this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 20 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (3 children)

As a Dane, I have had many a non Scandinavian try and educate me on Norse mythology too and their knowledge is based on those godawful Marvel movies and comics.

They usually get very confused when they learn that Thor and Loki aren't brothers. That Loki and Odin are the ones who are blood brothers. It's like it doesn't compute in their heads. And for those who don't know, blood brothers in old scandinavian culture was two men slicing their hands and clasping their wounded hands together to mix blood. That was a way to forge an alliance and an oath of loyalty as strong as if you came out of the same womb. I'm pretty sure it was still practiced in more recent times as well. Probably died out when AIDS became the big scary thing, but I dunno. I just have vague memories of older people telling me about doing the blood oath when they were young.

In any case, it is just super fun to have your culture reduced to a cringe American comic book where Thor looks nothing like Thor and Valhalla looks like ass and literally none of the gods look right according to their descriptions in mythology. Couldn't even give Sif her golden hair, could they?

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 3 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

Norse Mythology is absolutely sick.

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 2 points 1 hour ago

It has its moments for sure. I still don't know what mythology is more crazy, Norse or Greek. Probably Greek.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

At least there's Age of Mythology, no?

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 2 points 48 minutes ago

Had to look it up as I don't really play video games. Based purely on the designs I saw of Odin and Thor, I'm not particularly thrilled about that one either. Maybe the games themselves are super faithful to Norse mythology and the designs are just an oopsie. I dunno.

Generally it seems like Americans interpret Norse Mythology in a very materialistic way. It is always to polished and over the top when they depict Norse gods. To most Scandinavians, Norse mythology and folklore too, is completely and utterly intertwined with nature. It is gnarled, ugly and brutal as well as delicate, beautiful and poetic.

Odin can be a bombastic god adorned in armor and riding Sleipner into battle, sure. But most depictions of him in Scandinavia is the unassuming cloaked stranger with the staff and the hat or hood.

And that is kind of how most gods and jotuns are for us. Everyday people with everyday problems that are just a bit more extraordinary than ours. It is easier to relate to and it is more authentic. I haven't yet seen an American depiction of Norse mythology or culture that isn't just complete and utter nonsense that only cares about looking cool. I think one of the best depictions of Norse mythology, culture and folklore are the ones done by Erik Hjorth Nielsen. That man gets it. Probably because it is his culture too. Had to look it up as I don't really play video games. Based purely on the designs I saw of Odin and Thor, I'm not particularly thrilled about that one either. Maybe the games themselves are super faithful to Norse mythology and the designs are just an oopsie. I dunno.

Generally it seems like Americans interpret Norse Mythology in a very materialistic way. It is always to polished and over the top when they depict Norse gods. To most Scandinavians, Norse mythology and folklore too, is completely and utterly intertwined with nature. It is gnarled, ugly and brutal as well as delicate, beautiful and poetic.

Odin can be a bombastic god adorned in armor and riding Sleipner into battle, sure. But most depictions of him in Scandinavia is the unassuming cloaked stranger with the staff and the hat or hood.

And that is kind of how most gods and jotuns are for us. Everyday people with everyday problems that are just a bit more extraordinary than ours. It is easier to relate to and it is more authentic. I haven't yet seen an American depiction of Norse mythology or culture that isn't just complete and utter nonsense that only cares about looking cool. I think one of the best depictions of Norse mythology, culture and folklore are the ones done by Erik Hjorth Nielsen. That man gets it. Probably because it is his culture too.

[–] Abnorc@lemm.ee 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I am a bit surprised that the MCU is that far off. I thought they’d have a little more respect for the source material.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 6 points 5 hours ago

Add the '/s' because it's 2025 and sarcasm is dying.

[–] dellish@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

I have to ask: wasn't Hercules Roman? I thought the Greek equivalent was Heracles. Thus Hercules is actually the son of Jupiter, no?

[–] festnt@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 hours ago

no heracles is that beetle pokemon

[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

The average person thinks Heracles is a mispronounciation of Hercules

[–] dellish@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Just had a chance to look it up and yes, Heracles is the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and Hercules is the son of Jupiter and Alcmena. So Disney was wrong too as it turns out, and the Xitter OP should have known better.

[–] galanthus@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Well, if you are in a greek setting and are using the greek names for every other character, it makes more sense to use the greek name, but Hercules is just a latin adaptation of Heracles, so no big deal I suppose.

Jupiter and Zeus are the same god. Jupiter is latin, Zeus is greek.

[–] festnt@sh.itjust.works -4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

hercules is the greek hero, and heracles is that beetle pokemon

[–] Famko@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

I can't tell if you're trolling or not, but that's a nice joke if you are.

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 23 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

It actually would be easier to list all the children Zeus didn't have

I'll start:

  • Geryon
  • Pegasus
  • Bellerophon
[–] Hupf@feddit.org 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org 3 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Now list the people who aren't related to Genghis

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 19 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] festnt@sh.itjust.works 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)
[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 1 points 2 hours ago

"Just you wait 'til I do some time traveling shenanigans!" - Zeus

[–] anarchiddy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 91 points 1 day ago (5 children)

My favorite moment as a camp counselor for twice exceptional kids was when an autistic camper got into an argument with another counselor about the historical/mythological accuracy of this movie (camper insisted it was a terrible movie in mythological terms), and eventually the counselor got frustrated and said "fine, go write me a paper on it" and the camper went off to bed

About an hour later the kid pops his head out his door and asked how long he wanted the paper.

The same kid ended up eating a laundry pod later that summer.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 3 points 2 hours ago

I dub that kid Anakin in Mustafar, the counselor clearly underestimated his power 🤣

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[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 32 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

ah, the American education system...

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 3 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

There is no such thing as 'the American educational system.'

Each state makes its own rules, and each town has its own board of education. One place may decide to spend $5 million building a football stadium and not spend anything on new books; the town next door might have college level labs.

I attended a top 100 public high school in America, where we were taught Greek and Roman mythology. The problem wasn’t that the subject wasn’t offered, it was that a sizable portion of students weren’t paying attention. Even among those who did, few retained the knowledge beyond the next exam. The real issue with American education isn’t just what’s being taught but how it’s being taught. Subjects aren’t presented in a way that truly engages students or encourages long-term retention.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

And collectively, that's the American system

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 2 points 4 hours ago

Suns and sunflowers are exactly the same because they are both made of atoms, right?

I'll add that this is a sarcastic response.

[–] festnt@sh.itjust.works 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

the only real things are in disney movies. anything that's not in a disney movie is not real

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 5 points 7 hours ago

I get a similar tick when some people claim that The Little Mermaid takes place in Denmark because it was written by HC Andersen. No, it literally doesn't. We don't have palm trees and mountains like the ones in the movie. And even in the original fairytale from the 1800s, it is very heavily implied that the prince lives in a fairytale country that borrows from the Mediterranean, Middle East and India. Even in the original illustrations for the story, there are palm trees and a arab looking palace in the background of one of the illustrations.

HC wanted to put the reader in the mermaids place. Give them the same longing for another world that she had. If he had set thr story in Copenhagen it wouldn't have captured the imagination of 1800s Dane the same way. He managed to make these gorgeous descriptions of the strange and beautiful country the prince is from. There is a reason why Edmund Dulac designed the prince the way he did in his illustration work for the story in the early 1900s.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 45 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Zeus is a shapeshifter, you can never be certain someone isn't his son.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 14 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Well. They might be his daughter

[–] ziggurat@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Like Melinoë

Anyone know if hades ever knew Zeus was her real father?

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Does it matter? Hades would take care of her regardless, he is the responsible Olympian.

[–] ziggurat@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

You are right, again it's Disney who made did a character assassination of Hades.

I want to comment that James Woods did an impeccable performance, I don't think he would fit if Hades was portrayed differently, but as he was there.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 1 points 29 minutes ago

If you want a good depiction of Hades, Kaos is fantastic. Great depiction of Zeus too, fuckin asshole that he is

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 hours ago

Disney wasn't the first, similar to Loki Christians in the 1800s needed a devil figure and the Lord of the underworld was a perfect step in. Christian interpretations of non Christian mythology in the 1800s is wild due to the amount of bias they tended to have. A good example is comparing modern Norse neo pagans to Viking leagues of the early 1900s which are still steeped in that analysis.

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