Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman | BBC Radio 4 | Dramatised Audiobook | Review

Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman | BBC Radio 4 | Dramatised Audiobook | Review

• Friday, 25 January 2019

Image from BBC

“Of course it was Loki. It's always Loki.” 

I've seen enough Marvel films to know at least a little about Norse mythology, and I managed to briefly have a look at it in my high school and university years. But I have yet to read a book about the myths of Scandinavia, despite having ancestors from Norway. I've been meaning to pick up Norse Mythology the book ever since it came out, but alas, so many books to read, it just hasn't happened yet.

This past week I was scrolling through Twitter, as one does, and I saw a tweet from Neil Gaiman about a BBC Radio 4 Dramatised version of Norse Mythology which was available online until today (you could follow up with that and see if it's still available...). I saw it was only 1.5 hours long, and thought it was the perfect way to use up some time. While the buffering was infuriating (probably my internet, and not the BBC website), I really did enjoyed this dramatised version.

The story of the Norse gods are told throughout the 1.5 hours by a woman who comes to the bedside of Magnus, a 7-year-old boy in hospital. She tells him the stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya, the giants, the fairies, the 9 realms, and when she stops narrating, the characters themselves take over (hence 'dramatised') and really make it a joy to listen to. The stories are short and snappy, and I suspect they're much more drawn out in the book version. They give you a real snap-shot of what I'm sure are a brilliant retelling of Norse mythology.

The dramatised version has a great cast of actors in it, too, including Diana Rigg, Derek Jacobi, Natalie Dormer, Colin Morgan and Nathaniel Martello-White.

If you're into your mythology, love a bit of god-related drama, or want to learn a little more about where your favourite Marvel characters fit in the greater Norse mythology world, have a listen (I've found you can get it on Amazon) and let me know what you think!

If you're read the book, did you enjoy it?