Odin and Friends

Odin and Friends is back online! The site was recently hacked either by humans or robots, so Saturday morning was spent scanning Word Press tables for malicious code. But anyway, things seem to be working for the moment (get it while you can, folks), and above is Thursday’s missing toon. Commentary below:

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The difference between gods and humans is an intriguing aspect of Norse mythology. The Gods can (and shall) die, just as all of us humans will eventually pass away. Then there are those badass humans who have been “promoted” from Midgard to Asgard to fight side-by-side with the gods in the Big One. Also, most the Gods, other than being pretty fantastic “base model” entities to start off with (I’m assuming Freyja was a pretty hot teenager), seem to get the bulk of their powers from magic they have learned or some other action taken on their part — e.g. Odin gains his wisdom through a deliberate act of self-sacrifice. I’m not arguing that Norse gods and humans are the same thing (far from it!), but there are some intriguing similarities and relationships that don’t exist in other religions.

I suppose there is some inspiration to be taken from the life cycle of the Gods. Nothing comes easy in this world, not even for the Gods, and nothing lasts forever either. But in your short time, you can rise from the muck, trade your eyeball for wisdom, earn glory (and treasure) on the battlefield (real or metaphorical), acquire magical skills, seek the mead of poetry, and perhaps be rewarded with a seat at Odin’s table. And when your time comes, know that the gods are pleased with you when the fire giants rise from hell and you bravely stand your ground and accept that skull splitting axe blow between your mortal ears. Hey, if you’re looking for peaceful ending, seek Nirvana instead of Valhalla!