NORSE MYTHS THAT SHAPE THE WAY WE THINK : CAROLYNE LARRINGTON

The heroes and villains of Norse mythology have endured for centuries, infiltrating art, opera, film, television and books, shape-shifting – like the trickster Loki – to suit the cultures that encountered them. Through careful analysis of the literature and archaeology of the Norse world, Carolyne Larrington takes us deep into the realm described in the Icelandic sagas, from the gloomy halls of Hel to the dazzling heights of Asgard. She expertly examines the myths’ many modern-day reimaginings, revealing the guises that have been worn by the figures of Norse myth, including Marvel’s muscled, golden-haired Thor and George R.R Martin’s White Walkers, who march inexorably southwards, bringing their eternal winter with them.  

Carolyne Larrington is Professor of Medieval European Literature at the University of Oxford and an expert on Old Norse mythology, legends and sagas. She is the author of The Norse Myths: A Guide to Viking and Scandinavian Gods and Heroes as well as popular books on Game of Thrones (Winter is Coming and All Men Must Die) and The Land of the Green Man on folklore and place in the British Isles.