Norse Influence in Gaming

Odin as portrayed in the Final Fantasy series

Where can I begin? When it comes to the topic of Norse Mythology in video games, the list is huge, and to name all of the games that have some kind of Norse influence would take up far more room than I have available in a meager blog post.

Mainly, one could argue that video game characters are full of stereotypes, and in some games, especially games that contain a wide and varied cast, contain quite a few of these stereotypes. Japan have the Samurai and Ninja, Americans have cowboys among others, and the Norse have the Viking... and boy, does the gaming industry love its Vikings.

Blizzard entertainment, which has now become a household name because of the popularity of its World of Warcraft MMORPG, has their roots firmly planted in Norse mythology. Their very first published game, before World of Warcraft, Starcraft, or even Warcraft (The real time strategy game) was a side-scrolling platformer called The Lost Vikings. The gameplay involved leading a trio of vikings through a series of levels  safely. The characters from The Lost Vikings would later be referenced in a number of quests within World of Warcraft as an ode to the series. In later expansions to the World of Warcraft MMO, namely Wrath of the Lich King, a frozen tundra area was introduced which included many creatures and monsters from Norse mythology.

In Square-Enix's Valkyrie profile, the player takes control of Lenneth, whom many believe is supposed to represent the valkyrie Brynhildr. In the game, Lenneth is tasked by Odin to gather the souls of lost warriors to prepare for the upcoming battle of Ragnarok. In the Final Fantasy series, also by Square Enix, many weapons, locations, and ships are named after figures and weapons in Norse mythology as well. You can also summon Odin and other gods as guardians to assist you in battle.

In Vanillaware's Odin Sphere, a side-scrolling action RPG, you control multiple characters, each with their own storylines. One character is the valkyrie Gwendolyn, who serves Odin in the fight for Ragnarok (which the game refers to as Armageddon). Other characters, while not all Norse-related, still fight creatures from Norse mythology through the levels and fight their way through the guardians of the underworld, while valkyries and faeries wage war to control the land.

In the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Bethesda Softworks, Much of the game is based on Norse mythology and legend. Tomb Raider: Underworld's plotline is based on Norse myth, and protagonist Lara Croft is even able to obtain Mjolnir, the legendary hammer.

As noted in my last blog entry, the MMORPG Ragnarok Online, is heavily influenced by Norse mythology, including gods, creatures, weapons, locations, and pretty much everything else you could think of. A sequel to Ragnarok Online has been released in Korea for quite some time now, and rumors of it finally launching in the US have surfaced.

Many other games contain smaller references to the Norse mythos, such as the naming of characters or weapons. In Eve-Online, a space conquest MMORPG, many ships are named after Norse gods or mythological creatures. In the MOBA games League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, you can play as either a Viking or Valkyrie, respectively. In Shin Megami Tensei: Persona and its sequels, many Persona (the spirits that the protagonists have the ability to summon) are the embodiment of Norse gods and creatures of myth.

The Valkyrie Gwendolyn faces off against Odette

(the goddess Hel, ruler of Niffleheim) in Vanillaware's Odin Sphere
Odin Makes an appearance near the end.

Norse Mythology in Literature

It's easy to find Norse influence in movies, games, and even music, but what about literature? We've already talked about Thor in comics, which was a given, but what about more traditional forms of literature, like novels and poems?

This is where it gets a bit more tricky to spot the Norse influence, because it is not always readily apparent. Off the top of my head, I can't really think of any major series of novels that has a Nordic focus. Upon further research, however, I was proven completely wrong!

Douglas Adams for instance, of The Hitchhiker's Guide fame, seemed to be enamored with Norse mythology, and with Thor in particular. Thor appeared in Life, the Universe, and Everything and The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, the latter in which he also appeared with his father, Odin. Thor also reappears as a prominent character in the sixth book of The Hitchhiker's Guide novels.

In Northworld, a science fiction trilogy set in a militaristic setting, many Norse tales are retold. During the protagonist's travels upon Northworld, he encounters the gods of the land, including Captain North, who is the head of the pantheon, and retains similarities to Odin. In the novels, to be able to finish his tasks successfully, Hansen (the series' protagonist) must be transformed into a god to fulfill his duties. In this way, Hansen is likened to Thor.

Renowned author Neil Gaiman also seems to have a fetish for the Norse gods. Along with Odin and Thor, many other Norse mythological figures and creatures appear in American Gods. He would later write Odd and the Frost Giants, a book that loosely follows the events of the Gylfagginning, a Norse story told in verse by Icelandic Poet Snorri Sturluson in Prose Edda.

Some elements in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels are named from figures in Norse Mythology, such as the Granian horse and Fenrir Grayback. Other characters and plot elements have been speculated to have connections as well, but have not been officially confirmed. J.R.R. Tolkien had noted on many occasions that stories in his Middle Earth series, especially pertaining to deities, were influenced by the Norse pantheon. Since many high fantasy authors view Tolkien as a founding father of the fantasy genre, creatures such as goblins, trolls, and elves have become fantasy mainstays, all of which have Norse origins.

Rick Riordan, acclaimed author of the Percy Jackson series, has written about both Greek and Egyptian mythologies. In 2015, Riordan will begin to publish a yet-to-be-named new series which centers around Norse mythology.

In addition to seeing Thor on the pages of comic books in the US, a Korean comic (or manhwa, as they are called in Korea) named Ragnarok by Lee Myung-jin also contains many characters of Norse origin. While Thor does not have a prominent role in the series, gods such as Balder, Freya, and Loki appear very frequently. The main character of the series is named Chaos, a warrior who has no recollection that he is the reincarnation of the God Balder, and is sought out by multiple parties, including Fenris Fenrir, in order to bring about Ragnarok. The Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game named Ragnarok Online was based upon this Korean series.

Thor: The God of Thunder

With the popularity of the recent Avengers movie and anticipation of his upcoming sequel, "The Dark World", it is undeniable that the majority of popularity regarding Norse mythology in modern times is due largely in part to Thor, the god of thunder. As known to many of us by now, the first Thor movie as well as the Avengers movie are based on stories written in the Marvel Universe, which in turn is loosely based on Thor's mythology within the Norse Pantheon.

Marvel's take on Thor was the most widely publicized out of all of his iterations, and because of this, in present day, it is hard to think of the god without recalling an image of the Marvel character as an afterthought. Marvel's incarnation of Thor was first published in 1962 by comic book legend Stan Lee, along with fellow legends Larry Leiber and artist Jack Kirby. He would first appear in Journey into Mystery #83 with multiple stories to follow, until the book would be eventually re-titled The Mighty Thor beginning with issue #126 in 1966.

Marvel's Thor, while heavily characterized, retained many aspects from his mythological origins. Thor's hammer Mjolnir, for instance, stays mostly true to mythology. When Thor throws his hammer it never misses, and always returns to his hand when called. Odin is also true to mythology, being Thor's father and the ruler of Asgard. Loki, on the other hand, differs somewhat regarding his original lore. In myth, Loki is the offspring of two Ice Giants, and used trickery upon Odin to gain his place as the God of Mischief. In the movies, Loki is instead introduced as Thor's half-brother.

In the years to follow, Marvel would have Thor join the Avengers and participate in many spin-off and cross-over publications. Thor would also star in television, animated films, and video games. It was not until almost 50 years later however, that a full-featured film would be created with Marvel's vision of the character. In 2010, Thor the movie was released, received mostly positive reviews, and would become the third highest grossing film in the Marvel cinematic universe.

Thor is portrayed by actor Chris Hemsworth in both Thor and the Avengers. Thor 2: The Dark World, a sequel to the original Thor, is due to release in 2013. You can view the official trailer for the film below:

Norse Mythology in Popular Culture

The Valkyie Gwendolyn, from the game Odin Sphere

As members of the human race, divine mythology has played a significant part in our daily lives over the centuries. No matter what race, creed, or ethnicity you call your own, religion is an integral part of our culture, whether you choose to believe in it or not. It is very understandable then, that such a big part of our culture has found multiple outlets over the years to display meaning, reverence, and even entertainment. We have seen movies about the Greek pantheon and books and visual novels about the coming of Jesus Christ, among others. However, perhaps one divine mythology stands out among the rest. It might not be the most apparent, but it is definitely the most subconsciously familiar, despite which culture you hail from. In this way, it is Norse mythology that has spread its influence over multiple genres, and as a result, many of us know at least several tidbits of Norse history because of how widespread its influence. Movies, comics, video games, television; it is a challenge to find an area in the realm of entertainment that the Norse has not lent influence to in some fashion.

To those who are skeptic, believing that the Norse pantheon are definitely notable but in no way superior in familiarity to other well-known pantheons such as the Greek, I would agree with you up to a point, and the point is this: While more prominent mythologies are popular in consideration to nationality and locale, the Norse mythology has taken root and influenced cultures of varying countries all over the world. No other mythology has been cited in so many multi-cultural formats and mediums, including Movies in the Americas to comics and video games from Japan and Korea. As a matter of fact, if you are a human being born anywhere on the planet earth, chances are you have encountered elements of Norse mythology in varying formats throughout your life, and you may not have even realized it, unless you were previously exposed to its lore.

What makes Norse mythology so interesting? Why do many artists, writers, and musicians dip often into the well of the Nordic Pantheon to accentuate, or even center their talents upon? It is difficult to pinpoint an exact answer, but the sheer amount of published material that borrows from this mythology is proof enough that it intrigues us as a people. The best that we can do is unearth these works and celebrate them, while at the same time, scrutinize them in order to understand why they are so fascinating... and to that end, this blog begins!

Welcome to Norse Pop

Welcome to Norse Pop, a blog dedicated to the discovery and celebration of the connections between Norse Mythology and popular culture. Please feel free to join in and discuss the intricacies of the Norse pantheon and the influence it has placed upon multiple occurrences of our daily lives.