Summary
- Sigrid's character in "Twilight of the Gods" is inspired by ancient Norse tradition and a mix of medieval stories.
- Lief and Sigrid are based on possible historical figures, connecting the animated series to real-life legends.
- The realm of "Jötunheimr" in the series represents hidden lands of supernatural beings, sparking conflicts in the plot.
In keeping with his usual formula, Zack Snyder has cast a strong female lead in his latest project, the animated series Twilight of the Gods. Sigrid isn't just a fierce warrior inspired by ancient Norse tradition, she's also a child of giants on her father's side and a supernatural being in her own right. Her story is that of a wandering fighter who loves her own people, but is alienated from them by an obvious physical difference.
TotG mixes medieval and ancient facts with fiction by including humans who have been touched by the gods and inspired by real-life figures. Sigrid's character is based on a mix of medieval stories regarding a Norse queen and the mythical residents, a clever and compelling mix that combines centuries of stories and legends.
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4 Sigrid The Haughty
Appears In Some Medieval Records
- A powerful but mysterious figure in medieval history.
Sigrid herself is fictional, but a real historical character shares her name along with some of her more distinctive characteristics. Sigrid the Haughty, also known as Sigrid the Proud, appears in many of the Norse sagas as a queen, first as the wife of Eric the Victorious of Sweden and Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. Her story appears in medieval poems and sagas, ranging from the 12th to 14th century, and is only tenuously connected to any deities.
There's little to corroborate these stories to confirm if she actually existed, but there are some distinct similarities between the legendary Sigrid and the protagonist of Twilight of the Gods. A 12th-century saga tells the story of how Eric the Victorious separated from her because of "her difficult moods." Spoiler alert: something similar happens with Sigrid and Lief at the end of season one.
3 Clan Völsung
The In-Laws Have Mythological Roots Too
- Lief is also based on a real person.
Speaking of Lief, his character also comes from a mix of ancient legend and historical reality. A warrior king with a history of conquer and pillage in TotG, King Leif is likely inspired by the exploits and history of the Völsung as recorded in several medieval poems.
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The Völsung were a powerful family descended from Odin and even had their own series of medieval poems, the Völsunga Saga. Sigemund, one of the more famous Völsun descendants, killed a giant wyrm, an event that gets a mention in the famous epic poem Beowulf.
The earlier saga tells the story of King Rerir of Hunaland, which focuses on how he and his queen struggled to conceive a child. The gods eventually heard their prayers and allowed them to continue the family line by supernatural means. This is reminiscent of the conflict that erupts between Leif and his father, in which the old man is concerned about Sigrid and Leif not having any children despite the two of them being together for several years.
2 Giants, Humans, And Gods
Everyone Has Their Place In Yggdrasil
- The location of The Open Hand in Norse cosmology.
Sigrid is half-giant, according to the lore of TotG, and the term "giant" can mean many different things other than just being larger than normal. The Norse term "jotun" can refer to all kinds of strange and wonderful supernatural beings that exist between the real world and the realm of her people.
For the sake of simple geography, the lands ruled by the Open Hand are somewhere to the northwest, in an isolated part of the ocean, which is similar to the explanation Sigrid uses in the series. A more complex location is given in Norse cosmology that includes a specific location on one of Yggdrasil's roots.
The realm of Midgard, which is where Earth and humans live, is located in the middle of the great world tree, above Hel but below Asgard. The Outer Lands, more commonly referred to as Jötunheimr, is depicted as being next to Midgard but separated from it. Although it's on the map, traveling there is impossible without magical powers or a resident to act as a guide.
1 Jötunheimr
Hidden Lands Of The Supernatural
- A whole realm that goes well beyond Sigrid's island.
Jötunheimr is never named thus in Twilight of the Gods, but this is the realm of the giants that could only be found by certain people using otherworldly methods. TotG describes it as the home of Sigrid and her people. Visitors are uncommon, which is all that Sigrid says to describe her family's location. However, that's more about accessibility as opposed to permission.
King Leif and his retainers are only able to find the island of the Open Hand because Sigrid takes them there. Other stories tell of enchanted rivers and forests that are secretly connected to Jötunheimr, also called Jötunheim, and the snowy mountains and deep cold are ideal environments for frost giants and old gods.
Travel between these realms can be dangerous, forbidden, and exciting. These kinds of incursions form the basis for the conflicts that make up the plot of the old legends and stories. The same thing is the catalyst for the action in TotG, in which Thor is angry with Loki for his relationships with giants. Sigrid's planned wedding, which would be between a half-giant and a human, also angers the gods.