Writer: Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell – Artist: Matt Horak – Letterer: Galen Showman – Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski – Cover Artist: David Mack
Norse Mythology II issue #2 tells us how the mead of poets was placed on a mountain, guarded by a giant, because the dwarves Fjalar and Galar were robbed of it.
Now, this is what Neil wants us to know about Nordic sagas: they favor the brave, the cunning, and wise above all things; are very scatological; and they have a twisted sense of humor.
These were not tales told to children, but to adults, and they often involved seduction, killings, lots of drunken boasts, and are on the whole (quite frankly) a bit centered on the macho gaze of the world.
In our last installment, we saw two cunning and cruel dwarves get punished by Suttung, the son of a giant, because they had murdered his parents.
Since they do not want to be murdered in return, they plead for their lives and offer him the mead of the gods, made with the blood of one of the gods’ wisest: Kvasir.
Suttung takes them up on this offer and heads home. The dwarves complain about it in the marketplace, and the ravens (who are always watching) immediately tell Odin.
Odin then charges the gods to build two gigantic vats and then marches to the land of the giants. First, he tries to gain the trust of Suttung′s brother, Bausi, and for that, he tricks his way into becoming his slave…
That is not all, because, as these things will, he then cheats his master, tricking Suttung′s daughter (by seducing her) and bringing the mead to Aesir disguised as an eagle…
They may be old, but there is still magic in these stories.
Norse Mythology II issue #2 was released July 14, 2021.
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: July 14, 2021
Format: FC, 32 pages; Ongoing
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00818 0 00221
Featured image by Matt Horak, all images belong to Dark Horse Comics
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