Nick Maddocks
WRI 10
Yu-Han Chao
September 12, 2011
Thor in the Land of Giants Evaluations
Throughout the history of mankind the concept of how to handle the world has been a
debate that has raged on ever since man could think and talk. Out of the debate of handling the
situations of an event in the world, is the belief of brain over brawn in a given argument or event.
To this day this concept has been kept in American Politics and other systems of government all
over the world. The idea has also spawned into early civilizations including the Norse who
associate this subject with their polytheistic ideals on the world and how it works. Such
examples of their self explanation of the world, is how volcanoes inspired the creation of Ymir
the giant who had given birth to the frost giants. The concept of brawn over brain ties in with the
Norse myth of Thor in the land of giants. This story overall has a great ending to it and also
teaches many people about an explanation of the world around their culture. Although a myth or
fairy tale sounds fanciful and wonderful to many people, the examination of the tale itself is
more useful to consider when watching or reading the story because a single person can gain
insight on information that neither was nor previously noticed by anyone.
To make a decent fairy tale or myth for an audience there is a form of criteria that the
author or the speaker needs to follow in order to explain what the myth is about. In the story of
Thor in the Land of Giants most of the criteria is established while there are a few things missing
from it. As in any story there needs to always have characters because without characters there
is no point explaining or reading the story. Each character in the story of Thor in the Land of
Giants is a representation of a certain aspect of life or part of a natural occurrence of life. Thor is
represented as the strong and forceful type along with his brother Loki and the family that travels
with the brothers. On the other hand the giants are the representation of wit and cunning in any
challenge or obstacle. The power of logic and reasoning is representation of each giant. For
example the giant Utgard Logi is a representation of fire in which his hunger is never satisfied
and how the old woman was old age, and as always old age in humans can never be beaten or
defeated. Each character had a different aspect, but with characters there is needed a plot for the
characters to follow. The plot is in many places which first starts in Asgard and eventually ends
in Joutenheim or the land of giants. The plot also needs conflict and resolution and the story has
both a conflict and a resolution. The main conflict in particular is the contest between Thor and
Loki in which deciding whether mind or strength was the greater choices. The resolution in the
end is that intelligence ultimately triumphs and Thor is left admitting that he was wrong about
strength. On an entertainment level overall the story is highly richer with the feel as though
someone were truly eating, racing, or challenging giants to competition. On the reading value
however this story should be recommended to young or old alike in whom all ages can learn
from the experience of humility by Thor.
With Thor’s humility is also the importance of learning a lesson from this whole story
experience altogether. In the story the obvious lesson is stated at the beginning in whether brain
or brawn was the true way of fighting. Now the whole concept of brain and brawn has been
featured in many other myths besides Norse Mythology. Heracles was a Greek hero who used
brute strength over the mind of intelligence in his labors, but he is also a combination of both
strength and intelligence in the labors that he had performed during his lifetime. Another
example of intellectual superiority was the Jewish story of Hershel and the Hanukah Goblins in
which the trickster known as Hershel of Ostropol used his wit to outsmart seven goblins that
were ruining the holiday of Hanukah for a helpless village and eventually outsmarting the
dreaded and evil King of the Goblins. But it was not merely the concept of intelligence over
strength that was the only lesson learned. It had also taught people about humility in life in
which almost every person on the planet experiences in their lives. The lesson of humility is a
powerful even in our lives altogether. It teaches every person a new meaning of life and why it
is important to respect it as each life progresses in time. In Thor’s case, he might have become
much wiser in which side would eventually triumph. Now brute strength isn’t completely
useless in a given situation and in fact can be helpful if used correctly.
As with the power of strength is also the invisible force of being attracted to the book
itself. Being attracted to a story or myth is hard to accomplish for most readers. Some readers
actually still judge a book by its cover and look at the pictures to gain an understanding on what
the story is about. But the pictures can actually mislead someone into thinking what a story is
about and in fact it is the literature that holds the true essence to any tale told or explained to this
day. The pictures of course do hook the reader into the book but it all depends if the reader
wants to read what the story is about or even perhaps already know what the story is about. The
story of Thor in the Land of Giants caught my eye with the use of images but also the beginning
paragraph of the book in which stated on Thor and Loki’s wager on whether intelligence or brute
strength were the true alternatives in battle. By choosing to read it had become one of my
favorite Norse myths and the lesson learned from it still hangs around in my head even to this
day. Any story can explain a lesson to someone, it all depends if the reader is willing to read or
even hear about in the first place. The story is worth reading and would highly recommend it
even if it is not truly what many readers would expect of it. Being hooked is one thing but being
interesting is another matter that anyone needs to overcome to immense in a new story or tale.
About the interest level there are a few negatives it the tale altogether. It all depends on
whether or not the reader is one of the people who likes surprise endings and the lessons to be
learned from the tale itself. The people who do not like to be stringed along with a big surprise
at the end should not read this because it has a tendency of stringing along the reader and
eventually ending with the symbolism of each challenge. The story is a bit lengthy but still
worth the reading time overall with this fabulous Norse myth. Some parts don’t make sense and
the evil power of hindsight can hang in the air after the story. Such examples are on some of the
characters and explanation on how each giant represented an aspect of logic in the world. But in
the realm of mythology the use of intellectual evidence is hard to pinpoint and in the name itself
this is myth so most of the story was inspired by something else and was most possibility to
being real. But these are the only factors that are the real negatives of the book and the rest is
either minor or can be explainable by experts or other people. Besides the negatives the story
within the book of myths is something that generations should never forget throughout the course
of each of their individual lives.
To understand the true meaning of a fairy tale or myth is the first step to understanding
one of the many natures of humanity itself. Every storyteller or writer follows a certain structure
that suits the appropriate setting for the tale. Although any myth or tale needs to address the
lesson or values that should be learned during or at the end of the story. Also if a reader gives
the story a chance each person can benefit from what can be learned in life itself. Even though
there are a few negatives and hindsight in some of the myths it only matters if a single person or
more truly recognize the main theme throughout the tale. For Thor in the Land of Giants and
other stories that could teach the concept of brain and brawn in a given situation, this is the story
to start before reading anything else. Full of action for the senses of adventure and mystery this
story benefits as not only a lesson about brain and brawn but also an explanation of the world.
With each myth a person gains an insight in what each civilization thought about a long time ago
and still same people still hold the exact beliefs. Without understanding another culture people
cannot truly relate to another person without recognizing the early beliefs. To understand these
early beliefs is to pick up a story and start reading.
Works Cited:
Philip, Neil. The Illustrated Book of Myths Tales and Legends of the World. New York: DK
Publishing Special Markets, 2007. 118-124. Print.
Kimmel, Eric. Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. New York: Holiday House, 1989. 1-30. Print