Neil Gaiman Answers Mythology Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

Author Neil Gaiman takes to Twitter to answer the internet's burning questions about mythology. What links Viking and Greek myths? Why does Anubis have a dog head? Why do so many cultures have a 'Great Flood' myth? What do Biblical angels look like? Neil answers all these questions and much, much more!
The Sandman is available to stream exclusively on Netflix beginning August 5th.
Director: Justin Wolfson
Director of Photography: Charlie Jordan
Editor: Patrick Biesemans, Paul Tael
Expert: Neil Gaiman
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Brandon White
Production Manager: Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Assistant Camera: Lauren Pruitt
Audio: Rebecca O'Neil
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Diego Rentsch
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[@bloodypedant]

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]

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

[@voidnoidoid]

​@@denikehi4579 LMAO

[@keannabunch9191]

John green my dude.

[@Sentientmatter8]

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

[@letusthanatos1240]

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

[@northboundw5248]

RIP to that guy who mixed up minotaurs and centaurs

[@Melsharpe95]

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

[@paveladamek3502]

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

[@dukedukeson2158]

​@@paveladamek3502brother...

[@celunax]

​@@paveladamek3502 or a man 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@tim-alexanderteuner3874]

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

[@elenihorwath6234]

That’s exactly what I was thinking

[@Sentientmatter8]

Idk if sense is the word

[@OneRandomLeo]

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]

Maybe it was a woman and she meant the riding.

[@loverrlee]

Yeah exactly 😂

[@youbute4877]

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]

Oooh and that would be fun

[@duncanmcdonald5250]

There is a 1 hour KZbin 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). kzbin.info/www/bejne/opXIiJZ9Yr6ZoNE

[@snazzypazzy]

Oh my, I want that too!

[@adityaagungpratama1181]

put Alan Davies there and it will be a QI episode

[@FuzzyContrl]

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

[@Martin-xd4jl]

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]

What a wonderful thought! Thank you for that!

[@lucyandecember2843]

o.o

[@gir5o1]

It takes a goth to write goth characters 😂🖤

[@lilianakiraly8496]

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]

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

[@sammuelcruz4169]

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

[@xyc350]

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

[@santishorts]

I love the level of commitment people have these days. It's not a "I would love if Neil Gaiman started a KZbin 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]

mythology hotline! lol

[@MalcIgg]

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

[@EspeonMistress00]

@@MalcIgg Does he read his audio books?

[@vmvengsub3812]

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

[@vettech_]

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

[@monke_penguin]

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

[@vmvengsub3812]

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

[@giyuutomioka6974]

​@@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]

He also kinda sounds like Severus Snape

[@SirLightsOut99]

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]

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]

He had a cheat sheet in front of him.

[@dizmog]

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

[@jjwang7597]

He literally had a paper bro lol

[@deli5194]

i know the seven trials of rostam if that counts lol

[@Gamepro2112]

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]

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

[@xCorvus7x]

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

[@animevsirl]

not to be confused with a "furry" Minotaur

[@perevision]

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

[@Tarotiste]

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!🥰

[@chrisbellard2884]

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

[@MrBeefyweefs]

baNAna...

[@pedro4464]

He sounds so british.

[@SkullAngel002]

Or a lengthy CVS receipt.

[@neallong2480]

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

[@hydrofalls8154]

Same I just want to make him talk for ages.

[@whitrobinson]

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]

Imagine Neil telling Coraline to his kids as bedtime stories

[@EeeEee-bm5gx]

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

[@SnowyMary]

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

[@dris6]

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]

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.

[@natethebass-man2869]

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

[@Mr.Abreu.76]

You beat me to this comment.

[@SevenHunnid]

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

[@unnamellie]

@@SevenHunnid Ok

[@lenninmontiel4539]

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

[@lenninmontiel4539]

@@SevenHunnid you do you

[@AgerBoniard]

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]

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

[@yippykiay13]

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

[@204lemon]

reminds me of death in Amazing Maurice

[@danielmintz7869]

@@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]

@@204lemon well Pratchett wrote that one too.

[@PoetryInHats]

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

[@TheWchurchill4pm]

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]

I also.

[@meikusje]

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

[@themoonsevilsister1561]

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

[@cyanide1931]

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

[@lenninmontiel4539]

Furries are cute but wen he talked about furry minotaurs lol

[@HPFireYT]

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

[@BladedEdge]

He's very active on Tumblr.

[@fthurman]

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

[@SDOtunes]

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

[@TheSapphireLeo]

Yup!

[@gd__vk6991]

They talk veeeery similar

[@drock55551]

Was just thinking that!

[@pia91]

This is...surprisingly on point😅

[@anonymousfellow8879]

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

[@Lemons3457]

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

[@clpumm]

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

[@shelleyhorner8311]

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]

I love his writing style too!!!!

[@rodoshi963]

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

[@Zavitor]

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

[@chibichibi51]

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

[@bomlife1572]

@@Zavitor modern day events that are happening

[@danielpercival7498]

Have a listen to his audiobooks. Brilliant storyteller

[@agin1519]

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.

[@plumblossom44]

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]

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]

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

[@icarusbinns3156]

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]

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]

@@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

[@iggykidd]

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

[@leiii05]

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]

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]

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

[@zartok1998]

"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]

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

[@snazzypazzy]

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

[@MaartenSchilder]

🤣🤣🤣

[@xxMpEGxx]

"Introverts!!!! Assemble."

[@audhumbla6927]

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

[@AnimecrazySakura7]

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

[@melissalong8491]

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]

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

[@j-rey-]

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]

MYTHS

[@LiminallyYours]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@lara_xy]

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

[@Sentientmatter8]

​@@ElysseW Neverwhere

[@alexiagreider3231]

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

[@PeterWasted]

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

[@WHTJunior]

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

[@MemphiStig]

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

[@chattyotter3300]

@@MemphiStig I understood that reference

[@rmsgrey]

@@chattyotter3300 I understood that reference!

[@andreapadilla6962]

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]

Right? 😂

[@xxglowenxx]

We're all a tumblr teen at heart lol

[@idontneedaname318]

He's just like me frfr (sarcasm)

[@MsTeaFiend]

He is on Tumblr. He is one of us.

[@trishasurangana2278]

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.

[@littlewillowlinda]

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]

Wdym, what series

[@lefozitym]

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

[@chrisose]

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.

[@noemiecansier8466]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@semaj_5022]

​@@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

[@melissalong8491]

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]

Same!

[@jeanettecooper1582]

My sentiments exactly !

[@christinabaumgartner5163]

Same

[@paigeherrin29]

Same!

[@allentastic]

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

[@troublewithweebles]

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]

humans since forever: floor keeps gettin wet

[@johnnyrivas2619]

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.

[@ghostflani]

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

[@dmal3555]

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]

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]

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

[@xanthippus3190]

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

[@bulgna]

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"

[@xeninvillacarlos1322]

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]

makes sense

[@uncannyvalley2350]

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

[@normiedeathsquad40]

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]

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

[@Perfectly_Cromulent351]

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

[@sminkycorp]

Early Life

[@llll-lk2mm]

@@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

[@daphne-bai]

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]

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

[@khorinis8161]

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

[@SwordTune]

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]

@@SwordTune psychopomp nc word

[@johnioannou7578]

@@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.

[@Vesperitis]

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

[@octagonseventynine1253]

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

[@alalalala57]

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

[@joshwarrey3728]

Gaiman is a Geek God

[@dysmissme7343]

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]

@@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."

[@tomassoejakto1833]

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.

[@timothymallon]

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

[@myragroenewegen5426]

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]

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

[@thisismylovehandle]

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

[@ejlahti]

sounds like someone assumed godhood

[@davecho7367]

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

[@armistice_front]

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

[@vargavio]

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]

Why did Zeus have to be the head?

[@antiochus87]

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

[@archertarot7049]

@@antiochus87 sounds like you don't know

[@vargavio]

@@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]

@@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.

[@GolanCanuzo]

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.

[@emma-di5ly]

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.

[@Pad929]

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]

Which episode was that?

[@becca3956]

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

[@Archarian]

​@@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]

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

[@zwenwang698]

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

[@LuffyxNamiisathing]

I also live here

[@scarletramona88]

Same! He's absolutely amazing!

[@SuperBeth1001]

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 😁

[@JordanSullivanadventures]

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.

[@marcinswidzinski]

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]

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

[@msfwebdude]

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

[@MinnieJuce]

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

[@Literarydilettante]

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

[@dhruvikasingh8783]

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

[@cthomas025]

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

[@Hydrocarbonateable]

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

[@cha5]

Or mixed up Minotaurs with Cowtaurs.

[@coconutcore]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@Kali-Yuga-Peace-Corp]

@@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]

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 :(

[@BaldPerspective]

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.

[@Miksarxe]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[@deatheater6222]

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

[@adamstarnes2939]

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]

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]

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

[@paintproduct2332]

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.

[@aretapf]

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.

[@David_Jr]

"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!

[@user-pt1cz4ot1e]

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]

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

[@drennyvision6141]

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

[@adamplentl5588]

@@drennyvision6141 Grow up.

[@koki84ji7]

@@drennyvision6141 lol

[@AnonEyeMouse]

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

[@yourmomsaccount69]

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

[@Erika-kw7ur]

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

[@CLSGL]

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

[@janezcy1]

He seems to have a cheat sheet on the table.

[@simontuell3345]

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

[@viktoriavidevska6148]

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

[@laggybear829]

@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]

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

[@InconspicuousLagomorph]

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

[@DearxMyxSongs]

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.

[@Marianita195]

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

[@joeo6378]

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

[@glossaria2]

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

[@Abelhawk]

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

[@francescakyanda9182]

YES this would be amazing

[@hamoiq908]

YES one on every mythology would be the best

[@karvistudios]

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

[@Gazmus]

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]

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

[@TomOtero1984]

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

[@ygunayer]

I think I can listen to him talk all day long, such an incredible personality!

[@Eyeseathem]

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]

I LOVED Natalie Haynes’s book!

[@fly1ngsh33p7]

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

[@roberth1310]

This was super cool! The different mythologies intermixing and such

[@metalmike362]

Most of the time I was confused during this but it was still a massive delight to hear this man speak

[@luzsena3256]

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

[@thtawkwardnerd]

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

[@planetdarksky]

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

[@melissalong8491]

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

[@TheSapphireLeo]

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

[@midkingsteve]

Please do a pt 2. And 3. And 4. PLEEAASE

[@iseetea47]

I've heard of Neil Gaiman because I love good omens, I didn't know he was such a big mythology fan! hearing him talking about it here is opening a whole new world for me as i've only ever heard of Zeus and Loki and Norse gods etc very briefly. He's seriously making me consider going into a deep delve of mythology and then reading all of his books

[@rosscolburn3677]

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

[@starscarrednyx]

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

[@tylerpeacock8245]

I knew almost everything he answered... and what I couldn't call to mind, I was being reminded more than I was learning. I've apparently been absolutely _steeped_ in mythology.

[@nathanb5579]

I could watch/listen this guy talk about this stuff forever

[@chcomes]

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.

[@alicenightray5901]

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

[@jamesstephenbrown]

I so wish he’d got Mitchell and Webb to play the leads in good omens, they were the voices in my head while reading. They were flawless.

[@psgamer-0199]

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]

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.

[@den8584]

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

[@raphaelsanandres6221]

"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]

You can really tell Neil spends time on Tumblr

[@FallenBenevolence]

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

[@88marome]

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

[@yourplaylist4538]

@@88marome 😃😄😃😄😃

[@acenoir9923]

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

[@pegas1ster]

Highly recommend getting the Norse Mythology audiobook on Audible that is narrated by Neil. I use it for bedtime stories in a rotation of other calming, informative, and mysterious books that I go through.

[@undead.rising]

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]

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.

[@aidanrogers4438]

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]

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]

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

[@dickjones4356]

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

[@channingbushman5346]

The sweet way that he talks - I need a podcast to fall asleep to just hearing these stories

[@soffa93]

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

[@khalilahd.]

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

[@danceswithdirt7197]

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.

[@njsoapdish]

My theory is that a great deal of these ancient gods were in fact real people who were cult leaders that merely convinced people they were gods with their charisma. This makes a lot of sense for the Greeks and Zues in particular.

[@Aaron_Lesse]

I'm definitely adding this video to my KZbin playlist entitled "Mythology and Ancient Lore."

[@peepeehead123]

Honestly the editing and constant cutaways every 1.5 seconds makes it incredibly hard to focus on how awesome Neil Gaiman is. We don’t need 12 angles and 5 separate zoom frames to enjoy a video