1. Talk about each of the
primary gods: Odin, Thor, and Loki. Consider their passions, humor,
conflicts, bravery, and flaws. Which god do you find most interesting,
admirable, cruel, weird, cool? Consider also Odin's wife,Freya, and his
son, Balder, as well as Tyr, the one-handed god.
2. Which of the stories do you find most engaging or funny? Are any of
the stories instructive or especially tragic? What larger meanings, if
any, might the stories offer?
3. What is the role of mythology in culture? Why have all civilizations
created their stories: what do myths signify? What do the Norse myths,
in particular, say about the Germanic/Norse cultures…and their view of
humankind.
4. Follow-up to Questions #3: Does mythology, particularly Neil
Gaiman's volume have relevance today? Are they universal cautionary
tales? Do they offer age-old wisdom? Or are they primarily for
entertaining?
5. What other mythologies are you familiar with: perhaps Ancient Greek,
African, Hindi, Native American, Sumerian? How do the Norse myths
compare—are there similarities with any other group of myths that you
are familiar with?
6. In Norse mythology all roads lead to Ragnarok (also known as
Gotterdammerung for Wagner opera buffs). How did they get there? Is the
cataclysmic end inevitable—is it dictated by fate or by the innate
nature of the gods?
* Some questions from
LitLovers.com