Gaiman's answer to the minotaur question has given me a very clear explanation of why he is the only celebrity to survive on Tumblr

@denikehi4579

Жыл бұрын

He doesn't have a tumblr though? He said so himself on tumblr

@voidnoidoid

Жыл бұрын

​@@denikehi4579 LMAO

@keannabunch9191

10 ай бұрын

John green my dude.

@Sentientmatter8

9 ай бұрын

There are other celebrities on Tumblr. But Neil is definitely the most an actual gremlin.

@letusthanatos1240

8 ай бұрын

While I can't comment on the celebrity thing, that minotaur question had me going "no nononononono" the entire time

RIP to that guy who mixed up minotaurs and centaurs

@Melsharpe95

Жыл бұрын

But then we wouldn't have had the opportunity to listen to Neil going on a tangent about furries.

@paveladamek3502

5 ай бұрын

Maybe not. Maybe it was a woman and the riding was just meant in a different way.

@dukedukeson2158

5 ай бұрын

​@@paveladamek3502brother...

@celunax

Ай бұрын

​@@paveladamek3502 or a man 🤷🏾‍♀️

I love how the minotaur person most probably meant to say centaur but Neil just tried to bring sense into it

@elenihorwath6234

10 ай бұрын

That’s exactly what I was thinking

@Sentientmatter8

9 ай бұрын

Idk if sense is the word

@OneRandomLeo

6 ай бұрын

Pretty sure Neil knew but decided to go literal with it and be funny. And look where he ended up, talking about furries. God, I love that man.

@paveladamek3502

5 ай бұрын

Maybe it was a woman and she meant the riding.

@loverrlee

4 ай бұрын

Yeah exactly 😂

Neil Gaiman sounds sleepy yet passionate at the same time. Feels like he's Morphius himself.

@vettech_

6 ай бұрын

to me, morpheus has often been a self-insert for him.

@monke_penguin

3 ай бұрын

ironically, he is the writer of The Sandman, a series of comics based on Morpheus himself

@vmvengsub3812

3 ай бұрын

@@monke_penguin yeah, that's what my comment meant

@giyuutomioka6974

Ай бұрын

​@@vettech_i second that. I mean, neil looks like sandman/dream (along with cillian murphy who was the actor for scarecrow and later J Robert Oppenheimer.) Imagine how it would look if he became the live action character.

@kristina1591

Ай бұрын

He also kinda sounds like Severus Snape

I know this isn't entirely uncommon with authors, but I've always loved how much Neil Gaiman feels like a Neil Gaiman character.

@mizboom

Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful thought! Thank you for that!

@lucyandecember2843

Жыл бұрын

o.o

@gir5o1

Жыл бұрын

It takes a goth to write goth characters 😂🖤

@lilianakiraly8496

Жыл бұрын

As a wannabe writer, I will think about this comment for a long time and wonder if I, too, feel like one of my characters (not to compare myself to Gaiman ofc, but uknow)

@204lemon

Жыл бұрын

wow i've never actually read his books yet but I see what you mean

If Gaiman decides to start a KZread channel to talk about myths and history I would definitely watch that.

@xyc350

Жыл бұрын

If Gaiman decides to start a KZread channel to talk about furries and history I would definitely watch that.

@santishorts

Жыл бұрын

I love the level of commitment people have these days. It's not a "I would love if Neil Gaiman started a KZread channel to talk about mythology" but rather "If Gaiman invested time and money in developing a channel about mythology.... I just might find the time to watch it.... maybe". Worthy sons of Zeus.

@ayaehab

Жыл бұрын

mythology hotline! lol

@MalcIgg

Жыл бұрын

Maybe Read his books? - audible as an option :)

@EspeonMistress00

Жыл бұрын

@@MalcIgg Does he read his audio books?

I want Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan and Stephen Fry all in one room discussing myths and mythology. That would be a colab of a century for me.

@JacopoSkydweller

Жыл бұрын

Oooh and that would be fun

@duncanmcdonald5250

Жыл бұрын

There is a 1 hour KZread video of Fry and Gaiman together at the Hay Festival in 2017 talking about Greek and Norse myths (promoting their respective books at the time). kzread.info/dash/bejne/npiZucWAXbzMmtI.html

@snazzypazzy

Жыл бұрын

Oh my, I want that too!

@adityaagungpratama1181

Жыл бұрын

put Alan Davies there and it will be a QI episode

@FuzzyContrl

Жыл бұрын

Oh my goodness... I think my brain just exploded thinking about this possibility!

Some random person: if you're such a big mythology fan, name the 12 trials of hercules. Absolute Chad Neil Gaiman: proceeds to explain every single trial in order with context for how they all went down.

@emilysmith2965

Жыл бұрын

I do like how the question asker put a clown emoji… they were clearly making fun of people who try unsuccessfully to dunk on Neil Gaiman

@jbrou123

Жыл бұрын

He had a cheat sheet in front of him.

@dizmog

Жыл бұрын

@@jbrou123 I thought it was pretty funny how obviously he was looking down at the paper with 12 clear images on it.

@jjwang7597

9 ай бұрын

He literally had a paper bro lol

@deli5194

7 ай бұрын

i know the seven trials of rostam if that counts lol

You know it’s gonna be great when he says “unless it’s a furry Minotaur” and then specified that this is going to be great

@anonymousfellow8879

Жыл бұрын

There was absolutely no non-kinky way to answer that question 🤣

@xCorvus7x

Жыл бұрын

@@anonymousfellow8879 Of course there is. Have you never played horse for your or your relatives' children?

@animevsirl

Жыл бұрын

not to be confused with a "furry" Minotaur

@perevision

Жыл бұрын

@@animevsirl nope he definitely talked about a “furry” Minotaur 😂

@Tarotiste

Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love that! He is so scholarly and knows everything about everything- and that his answer to how to write the minotaur is that you find one that's a furry. Because it's a very practical answer, and shows great imagination!🥰

Neil Gaiman could read me my groceries list and I would still feel like he's reading us a story for the ages

@MrBeefyweefs

Жыл бұрын

baNAna...

@pedro4464

Жыл бұрын

He sounds so british.

@SkullAngel002

Жыл бұрын

Or a lengthy CVS receipt.

@neallong2480

Жыл бұрын

Wasn’t this on a blurb of one of his books?

@hydrofalls8154

Жыл бұрын

Same I just want to make him talk for ages.

It's so lovely listening to someone who can speak in full sentences.

@TheWchurchill4pm

11 ай бұрын

I like how he pauses and takes his time. My problem is that I always talk too fast because I don’t want to be interrupted. I got interrupted a lot as a kid, and my mom was always chiding me for talking too loud (I have autism and have trouble gauging pitch). So speaking can be intimidating for me.

@21bravopunk61

5 ай бұрын

I also.

Imagine growing up with Neil as your dad, telling you the best bedtime stories. 😊 Such a creative and interesting person. I love hearing what he has to say.

@wolfganggrimmerdoesnotdese6822

Жыл бұрын

Imagine Neil telling Coraline to his kids as bedtime stories

@EeeEee-bm5gx

Жыл бұрын

I imagine... I'd be bedwetting and nightterrors. What a thing to wish for.

@SnowyMary

8 ай бұрын

I somehow love that his youngest thinks it's "weird" (quoting Neil quoting Ash) to have Neil read him stories and insists on reading bedtime stories himself to Neil. What a boss move, and he probably doesn't even know XD

I did not expect a conversation about Minotaur Furries today, but it sure happened

@Mr.Abreu.76

Жыл бұрын

You beat me to this comment.

@SevenHunnid

Жыл бұрын

Stop and think! We only live physically once so we shouldn’t be afraid to do anything bro, i smoke weed on my KZread channel and i ate Mcdonald’s inside Walmart 😈😈, screw anyones opinion 👌👌

@unnamellie

Жыл бұрын

@@SevenHunnid Ok

@lenninmontiel4539

Жыл бұрын

Furries are really cool but in actual Greek mythology a minotaur is the head of a bull and a man's body

@lenninmontiel4539

Жыл бұрын

@@SevenHunnid you do you

He seems like the younger, nerdier, slightly crazy brother of Alan Rickman 😂

@TheSapphireLeo

Жыл бұрын

Yup!

@gd__vk6991

Жыл бұрын

They talk veeeery similar

@drock55551

Жыл бұрын

Was just thinking that!

@pia91

Жыл бұрын

This is...surprisingly on point😅

@anonymousfellow8879

Жыл бұрын

I thought this too. Waited for someone else to say it

Other people: love is patient, love is kind Neil Gaiman: death is patient, death is kind

Completely agree with Gaiman's take on Hope. It might help us survive terrible times. On the other hand, it might also take us down a path of terrible decisions where we're left with nothing.

@leobellantoni1559

Ай бұрын

One must understand hope to live well, and most of us don't. Look up Cornell West on this topic. He does have it down cold.

for some reason Neil Gaiman knowing what a furry is makes me smile

@cyanide1931

Жыл бұрын

I mean he is a mythology expert and people clearly worship catgirls nowadays, so furries are a critical part of his profession.

@lenninmontiel4539

Жыл бұрын

Furries are cute but wen he talked about furry minotaurs lol

@HPFireYT

Жыл бұрын

I mean he’s fairly active on tumblr so he’s had to have been exposed to the knowledge at some point

@BladedEdge

Жыл бұрын

He's very active on Tumblr.

@fthurman

Жыл бұрын

for some reason Neil Gaiman knowing what pony play is makes me giggle.

It's nice to see mr. Gaiman talk about Death as being kind. His friend (and occasional co-author) Terry Pratchett wrote about death in the same way.

@rlacksgh9673

Жыл бұрын

"Death isn't cruel, merely terribly, terribly good at his job.” - Terry Pratchet

@yippykiay13

Жыл бұрын

I didn’t know they were friends but that makes so much sense.

@204lemon

Жыл бұрын

reminds me of death in Amazing Maurice

@danielmintz7869

Жыл бұрын

@@yippykiay13 They co-wrote "Good Omens" together, It's almost obvious whose written what when reading the book and their chemistry shows through that book. i highly recommend it.

@509Gman

Жыл бұрын

@@204lemon well Pratchett wrote that one too.

If Neil Gaiman decides to write books about other mythologies like Celtic, Germanic, Japanese, etc I would buy them all. Love his writing style!

@ultimatebishoujo29

5 ай бұрын

I love his writing style too!!!!

I just watched up to the question about Minotaur and I already wanna say I absolutely love Neil Gaiman

@clpumm

Жыл бұрын

I lost it at "ride a minotaur like a man"

I love how he sings his words. "Ragnarok essennntially beginnnnnnns with everything going wrong"

@Zavitor

Жыл бұрын

And then begins to describe Ragnarok in a way that alludes to certain current events.

@chibichibi51

Жыл бұрын

@@Zavitor It was such a flawless transition, too. Like buttah ☺️

@bomlife1572

Жыл бұрын

@@Zavitor modern day events that are happening

@danielpercival7498

Жыл бұрын

Have a listen to his audiobooks. Brilliant storyteller

@agin1519

Жыл бұрын

To me I heard the first lines of a book. One called ‘Ragnarok, Essentially’. “Ragnarok essentially begins…. Ragnarok essentially is… And Then It Gets Worse. But yes so lovely to hear he sings words on to a page.

Just want to add that there is a cat-headed goddess in Egyptian mythology: Bastet. Also, Anubis is the god of embalming and cemeteries, and jackals were associated with death, hence Anubis being the patron deity of jackals and depicted with a jackal head.

@thomaskole9881

Жыл бұрын

According to a common explanation, jackals would often be found hanging around near burial sites/graves/tombs (because, you know, they're scavenging animals... ew); almost like guard dogs. So the Egyptians began to associate jackals with the role of guardians of the recently deceased, protecting their bodies which needed to remain intact in order to pass into the hereafter. Over time this sort of folk belief culminated in the god Anubis, who watches over the souls of the dead and guides them on their journey through the underworld.

@arcxjo

Жыл бұрын

@@thomaskole9881 Actually wolves. Jackals were unknown to ancient Egyptians.

@icarusbinns3156

Жыл бұрын

Bastet and Sekhmet are two sides of the same coin. Essentially, they are the same goddess. And Anubis was not only the patron of preservation and mummification. His main job was actually as the guardian of safe journeys. (Why DIA took down the Anubis statue and not Blucifer… we may never know)

@audhumbla6927

Жыл бұрын

remember he is JUST a writer, not a historian or professor in mythology in any way, absolutly not a reliable sourve to enterpret the norse eddas

@icarusbinns3156

Жыл бұрын

@@audhumbla6927 his Norse Mythology book is still quite entertaining, all the same. It does not have the pulled-out-of-one’s-arse feeling as the Percy Jackson books

That story about how Loki became a mother to an eight legged horse is absolutely nuts I always tell this story to someone who asks me about Norse myth

@Maitch3000

Жыл бұрын

I loved how people felt Thor: Love and Thunder was too bonkers. Giants goat dragging a spaceship. Female gender switching Loki. That's straight out of mythology. Norse myth is bonkers. Loki also fathered a wolf and a serpant big enough to go all around the world.

@rustybungle

6 ай бұрын

@@Maitch3000 Well, the Vikings were well known for eating shrooms

@LettiKiss

5 күн бұрын

What I was most impressed about is how Neil Gaiman told it with a straight face! I could never lmao

For anyone wondering, there are in fact angels that look like humans. The ones he described are just the three at the top of the angel hierarchy: the Seraphim (wings with eyes), Ophanim (wheels with eyes), and Cherubim (4 headed chimera-like angels with wings). Those are the angels that never leave the celestial realm and are closest to God. There are 6 other types of angels, most if not all of which (I forget) do, or can, in fact look like humans

@mandelorean6243

Жыл бұрын

MYTHS

@LiminallyYours

Жыл бұрын

This is really cool info, and I'm wondering: if the eldritch-looking angels never leave the celestial realm, what is the context or reason for them appearing to the prophets who describe them in the Bible?

@will9001asd

11 ай бұрын

The types of angels just make me try to imagine advance alien ship design counterparts and how may ancient humans interpret them based on their own knowledge of the world back then. Especially if you equate "eyes" to lights and lenses. Spinning "wheels" to artificial gravity generators.

@DamianPendragon

11 ай бұрын

They take the form of man, but they are capable of taking the form of anything they want. Looking like a human isn't their natural state

@jjwang7597

9 ай бұрын

@@will9001asdoh dear lord no not Ancient Aliens (TM) please

I think that person didn't mean Minotaur. I think they meant Centaur

@PeterWasted

Жыл бұрын

I very much suspect that Mr. Gaiman knew that too.

@WHTJunior

Жыл бұрын

Have a like, as that was my first thought as well.

@MemphiStig

Жыл бұрын

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

@chattyotter3300

Жыл бұрын

@@MemphiStig I understood that reference

@rmsgrey

Жыл бұрын

@@chattyotter3300 I understood that reference!

"the frost Giants come out" good for them. It's always a tough thing to do and can be scary, but I'm proud of them and accept them for who they are

@kloggmonkey

Жыл бұрын

it's the end of the world, might as well come out.

@snazzypazzy

Жыл бұрын

We can sure make a Frost Giant pride flag for them!

@MaartenSchilder

Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣

@xxMpEGxx

Жыл бұрын

"Introverts!!!! Assemble."

@audhumbla6927

Жыл бұрын

remember he is JUST a writer, not a historian or professor in mythology in any way, absolutly not a reliable sourve to enterpret the norse eddas

Neil has such a slow and measured way of speaking when speaking about history, but a much quicker and more excited manner when speaking about mythological characters/creatures

He is my favourite author! And I am so, so glad that he has spoken the voices for almost all audiobooks of his.

@Sentientmatter8

9 ай бұрын

​@@ElysseW Neverwhere

I love hearing Neil speak and explain things. He’s such a character 😂

@melissalong8491

Жыл бұрын

I felt the exact same way when he did his guest spot on "The Big Bang Theory". To me, his little speech was awesome, how he delivered the scripted words.

@Marialuiza012622

Жыл бұрын

Is soo nice watch his masterclass. The way he speakand explained things is amazing

We can all tell exactly how much time Neil spends on the internet just by the fact that a furry or bdsm Minotaur seemed like a perfectly natural thing to think of 🤣🤣

@yayayay3791

Жыл бұрын

Right? 😂

@xxglowenxx

Жыл бұрын

We're all a tumblr teen at heart lol

@idontneedaname318

Жыл бұрын

He's just like me frfr (sarcasm)

@MsTeaFiend

Жыл бұрын

He is on Tumblr. He is one of us.

@trishasurangana2278

Жыл бұрын

He is literally on tumblr sharing memes, reblogging fandom stuff and having casual conversations with his followers. Every day almost. He KNOWS the depths of the web.

I love how Neil is doing all the promo interviews lmao most of the time the actors have to but this is so much better bc he has the inside scoop about the world he created not just set stories

@clarajosephine3295

9 ай бұрын

Wdym, what series

@lefozitym

9 ай бұрын

@@clarajosephine3295 it's a promo interview for The Sandman on Netflix

I think the person asking about the Minotaur was actually wanting to ask about a Centaur. I love that he broke into musical notation terms when answering the demi-god question. Just another reason why Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers.

I love how Gaiman shamelessly checks his cheat sheet throughout the labours 😂. Can’t blame him even if you know all of them it’s really hard to list twelve things that have stories attached and not get them muddled.

@nyanSynxPHOENIX

Жыл бұрын

I think the hardest thing is making certain you get all the states right and in the right order. When your being recorded, you'll get dragged through the mud if you accidentally say the wrong Greek State or list them slightly out of order, haha.

@nyanSynxPHOENIX

Жыл бұрын

I love Greek mythology and could definitely go into all of the labors with interesting facts and details, but I would 100% have a cheat sheet to guide me if I was going to talk about them all professionally.

@dralonthemystery1984

Жыл бұрын

Maybe Neil less care it. The Labours is a lame awfully.

@semaj_5022

19 күн бұрын

​@@nyanSynxPHOENIX Yeah, pretty much. If I'm writing, or like bullshitting with friends, I could probably list all the labors(maybe not in order) and even give some details on them. When asked, though or in a professional setting, especially on camera? Nope. Cheat sheet

I have been in love with Mr. Gaiman for decades and I couldn't click on this video fast enough. Major thanks to WIRED for this video and major thanks to Mr. Gaiman for doing this for all us fans who can't get enough of him.

@Julian.8a

Жыл бұрын

Same!

@jeanettecooper1582

Жыл бұрын

My sentiments exactly !

@christinabaumgartner5163

Жыл бұрын

Same

@paigeherrin29

Жыл бұрын

Same!

@allentastic

Жыл бұрын

Yeah they could do an episode weekly and I would def not be mad at it

The Great Flood myth is amazing because, arguably, it is the oldest continually told human story that we have written record of, seeing as the culture that introduced writing also had that flood myth going on.

@NiJo826

Жыл бұрын

humans since forever: floor keeps gettin wet

i just finished reading his book Norse Mythology and its amazing how he explained Ragnarok almost the same way and order he explained it in the book.

@justinrill2483

Жыл бұрын

makes sense

@uncannyvalley2350

Жыл бұрын

Except its astrology based on the Zodiac, religion is astrology, they saw the stars as eyes, and constellations as giants. That's why Odin hangs on a tree and is pierced in his side, just like Jesus, a representation of Osiris

This entire video is a reminder that Neil Gaiman is and always has been King of all Geeks.

@octagonseventynine1253

Жыл бұрын

That would be Alan Moore. Who’s also a superior writer

@alalalala57

Жыл бұрын

@@nahadoth2087 He's the mountain king of geeks. We respect him but nobody wants to spend time with that stinky brute lol.

@joshwarrey3728

Жыл бұрын

Gaiman is a Geek God

@dysmissme7343

Жыл бұрын

Reminds me of when he and Amanda were king and queen at the mermaid parade a couple years back- it suited them so ridiculously well

@cha5

Жыл бұрын

@@alalalala57 If I was in Northampton and I saw him, I'd offer to buy him a meal and a drink just for saying "Hello."

I just feel so grateful to be living in the universe where Neil Gaiman exists.

@LuffyxNamiisathing

Жыл бұрын

I also live here

@scarletramona88

Жыл бұрын

Same! He's absolutely amazing!

I've always thought the great flood stories were so prevalent in our early history because as the glaciers melted at the end of the last Ice Age, it resulted in a LOT of flooding throughout the world.

The link between the Greek and Viking pantheon and mythologies has its roots in the proto Indo European settlers of the post ice age world. The most common myths that link alot of mythologies are the death or heroes journey in the afterlife and the link between dogs and the afterlife.

@Vanastar

Жыл бұрын

And there's always a dude in the sky who hands out lightning bolts. Sometimes also associated with the sun and wheels.

@Perfectly_Cromulent351

Жыл бұрын

It’s amazing how many people get this wrong, even those who should know better like Neil.

@sminkycorp

Жыл бұрын

Early Life

@llll-lk2mm

Жыл бұрын

@@Vanastar things there in Hindu myths too, they've got Indra who's also a weather and rain god with a lightning strike and rules over the other gods in his court in the sky

Conversations with Gaiman would start off very interesting and end with him giving me an existential crisis, such good story telling

@dmal3555

Жыл бұрын

I clicked on the video thinking "huh, that looks interesting" and now I'm fully scared that in the end moments of my life death will not be kind to me.

@slimmccoy8863

Жыл бұрын

Have not read "Sandman", but Terry Pratchett's Death seems like a pretty decent... anthropomorphic personification. "What can the harvest hope for if not for the care of the Reaper Man?"

@leiii05

Жыл бұрын

His book Trigger Warning definitely gave me a vibe that straps me in and then blasts me with existential dread I love it

@xanthippus3190

Жыл бұрын

Although The Sandman can be crude st times, I really like the underline optimism of its general message.

So interesting to hear his mental process as he lists the labours of Hercules. Myths are made to be remembered, and he understands how that memory logic works and uses it to talk through the full list of labours.

@typhon1861

Жыл бұрын

Not sure I understand, he was reading off a piece of paper right in front of him.

@thisismylovehandle

Жыл бұрын

He was definitely reading them off that paper with 12 boxes.

@ejlahti

Жыл бұрын

sounds like someone assumed godhood

@davecho7367

Жыл бұрын

but to be fair.. he just glances and explains WAY MORE information than a small thumbnail could hold

@armistice_front

Жыл бұрын

more like cue cards. just right to jumpstart a thought process.

1:11 I think she meant a centaur anyway, i'm a transcriber, so I love listening to Gaiman and how he enunciates words. It'll be a bloody fantastic vacation if I ever got a transcribing job listening to someone that speaks like him.

Neil absolutely needs his own KZread channel! This is the best QNA ever on Wired!

If Neil ever goes into acting, he'd make a great Doctor on Doctor Who (btw, one of my favorite episodes was written by Neil).

@veronicabuss3568

Жыл бұрын

Which episode was that?

@becca3956

Жыл бұрын

@@veronicabuss3568 I think he wrote a couple during the Matt Smith era

@Archarian

11 ай бұрын

​@@veronicabuss3568 most probably "The Doctor's Wife". Very highly acclaimed, and a story Neil wanted to tell for a long time, if I remember correctly.

@yourmomsaccount69

11 ай бұрын

Hahaha yes he would make a great Doctor. Hes just The Doctor undercover in this dimension. 💙

To the question about Zeus: In "The Golden Fleece" by Robert Graves, he explains in the prologue that the Greek mythology used to consist of many small religions, because each separate island and region had their own gods. When Greece got united under the same language, these smaller religions had to be united as well. The mythology became a kind of melting pot, where the main pantheon - with Zeus at the head - had to be above everyone else. The easiest way of doing that was that Zeus became the literal father of many of the smaller gods - which was explained by him sleeping with as many gods, nymphs and humans (etc.) as possible.

@archertarot7049

Жыл бұрын

Why did Zeus have to be the head?

@antiochus87

Жыл бұрын

@@archertarot7049 Because someone had to, and his worshippers apparently had the final say.

@archertarot7049

Жыл бұрын

@@antiochus87 sounds like you don't know

@vargavio

Жыл бұрын

@@archertarot7049 I'm not entirely sure, but I remember that there was a whole chapter dedicated to matriarchy vs. patriarchy. Some of the minor religions promoted matriarchy, because the lineage is only truly retraceable on the mother's side (you can't be sure about the identity of the father). In these religious groups people were promiscuous, and priestesses had the most power. But Zeus was a patriarchal god, and his priests promoted traditional marriage. Maybe the monogamous family structure was a better base for society in the mainstream culture.

@archertarot7049

Жыл бұрын

@@vargavio you've completely ignored the psychological components of myth and paganisms. The way they conceptualise the world directly affects how the would construct their gods. You can say "well Zeus is this or Juno is that" but ultimately they could be this way or that for a number of reasons not just this or that.

Neil just gave me another perspective and a point to ponder on what 'hope' may have really meant on that myth. Pandora's box (or jar) was made to contain all of the evils and bad things in the world after all.

First answer isn’t quite right. The Norse pantheon is much older than the vikings and the similarities lead back to ancient Indo-Europeans, where the pantheons had a common ancestor. Not that the religions didn’t influence each other, but the similarities they’re talking about run far deeper and are far older.

@veszimardalath9739

Жыл бұрын

Personally I thought he was going to bring up the Phoenicians that traded with the ancient northern germanic tribes and gave them the runic alphabets, and say stories were exchanged then. Perhaps not a theory that goes as far back as yours (though I agree with it), but quite older than Gaiman's answer

@AlexaFaie

Жыл бұрын

He wasn't saying that they influenced one another, but that the link between them is people talking about them to one another. So later peoples created the links between much older separate mythologies. For example Thor is a god of thunder, Zeus is a god of thunder, so a later person could easily link the two and say "same god, different name in different places" even though that's not technically true.

@runningfast206

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, the connection is racial and much more ancient than Roman's

@Kali-Yuga-Peace-Corp

Жыл бұрын

@@veszimardalath9739 It's far older than that. This goes back before people started going into Europe. Norse, Greek, Slavic, Persian and Vedic... mythologies are all connected. The Indo-European culture is more than a shared language group, but also a shared belief.

@isabelangeles9896

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for bringing it up. I was really surprised no one noticed the obvious mistake (or omission). I actually clicked the video expecting some insight on the protoindoeuropean myths as the origin of both greek and norse mythologies and was instantly disapointed :(

I feel like the person who who asked the minotaur question must've gotten minotaurs confused with centaurs.

@Hydrocarbonateable

Жыл бұрын

I suspect you're right, and yet look what madness invoking the Mintaur brought us. Life imitates art.

@cha5

Жыл бұрын

Or mixed up Minotaurs with Cowtaurs.

I just loved that halfway through his rant, a few seconds after he dropped "you can ride a minotaur like a man" you can see the second of realization before he adds "in his shoulders"

Neil Gaiman’s writing is incredible. I’ve read some of his books and graphic novels and have the rest ready to go. The imagination and play on mythological or real beings, along with the insane level of description, is just another level. His narration of Norse Mythology on Audible is amazing too 😁

what makes german folklore so terrifying is probably more to do with the cataclysmic wars that killed half the population, or the plague which killed half the population, rather than the food or the cold

The first one took me completely by surprise! Odin/Woden, the Journeyman; Mercury/Hermes, the patron of travelers-makes total sense. Thanks for the tidbits, Neil. It’s always a joy to experience stories with you.

@Kointa

Жыл бұрын

And then in German we have Mittwoch, which just means middle of the week

@khorinis8161

Жыл бұрын

@@Kointa Actually, back in the middle ages you used to say Wodenstag but decided to change it :)

@SwordTune

Жыл бұрын

Yes, but bear in mind this was a misconception by the Romans. They had a habit of syncretism. Odin and his character as a god, as well as his role in worship, was not the same as Mercury. They're only similar because they are travellers. Odin isn't even that much of a psychopomp.

@farrel_ra

Жыл бұрын

@@SwordTune psychopomp nc word

@johnioannou7578

Жыл бұрын

@@farrel_ra it's an ancient Greek word (ψυχοπομπός) which actually means "the one who escorts the souls"....because Hermes was in charge of escorting the souls of the dead to Hades.

I love Neil Gaiman's books and stories, love how he tells them - but I have never actually hear him speak and tell things - I have never really looked for it to be honest. I saw this episode of support and this man is just pure gold. Everything I have imagined him to be and then a lot more to it. Thanks for existing, Mr.Gaiman!

@margokelley4528

Жыл бұрын

Try listening to his audiobooks, which he narrates himself (mostly). It's insanely relaxing.

@msfwebdude

Жыл бұрын

@@margokelley4528 could not agree more, Neil reading his own books, is pure gold.

@MinnieJuce

Жыл бұрын

I highly recommend his audiobooks narrated by himself, they are absolutely amazing

@Literarydilettante

Жыл бұрын

Watch his university address. It should be mandated watching for anyone in the creative arts.

@dhruvikasingh8783

Жыл бұрын

Watch his interviews with craig ferguson on the late late show. Pure gold. They're both funny af

I can listen to this man talk about anything, but he somehow manages to be always talking about something quite fascinating in a nuanced and entertaining way.

He's such an engaging speaker as well as an engaging writer, and he's clearly so knowledgeable about mythology. I love listening to people talk about things that they're passionate about.

I could legitimately listen to Neil answer mythology questions all day.

@DearxMyxSongs

Жыл бұрын

You should absolutely go to his tour if you can, he’s just answering questions, telling stories, reading excerpts and just generally being so delightful the time flies by.

Odin actually kind of tricked mímir when trading for wisdom. He plucked out his eye and threw it into the well of wisdom in exchange for a sip of the water. Little did mímir know that Odin would be able to look into the waters for guidance with the eye he traded.

@snazzypazzy

Жыл бұрын

It's also a story of sacrifice, and in my (not very extensive) reading of Norse myth, that does seem to be a common theme.

@shmookins

Жыл бұрын

Do you mean Odin's severed eye is in the well and so Odin can keep seeing the wisdom in the water? If so, that is very cunning indeed. I thought Odin just simply exchanged an eye for a one time wisdom shot.

@audhumbla6927

Жыл бұрын

remember he is JUST a writer, not a historian or professor in mythology in any way, absolutly not a reliable sourve to enterpret the norse eddas

@Matt_R310

Жыл бұрын

@@audhumbla6927 *absolutely not a reliable source* that was so funny 😂

@deatheater6222

Жыл бұрын

@@audhumbla6927 what do you have against him? youve already commented this in several other comments

Can Neil Gaiman just have his own show where he answers questions?

NG's version of death is my second favorite. Next to Death in The Book Thief. I also enjoy the colors.

"You'd probably have to find a minotaur who was a furry; like, not a furry minotaur, but a minotaur who was actually a furry...." Best and funniest explanation ever!

I’m actually really impressed that he was able to recite Hercules’ Labors. He truly is a storyteller.

@janezcy1

Жыл бұрын

He seems to have a cheat sheet on the table.

@simontuell3345

Жыл бұрын

I'm surprised that he didn't correct them for saying Hercules instead of Heracles.

@viktoriavidevska6148

Жыл бұрын

@@simontuell3345 Both are correct, actually: Heracles is the greek rendering of the name and Hercules is the roman one!

@laggybear829

Жыл бұрын

@AgirlnamedMichael He probably doesn't. But he still looks several times at a "12 boxes comic strip" on the table while narrating this bit. Maybe it was more comfortable to cheat a bit to avoid babbling in front of the camera :)

@sensennsen

Жыл бұрын

it's not hard to recite if you know the story well

1:31 On the Minotaur ordeal, last year I read a book on Greek mythology released back in the '60s or '70s that actually described a Minotaur more like a centaur, including Bull horns on a human head. So, according to that book, you could ride a Minotaur like a horse. That imagery of a conventional Minotaur who is also a furry & dresses up as a horse is exactly the kind of scrumptious nightmare fuel I crave, btw.

Anyone else notice... Those pictures of biblical angels look exactly like the images people see when taking hallucinogenics...

@neve2501

Жыл бұрын

I guess whoever wrote the bible was on mad drugs!

@simonsepic

Жыл бұрын

@@neve2501 just incase I wasn't suggesting it's real Christian stuff I meant exactly what ypu pointed out there.

My anthropology professor said we always have great flood stories is because people have always found sea life fossils high places. I know I always loved finding them in Kentucky as a kid.

@adamplentl5588

Жыл бұрын

The civilizations that have flood stories have them because they inhabited river areas prone to flooding.

@drennyvision6141

Жыл бұрын

The fossils are proof the Great Deluge/Flood really happened. Genesis chapter 6.

@adamplentl5588

Жыл бұрын

@@drennyvision6141 Grow up.

@koki84ji7

Жыл бұрын

@@drennyvision6141 lol

@AnonEyeMouse

Жыл бұрын

@@drennyvision6141 Huge floods happen often (historically speaking) world floods never have because there isn't enough water.

Amazing video. I have ALWAYS pondered that Pandora's box ending, and whether it was a final cruel joke to have meaningless hope or if it was a good thing like a final defense against the dark. I'm so happy my favorite author came to the same conclusion.

@DarkAngelEU

Жыл бұрын

Maybe it shows humanity's versatility, turning a cruel joke into a tool? I mean, if hope were such a cruel thing, why did we prosper with hope on our side?

@jamescallaghanmyp4074

Жыл бұрын

I always read it as all the things released into the world were the things we have, then hope is left Locked in the box as us having no hope in the world

I’m kinda thinking we’re already at the start of Ragnarok. Depressing I know, but Neil kind of described a lot of what’s happening now.

My favorite tattoo I have is inspired by Neil’s story “Troll Bridge”. We’re lucky to have such a storyteller. I absolutely adore his way with words.

I love Gaiman’s book about Norse Mythology and I would kill for him to do other mythology books like Egypt and Greek.

@francescakyanda9182

Жыл бұрын

YES this would be amazing

@hamoiq908

Жыл бұрын

YES one on every mythology would be the best

@karvistudios

Жыл бұрын

I feel like he could have some fun with Slavic mythology too

@Gazmus

Жыл бұрын

Stephen Fry did 3 books that are very good on the Greeks - Heroes, Mythos and..something else. I dont see Neil Gaiman doing them after Fry did, they would be far too similar. Egypt might be cool though.

@arianghorbani1305

Жыл бұрын

@Marcus you can literally look up “did romans reach scandinavia” and find out that you’re wrong lmao

As soon as the pandora one came up I was like, “IT’S A JAR!” Thank you Neil Gaiman for knowing things and telling people!

@TheWchurchill4pm

11 ай бұрын

I LOVED Natalie Haynes’s book!

The reason why the great flood story exists in so many versions of mythology (including Christianity, which is mythology if you weren't aware) is because the earliest forms of civilization grew next to rivers. The Nile, the Euphrates and Tigris, The Indus, The Yangtze and Yellow rivers spawned the very first human civilizations. These civilizations depended on their rivers to survive. When the rivers dried up they starved, when the rivers rose high they drowned. Very easy to understand parables. Simple as that.

Since always, my favourite writer

Ok but hope being the final cruelty of the gods is such a great take on the story of pandora's box! I never understood what such a "nice" thing was doing in a jar with all this evil stuff, now it makes so much sense

I saw him live in Denver this past summer and he’s exactly like this in person and he’s glorious.

I like how he looks and sounds mortified about loki turning into a mare to stop a stallion lmao

I could listen to this man talk forever. He narrates his own audiobooks. ❤

I could watch HOURS of Neil Gaiman telling us about myths, this is definitely one of the best videos y'all have done 😍

@planetdarksky

Жыл бұрын

May I suggest getting the audio book version of Norse Gods, he narrates it and it is fantastic.

@melissalong8491

Жыл бұрын

I agree, this is now my favorite WIRED video, and I didn't think they could top the mortician videos...

@TheSapphireLeo

Жыл бұрын

Wow... Read 'HOURS' as 'HORUS', Lmao!

3:56 is my favorite reminder, you're never expected to emulate them, just as much a warning as an aspiration.

I love reading Rick Riordan, Stephen Fry, can see myself enjoying Neil Gaiman. Learn so much mythology and feel smarter. I wish they would write a financial advice book that was entertaining like mythology. If the gods were investing on ASX

"I wrote 'Norse Mythology' by Neil Gaiman" I laughed so hard at that part, why did he have to say it like that? LMAO

"And beyond that you get into crotchets and quavers" 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Musical mythology FTW

I love how he talks almost a minute about Loki transforming into a horse to get laid :D

Mr G. Is a modern version of Clarke, Azimov,.and LOTR soul. What a personage to.have a conversation with. Thank you to whoever set this us. Somehow, in my mind he is.on the same wave length as Niel Stephenson... read both at the same time. Worlds and worlds within worlds while viewing the future. Just wow.

"Thor NOT missing an eye. You're thinking of Odin." The sass took me out lmao

I did not expect this interview but I’m so happy you guys did it 🙏🏽

@danceswithdirt7197

Жыл бұрын

I never clicked on a video so fast in my entire life on the Internet. I let out an actual audible gasp when I saw it in my subscription feed.

Just to clarify, about Greek and Viking gods, currently historians link the similarities mostly to their earlier Indo-European origin, not to contemporary (back then) influence.

As a Greek mythology fan I loved this video. Specially when he answers the 12 labors of Heracles. I would love to ask this man why is it that Heracles (a mostly famous in GREEK mythology) is talked about by people with his Roman equivalent name Hercules?

@margarita2003

Жыл бұрын

I think the animated Disney movie had something to do with it, I guess? Everyone else in that movie has their greek names, but Hercules has his roman name for some reason, so it stuck around. Idk if there might be a deeper reason behind it, that's my best guess lol.

I was completely captivated by his explanations 🤩 imagine being closer to him, like a student, actor ou another writer, discussing and talking about not only myths, but another comics creations.

I love Neil Gaiman. The way he speaks gives me Alan Rickman vibes and I'm here for it. Also funny guy

the answer about death in sandman is the most wholesome thing ever. also this whole video is amazing

Hope is the last thing in Pandora’s box because the Greeks weren’t sure if hope was a good or bad thing. One of my favorite philosophies to ponder in this whole human experience.

6:26 As a Norwegian, I can confirm that Norwegian folklore is also all terrifying

I think it should be mentioned that the Loki mare story is perhaps the only time Loki gets embarrassed by his actions and hates when other gods even hint at what he had to do. So he gets a taste of his own medicine.

@sejsuper4660

Жыл бұрын

loki also transforms into a female bridesmaid in the tale about thrym and thor's stolen hammer and there hes fine so yeah he could still be seen as genderfluid

@perevision

Жыл бұрын

@@sejsuper4660 that is one of my FAVOURITE Norse Myths of all time

@dickjones4356

Жыл бұрын

@@sejsuper4660 That still would not made him a genderfluid clearly you guys doesn't know what that word even mean.

Funny thing is, I have that Norse Mythology book that he wrote, but it never occurred to me at all that Mr Gaiman is complete expert on not only that mythology, but all classic mythologies. This was incredibly informative - I am going to watch this many times in order to memorise all the wonderful information that he gives us.

@hendrikstrauss3717

Жыл бұрын

He is no expert. He is an interested laymen. At least his first answer is bullocks. If he does not know, he should not answer. Intercultural exchange certainly is one reason but far far more likely is that roman and norse gods had similar origins and then diverged into different but similar mythologies. Just like languages did. Roman/Greek language and norse languages both are part of the indo-european language family. That is to say, there have been a people who spoke "indo-european" and very likely believed in similar gods and they settled in different parts of europe, interbred with the there living people who had their religious traditions, and with time they started to believe in slightly different things because their lived experience was different.

I could watch this guy talk about mythology for hours, please make another one

1:20 She obviously thought about centaur, not minotaur.

"You'd probably have to find a furry minotaur" Oh, how would that help? "Not a furry minotaur, a minotaur who was actually a furry" HUH

@katherinedobbs52

Жыл бұрын

You can really tell Neil spends time on Tumblr

@FallenBenevolence

Жыл бұрын

@@katherinedobbs52 Neil is one of the reasons I'm still on The Hellsite. He's the local tumblr cryptid and it's awesome.

@88marome

Жыл бұрын

You know, if a minotaur pretended to be an animal and went down on all fours...

@yourplaylist4538

Жыл бұрын

@@88marome 😃😄😃😄😃

The question about the minotaur makes it REAL obvious he's on tumblr and I love him for it! He's the only celebrity that makes sense on tumblr.

I wanna sit with Mr.Gaiman and play Mario cart (not a euphemism).

When I heard him talk about how our stories make our reality, I assumed it was metaphorical speaking or a kind of hyperbole. Over time, I've come to realize that our reality is indeed our stories. For example, "While I was driving, a car moved more closely to my car than I liked, so I slowed down a tiny bit to increase the space between our cars." That's what actually happened. The story is, "That @$#*&$ CUT ME OFF!" And that's my reality. This is a weak example really, but the "what is and what happened" is lifeless and meaningless without some story about it - it isn't anything. Our stories are what give life and meaning to the universe. Since we are just parts of the universe, parts that it turned into us, it stands to reason that the universe needs stories as well, to become fully real. So it turned bits of itself into us, the storytellers. And when I say storytellers I mean ALL of us. Some of us don't tell our stories to others much if at all, but we're all creating and telling them to ourselves.

@mxruwa5741

Жыл бұрын

Bruh. This is deadass half my life view. So cool to meet someone who also feels the same