Subliminal Norse Mythologies In American Gods

There are many subliminal Norse mythologies mixed within in American Gods. In the end Wednesday who is actually Odin (the supreme Norse god), turns out to be playing the ancient and modern gods.The motives of this story are comparable to a story in which Odin orders a goddess to begin a strife among two vassals so that the blood spilled upon the battlefield to have the blood spilled be dedicated to him (Cotterell 217). Another instance, that referenced in a roundabout way from Norse Mythology is when Mr. World(Loki), says on page 525.”When this is all done with I guess, I will sharpen a stick of mistletoe and go down to the ash tree and ram it through his eye.” That quote is linked to the myth of Balder, who in Norse mythology is the god of innocence, although in the end Shadow doesn’t die, Balder does, by being stabbed with a mistletoe (Cotterell ).

In the meeting of the gods in the merrygoround at The House on the Rock, most of the gods take their form that they associated with, like the African spider god Anansi, who was turned into a spider by his father for being a trickster (Anansi). The physical characteristics of Wednesday match with the physical characteristics of the Norse God Odin. In Norse mythology, Odin is portrayed as an old man with an eye missing, which is what Mr. Wednesday is portrayed as. One of the most well known of the Norse gods is loki, who is known as a trickster, in Norse mythology Loki tricked into having balder murdered with mistletoe, which was the only thing that could harm him (Cottrell 184-185). In American Gods, Loki who was Shadow’s prison cellmate is imprisoned for being a conman, alas another instance in which Loki is a trickster was when he was colluding with Odin to gain powers from the chaos of the battle between the ancient and modern gods. Shadow is the main protagonist in American Gods who represents innocence and honesty in the