Norse Mythology

The gods of Norse mythology are contradictory. They are different from the image of a god I usually had in mind. Odin, the god who seeks to know everything yet in truth knows nothing, or knew nothing. Loki, who is a god and yet not a god, the one who will bring about the end of all the gods. Thor, said to be stronger than anyone, yet ignorant of how to use that strength. The many giants who are stronger than the gods, yet are forever slaughtered. Every one of these is an absurd tale. A mortal god, a god who is a god and yet not a god—how are we to make sense of this? Their stories are cruel and miserable, foolish and brave all at once. If there is a single reason these beings can still be called gods despite such contradictions, it is perhaps because they accept their mortal fate yet never cease their desperate resistance until the very last moment. For that is something an ordinary human could never do.

Neil Gaiman. 2019. Norse Mythology. Translated by Park Seon-ryeong. Namu-ui Cheolhak.