the word rap is actually Scandinavian. tru dat!

We're using this sweet Lego animated video to point out that the diss (short for disrespecting) in hip-hop is a modern-day parallel of Flyting, the poetic trading of insults, which is present in Norse Mythology's Lokasenna & Hárbarðsljóð, so the idea of Thor successfully rekking Zeus with his mad thunder rhymes is pretty on the mark. Go Thor, go Thor, go, go!

And though the word "rap" itself is Scandinavian in origin, the African roots of The Dozens, an insult contest played in the evening that eventually led to rap battles, is not directly related to flyting, but just happens to be an incidental cultural match that also celebrates verbal deftness and one-upsmanship.

[From ERB, directed by Forrest Whaley.]

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.