Ragnarök arises on Netflix.


Gathering from online reviews, previews, and our personal powers of speculation, the Nordic Netflix show Ragnarok harnesses elements from the reincarnation & self-discovery of the children's book series The Blackwell Pages and the New Zealand TV cult favourite The Almighty Johnsons of gods into mortals, and partly the contemporary fantasy of American Gods and tabletop RPG Scion, into what seems to be a teen fantasy drama.

Headed by Danish writer Adam Price (of the successful Danish political series Borgen) and Danish editor-turned-debut-director Mogens Hagedorn, the show's set in the pointedly named town of Edda (actually shot in Odda, Norway). The description colour text:
"In a Norwegian town poisoned by pollution and rattled by melting glaciers, the End Times feel all too real. It’ll take a legend to battle an old evil."

 So it appears literal & figurative corporate giants are intentionally ruining the environment in order to bring on their wanted Ragnarok. This sounds like a heavy-handed delivery in the eco-message department on the face of it, but we hope if more gingerly scripted into the jötnar faction's motivations it could work.

Also this first season was so well received that the enthusiastic audience reaction prompted Netflix to approve a second season a neck-breaking five weeks later, which is a record for them and a comment on the cultural desire for more NorsePlay. Any of you watch this? If so, what say you?

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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.

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