While Wotan, or Odin, is willing to assist Magne in his mission to forge Thor's hammer, Mjölnir and destroy the Giants once and for all, he is insistent in following the old ways, which usually involved extreme violence and necessary deaths in order to bring about a new beginning. Also, as Wenche is positioned as the seer who tells Odin about Völuspá or Seer’s Prophecy concerning Ragnarok, her death forces Odin to assume a more direct role in the events that haunt Edda. Wotan’s true identity is only revealed after Wenche’s death, although visual cues foreshadow this development, such as his eye patch and the fact that Odin is referred to as Wotan in other Germanic tongues.

In Ragnarok, Odin is reincarnated within the body of Wotan Wagner, an elderly man who is seen riding an electric wheelchair through seasons 1 and 2. Norse mythology chronicles Odin’s great thirst for knowledge, which culminated in him hanging from the Yggdrasil or the World Tree for nine whole days. Here’s a deep dive into every God in Ragnarok, their possible motivations, and how they compare to traditional Norse mythology as a whole.ĭeemed supreme among the Æsir, Odin has been hailed as the Allfather with incredible mastery over scared wisdom, war, poetry, and magic. This sets the stage for a conflict between the old and the new, which is condensed within Magne’s moral dilemma regarding the necessity of violence and murder in his war against the Jutuls. While most of the Gods throughout the show, especially the reincarnations of Odin and Freya, seem to heavily lean towards the old ways, most of the mythmaking has been re-contextualized in a modern context. RELATED: Netflix's Ragnarok Cast & Character Guide Moreover, it is interesting to note that it is Laurits’ arc that sows the seeds for the mythic retelling of the end of the world - the great battle between Gods and Giants, or Ragnarök. This revelation not only forces Laurits to re-evaluate his loyalties but also drives a wedge between the brothers, who share a volatile, tumultuous relationship throughout season 2.

Throughout season 1, Laurits has been rather ambivalent regarding his stances, although he is unaware of the fact that Vidar is his father at the time. The Norwegian fantasy drama upped the ante by shifting its focus on Magne’s brother, Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli), which paves the way for the big reveal of his true identity and parentage.

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