HomeFilmHow Does Norse Mythology Remain so Relevant?

How Does Norse Mythology Remain so Relevant?

Over the last twenty years, the Nordic Gods and the Nordic mythology in general have been at the peak of their popularity.

Gods like Thor and Odin and creatures like the Kraken, the trolls or Grendel feature in movies, series and video games.

Some say that they have become so popular because of Disney or because of video game developers like Santa Monica Studio, others because of the fact that the Nordic civilizations peaked much later than the Ancient Egyptians, the Ancient Greeks and the Romans, making it easier for modern society to find them more relevant, while others simply believe that Nordic mythology is extremely rich and this makes people naturally curious about it.

Nordic Mythology in Video Gaming

There are more than just a few examples of video games featuring mythical Nordic characters. Santa Monica Studios took a whole new turn in the story of God of War and moved Kratos from Ancient Greece to Scandinavia in order to revamp its product. GoW Ragnarƶk sold over 5 million copies during the first week of its release and it gave thousands of gamers one more reason to purchase a PlayStation 5. This Sony exclusive is breaking one sales record after another, making it one of the best investments in the gaming history of the Japanese tech giants.

Popular online casinos attract thousands of customers because of slot games such as Age of Gods: Norse King of Asgard, which is part of the broader range of Age of the Gods games. The Norse theme is a big hit wth casino players, who will also try out titles like Thunderstruck II, which is also built to appeal to fans of the gods and monsters of Asgard.

Last but not least, the success story of Ubisoft and of ‘Assassinā€™s Creed Valhalla’ showed the world how mythology-themed games are supposed to be developed. The French developer generated billions from the sales of AC Valhalla and the latest installment in the AC universe became one of the most-sold games in the history of gaming.

Nordic Gods on the Big Screen

Butterflies
Credit: Pixabay

It is no secret that Disney hit the jackpot with the acquisition of Marvel, as earning the right to produce features with characters like Thor, Loki, Captain America and many other superheroes has returned Disneyā€™s investment tenfold. These cinematic features have filled theatres all over the world and they have given Disney a lot of content, which the international conglomerate can offer exclusively on its subscription-based streaming service. Disney is not the only studio making billions from features with Nordic mythology characters. Universal has also generated several millions by distributing the rights of the movie ā€œThe Northmanā€ featuring actors such as Alexander SkarsgĆ„rd, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy and Ethan Hawke.  

Nordic Culture and Home Entertainment

The Nordic-themed cinematic features are great, but they are not the only televised product one can find when it comes to Nordic culture. Streaming services like Netflix, Disney and HBO have their share of series and movies, such as Vikings Valhalla, Loki, and the original ‘Vikings’. The first ‘Vikings’ series went on for several seasons, with every episode consistently having tens of millions of viewers. The recent ‘Vikings Valhalla’ has not become as popular yet, but its second season tops Netflixā€™s viewing list in multiple countries. As for ‘Loki’, everybody is waiting for the second season. Disney plans to release it during the summer of 2023.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of PiƱata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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