Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen

 "That was it. The Gods had appeared under the Bad Tree That Wouldn't Listen, had strolled around creating mountains, streams, berries, butterflies, and one cow. Now the Bad Sun That Wouldn't Listen would end all that. This was going to be their legacy, left to... nobody".

"I have noticed your sadness. I truly want to help -"

"Coffee," Frigg sighed. "Please invent coffee already."

Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen is a humorous retelling of the Norse creation myths. This is a compillation of novellas, including the previously published Creation. 

The book blurb:

Norse Mythology retelling for fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Calvin & Hobbes.

Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Poor Odin must restrain his brothers, who create offensive weapons such as mosquitoes and celery; placate his future-telling wife, Frigg, who demands sweatpants with pockets; listen to Loki's Helpful Questions; hang himself from Yggdrasil for nine days with a spear through his side (as you do); teach everyone about nutritional values of kale (but NOT celery); meet a Wise Dom, Sir Dady Mimir, in order to outwit him; and most importantly, prove he is The All-Father, while his brothers are, at best, Those-Uncles-We-Don't-Talk-About.

This nearly (except in Vanaheim) universally acclaimed retelling of the Gods' first millennium answers way too many questions, including on Freyr's entendre, horse designing... and why Odin drinks.

To appreciate the witty re-imagining in full, you need to know your Norse myths. 

"In the beginning, a God opened his eyes and sat up, utterly confused... As baffling as it was, he seemed to only have just started existing". Odin, Vili and Vė are baffled and preplexed, as they are trying to figure out who they are, and what they are supposed to do. And the quarrels are inevitable in this situation.

"Stop quarrelling!" Odin boomed. "We have a lot of soil. Let's not ruin it all with... aesthetics. We can do a lot of other things with it. Use your imagination!" He didn't seem to have any, but they didn't need to know that".

Just like three brothers, we flounder in confusion at the beginning of creation. What's going on around, and is it possible to control any of it? The words "creative chaos" were invented for that situation.

The humans who should have been somewhat reverential to Gods who created them, are not impressed with Odin, and keep arguing and asking uncomfortable questions.

"Wisdom" - knowledge and understanding, both of which Odin lacked - needed to be built bit by bit, with time. He had no time. Nothing and nobody had time if he was going to destroy things in his attempts to create them".

While Creation is centred on Odin and his brothers, Vili and Ve, their competitiveness and brotherly rivalry, in the second part - Loki Runes Everything - we follow the extraordinary events of Odin's spiritual evolution.

Loki being Loki, shape-shifts and plays tricks. And asks a lot of Helpful Questions. "Trying to stop Loki was as easy as getting truth out of him or making him follow any sort of rules..."

And Odin being not the sharpest tool in the shed, decides to educate himself in the most painful and traumatic way.

The legend of Odin's sacrifice gets a satirical makeover. For nine nights he hangs on the great Yggdrasil to acquire the knowledge of the magic runes.

Frigg has to fight her own battles. Able to see everything in the future, she is completely overwhelmed by visions of things yet to be invented and ideas yet to exist. Fashionteller recounts Frigg's sad struggle to outdo Freya in the fashion department. Intent on becoming the vanguard of haute couture, she recklessly travels further and further in the future to learn about the fashions of the days to come.

"The vision began to declutter a bit as, one by one, Frigg cleansed it of objects that did not spark joy" (the reference to Mary Kondo made me snort in a rather unladylike fashion).

When Frigg is doing her mental to-hopefully-acquire list, it keeps "expanding in a slightly deluded way, not unlike what would be called TBR piles in the future. Unfortunately, similar to all owners of TBR piles, Frigg didn't know which of her expectations were unrealistic". [I can sympathise with Frigg whole-heartedly, as the TBR enthusiast. We have so many books in the house that it would take me two lifetimes to read them all, yet does this prevent me from buying more books and adding them to my TBR list?!).

The final chapter, The Well of Wise Dom, retells the myth of Mimir and his well of wisdom. To win yet greater wisdom, Odin sacrificies his eye. And though you know how the Norse myths go, you feel like shouting at Odin, Don't do it, don't do it...

The main characters' interactions vary from joking to repartee, from drollery to wordplay. It's a fine balance of wit, satire and irony. 

Witty dialogues (and monologues) often hide the philosophical, sharp and even poignant observations.

Odin appears as a tragic figure, misunderstood and quite lonely. He is endearingly incompetent. "If someone asked, he'd simply say this was done on purpose. Divinely mysterious purpose, so mysterious that even he had no clue what it was".

Larssen's style of writing is insightful into the human (and/or Gods') foibles, and profoundly analytical.

"Perhaps creation and destruction weren't mutually exclusive; perhaps they needed each other; perhaps they were one and the same. Odin didn't know that yet, but he would find out soon. Over the drink".

Why Odin Drinks might be the retelling of the Norse myths, but don't buy it for the pre-teens. There is a lot of double entendres and openly adult jokes and references (though nothing graphic, more presumed rather than described). In a way, it makes me think of the Magnus Chase series, only for grown-ups, with risque jokes and infinite compassion.

The cover art might remind you of Tom of Finland's drawings (not the X-rated variety) which confirms the validity of the body, desire and sexuality.

Why Odin Drinks is a highly entertaining satire. There are pessimistic undercurrents of Swift's juvenalian satire, but unlike Swift, Larssen's writing is not harsh or unforgiving. While laughing at the timeless human flaws as well as the shallowness and phoniness of the modern day culture, his writing is showing compassion for the human frailties.

Hilarious and sad, playful and poignant at the same time, it's a unique take on the Norse myths.

Author Bio:

Bjørn Larssen is a Norse heathen made in Poland, but mostly located in a Dutch suburb, except for his heart which he lost in Iceland. Born in 1977, he self-published his first graphic novel at the age of seven in a limited edition of one, following this achievement several decades later with his first book containing multiple sentences and winning awards he didn’t design himself. His writing is described as ‘dark’ and ‘literary’, but he remains incapable of taking anything seriously for more than 60 seconds.

Bjørn has a degree in mathematics and has worked as a graphic designer, a model, a bartender, and a blacksmith (not all at the same time). His hobbies include sitting by open fires, dressing like an extra from Vikings, installing operating systems, and dreaming about living in a log cabin in the north of Iceland. He owns one (1) husband and is owned by one (1) neighbourhood cat.

2022 Queer Indie Lit Award – Winner (Best Author – Speculative)
2021 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Award – Finalist ('Storytellers')
2020 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner – Historical Fiction ('Storytellers')
2020 Stabby Award Nominee ('Children')

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