Odd and the Frost Giants

Loki is a static supporting character in the novel. As in Norse mythology, he embodies the trickster archetype. Loki is far more cooperative in this book than he is in mythology, limiting his tricks to inflated wordplay and insults toward the other gods, but he is still presented as slippery, untrustworthy, and intelligent, with a high opinion of himself and a hedonistic, selfish approach to the world. Loki’s characterization is enhanced by his foxlike appearance for most of the novel. The fox form shows him for what he is—tricky, intelligent, and determined to slip out of trouble.

Loki, like the other gods, does not—and cannot—change over the course of the book. While he physically changes from a god to a fox and back again, he experiences no character development from this change; rather, Odd realizes that he will go on behaving the same way as if the transformation—and humiliation—had never happened. Key to this characterization is the description of Loki’s eyes—green and icy, and unchanging depending on his form. Loki, just like his eyes, is a fixed entity, existing as an archetype for trouble, yet the gods treat him with patience and welcome him into their halls, even if they risk their own safety doing so.

Thor, like Loki, is a static supporting character in the novel, occupying the warrior archetype, as fits his role in mythology. Thor is characterized as strong, stubborn, and friendly yet cynical in the book; while he is not as foolish as Loki, he is more reckless and gets himself into dangerous situations by following his whims, as when he gets stuck in a tree trying to get honey. Thor’s primary characterization is his powerful strength. In godly form, he is a warrior with a huge hammer only he can lift, and in animal form, he is a gigantic bear, easily able to carry Odd on his back and perform other feats of strength.

Like the other gods, Thor does not grow over the course of the book, although his choice to bring Odd to the Well of Mimir to strengthen him does show more depth than the other gods possess. Thor shows more forethought at this moment than the other gods do, but he also shows his capacity to lie; while nothing happens to Odd to harm him, he is also not telling the truth about the water’s power. Thor does not change over the course of the book, however, and he comes back to human form exactly as he started—powerful, willful, and ready to fight.

Odin is a static supporting character in the novel. While the god Odin in mythology typically occupies the archetype of a powerful but distant ruler, Odin’s personality and motives in the book are a bit more difficult to read. He is characterized as the most animalistic of the trio of gods, rarely saying more than one word at a time and choosing to roost and behave like an eagle. This helps define him as more distant and less human than the other gods, even in human form. He is revealed to be proud, powerful, and fierce, and is capable of ordering around the other, more unruly gods. In godly form, Odin is revealed to have a kind side, as he gives Odd his staff and thanks him for his help.

Like the other gods, Odin also does not grow as a character over the course of the book, although he does speak more at the end when he regains human form. It is unclear why Odin descends into his animal state faster than the other gods, but it is implied that he is the noblest of the three, making his rapid descent all the more striking.

Freya is a static supporting character in the novel. While she initially represents the damsel trope—as the three gods and Odd must rescue her from the giant—her terrifying power, unexpected wrath toward the Frost Giant, and whimsical disconnection from human behavior quickly prove that she is the most powerful character in the novel. She is characterized as kind, playful, and self-aware, but she is also quick to rage and completely unaware of human limitations. This characterization plays on Freya’s unclear role within the Norse pantheon itself—she is sometimes interchanged with Frigga, the queen of Asgard, but more often put in charge of Folkvangr, the fields of the underworld. In this myth, she and Odin split the souls of those who die in battle between Folkvangr and Odin’s Hall, Valhalla.

Freya’s beauty is an important part of her characterization, as it encourages those who see her to see her as little more than a beautiful woman and an object. The Giants, Odd, and the other gods all view her as the most beautiful person in Asgard, but Odd alone can understand her behavior—such as when she unhooks his leg from his body to heal it and offers to give him an animal leg in exchange for his damaged one—as unusual and dangerously powerful. Freya does not need an animal form to demonstrate the more uncanny, less human side of her personality. Like the other gods, however, she does not grow over the course of the story, but unlike them, she is entirely aware of this, even pointing out to Odd that being a god means being unable to change.

The unnamed Frost Giant is the antagonist of the work, although he also occupies a comic role. The Frost Giant is the only figure in Asgard not directly taken from Norse mythology; while his older brother is a real figure, the Frost Giant more generally represents the stock figure of the villainous, power-hungry Giant in Norse myth. His lack of a name enforces this, contrasting with Odd’s desire to personify him by asking for his name. While the Frost Giant is described and illustrated as cold and icy in appearance and behavior, actual giants in the myths were not necessarily always frost-themed; rather, this description derives from a description of Ymir, the ancestor of all giants, as “ice-cold.” Regardless, the Frost Giant’s iciness is important to his characterization as terrifying, as with his immense size and capacity to harm Odd and even the gods.

The Frost Giant is characterized paradoxically as both stupid and very cunning. He is easily outwitted by Odd because he does not know how to anticipate Odd’s behavior and moves, but is able to easily outwit Loki, a trickster himself, by playing on Loki’s weaknesses and arrogance. The Frost Giant is also treated sympathetically by the narrative, as what he really wants—even more than revenge—is something beautiful in his home. While The Frost Giant’s methods are objectionable, Odd understands his desires as parallel to those of Odd’s father. This insight allows Odd to end the conflict peacefully.

Odd’s unnamed mother is characterized as melancholy but loving, and always trying to protect her son; her longing for her home deeply affects Odd, as does her love for Odd’s father. Though their marriage began through coercion, as Odd’s father abducted his mother from her Scottish town in a Viking raid, they gradually came to love each other deeply. Despite this love, Odd’s mother never stopped missing her home in Scotland, and her Scottish songs and stories form some of Odd’s earliest and most cherished memories. Because he grew up immersed in two cultures—a rarity in his monocultural community—Odd is uniquely equipped to understand the cultural differences he encounters in Asgard. Odd’s mother is primarily characterized as a good mother to her son, even at the cost of her own happiness: For example, she marries the unpleasant and cruel Fat Elfred to help provide for Odd.