Odd and the Frost Giants

In this part, Odd’s ability to see beauty and humanity in others is introduced, further developing the theme of Finding Self-Worth in the Face of Prejudice. Odd’s experience at Mimir’s Well introduces a key detail—he sees the Frost Giants living in Jotunheim and realizes that, despite their huge bodies and fearsome reputation, they are in many ways just like him and the people in Norway. Odd’s recognition of the Giants as people, not just enemies or othered beings, allows him to interact with the Frost Giant in a new way; whereas the gods can only see him as an enemy, Odd views him with the empathy he has always wished other people would extend to him. The Well provides Odd with many gifts, including a new understanding of beauty and of his own existence, but the context he gains through it most importantly allows him to see himself as inherently valuable, regardless of his physical state or the reaction of others. What Odd wants is to be viewed by others as important; his subtle realization of this enables him to grant that gift to the Frost Giant in the following chapters.

An important motif throughout this section is the partially carved block of wood, which represents the potential for good and beauty in all human beings and serves as a direct symbol for Odd himself. Odd’s father died before he could see the block of wood become what it was meant to be, in the same way that he died before he could see Odd achieve his potential and grow up. Without his father to guide and protect him, Odd has to take his fate—or the block of wood—into his own hands and find beauty in his own existence, which he does in a circular manner, by transforming it into an image of his mother, an homage to his own beginnings and the beauty he finds in the story that led to his own existence. The block of wood could have become anything, theoretically, but Odd knew it would become something powerful and beautiful. The visions Odd experiences in the Well do not change the inherent beauty of his own or the wood’s existence; they merely give him the perspective to see the greater potential within himself. This, and the wood carving Odd creates, represents the pinnacle of Odd’s growth in the story; while things continue to change after this point, the Well is the most crucial point in his arc.

The Well is a common trope in the hero’s journey story structure, but Odd and the Frost Giants subverts this trope by depicting the well as a positive experience rather than a negative one. As a trope, the well typically represents the lowest point in a hero’s journey: the abyss, where the protagonist “dies” and is reborn with a new understanding of the world. Odd’s experience at the well is a sort of death, as he returns to Asgard and Midgard transformed into a stronger, healthier person. At the same time, Odd does not suffer to achieve this transformation; narratively, he has suffered enough and, instead, gets to experience the beauty of the world wholeheartedly and see himself in it. This is important thematically, developing the theme of Nature as a Key to Self-Discovery. Nature’s presence at the beginning of the book is threatening and harmful, but by this point, Odd and Nature understand and respect one another. Odd can interact with ancient forces—like Mimir—without harm. His transformation at the well does not change who he is but rather allows him to utilize his full power over the world due to his new appreciation for himself and others.

As Odd gradually comes to understand the differences between Asgard and his own human world, Gaiman explores Learning and Adaptability as Sources of Strength. Magic—of sorts—is a key part of the setting of both Asgard and the mortal realm of Midgard, but the differences between the two realms are explicated through the basic scientific laws that govern Midgard. Even when Odd does not know how to specifically identify these laws, he has enough grasp of how the world works to make use of them, for good or ill—he uses observation to figure out how to make a rainbow out of the ice and the sun, and trusts gravity’s existence enough to be afraid to step off the walls of Asgard even after Odin assures him that the magic shoes will prevent him from falling. This establishes Odd as highly intelligent, a key strength of his character—he can listen and observe where other people, even the gods, might not. The limitations of Midgard also help develop the gods’ weaknesses. They struggle to adapt to Midgard because the laws of physics are much more malleable in Asgard—Loki can breathe to make fire in Asgard, and the gods can clap to summon a rainbow—shortcuts that do not work in Midgard. Because life is so much easier for them in Asgard, they lack the resourcefulness of humanity; Odd’s ability to reason through problems and overcome challenges gives him strengths even the gods do not have, as they are only capable of solving things one way.