wall around Asgard because he wanted a piece of that fine equine ass, don't try to change my mind because it's already made up.
Loki: [sees Svaldilfari]
Svaldilfari:
Odin: Loki you've got to stop the wall from being built this is all your fault
Loki: My body is ready.
Loki, returning to Asgard months later with Sleipnir: This is my son. His name is Slippers.
Loki insisted that Svaldilfari be allowed to help the mason build the wall around Asgard because he wanted a piece of that fine equine ass, don't try to change my mind because it's already made up.
Loki: [sees Svaldilfari]
Svaldilfari:
Odin: Loki you've got to stop the wall from being built this is all your fault
Loki: My body is ready.
"Odin said: 'I hung from that windswept tree, hung there for nine long nights; I was pierced with a spear; I was an offering to Odin, myself to myself.' "
I've always enjoyed mythology, and the Kevin Crossley-Holland book of Norse myths is a real treat. The descriptions and dialogue are lively and vivid and tangible, and the introduction and notes are thorough and give so much perspective and depth to the stories. As a modern reader of old or ancient works, understanding the context of what you're reading is so important and always makes it vastly more enjoyable.
Also: as someone who absolutely loved American Gods, it's really fun to return to Norse mythology and read about Odin (or Wednesday, hehehe).
Tag yourself I'm The Bookworm and The Book Collector
Not to be dark but why read dystopias when you could just watch the news
Someone: Does magic
Gilbert Norrell:
