Revisiting Norse Mythology: the Case of A.S. Byatt’s Ragnarök

Abstract

"Revisiting Norse Mythology: The Case of A.S. Byatt’s Ragnarök. In 2011, British author and Booker-prize winner A. S. Byatt publishes Ragnarök, her rewriting of the Norse myth about the death of the gods. Seen through the eyes of a thin child who is forced to witness the terrors of World War II, the story and characters of the Norse myth are reinterpreted and retold in accordance with the child’s vision, imagination and feelings. The paper here focuses on the association of the Scandinavian imaginary with specific moments in A. S. Byatt’s personal history, and highlights the use of certain patterns and ideas that are present in both, trying to pinpoint the elements that make possible the transformation of the mythical into the actual. The aim of this study is to explore the evolution of the mythological events as they are rewritten in Byatt’s 21st century book, in close connection with the main character’s personal development. To that end, the paper will also dwell upon the comparison drawn by Byatt herself between the Norse and the Christian mythological imaginary – a vision filtered through the eyes and thoughts of the focalizer of the text, the thin child. Keywords: Ragnarök, A. S. Byatt, reinterpretation, Norse myths, death of the gods"