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Laurits Seier Jutul in Ragnarök S03

Did anyone else see that Norwegian Netflix show Ragnarok? It was pretty alright actually, but I can't help noticing something odd about its particular treatment of Norse mythology in conjunction with the issues it's depicting.

See, a big part of the show is that a bunch of the cast are actually either Norse gods (the main character is a kid named Magne who is supposed to actually be Thor) or the "Giants" they fought. From early on, the show indicates to us in no uncertain terms that the "Giants" in this case are the Jutuls, a local rich family headed by an industrialist named Vidar, whose company is responsible for widespread environmental pollution and generally contributing to man-made climate change. In my opinion, that's the weird part.

The "Giants", or Jotunns, are generally held to be a kind of chaotic beings that lived in a realm beyond or outside the order created by the Aesir, and thus representing the wild and violent forces of nature, in contrast the Aesir who tended to control forces of nature while generally representing the order enjoyed by humans. They were what Daniel McCoy called "utangard beings par excellence", in that they lived literally "beyond the enclosure". This is also sometimes imagined as the distinction between those who were the benefactors of civilization on the one hand, and those who wanted to drag it back into chaos on the other hand. But in Ragnarok, we see that the "Giants" are depicted as basically the ones trying to exert human dominance and degradation of the natural world through industry. It is of course meant to echo the idea that the "Giants" are meant to be understood as the forces of destruction and chaos, albeit in what I suspect to be a very Christian-esque lens of the battle between good and evil, but in a very real sense, Ragnarok's "Giants" are the forces of civilization. Though it's not like the Aesir aren't. In fact, there might not really be a force against civilization in the show. There are the "Giants" who are the forces of civilization who want to keep extracting everything from the earth, and the gods who are the forces of civilization who want to stop them and idk maybe change things.

Of course this is all still just the first season. There's also an interesting theme going on where the "Giants" assert that they were originally worshipped as gods, and at that the first gods, being honoured with animal and even human sacrifices until the Aesir show up and "call themselves gods". It's an interesting theme in play for a number of reasons. It does play into the idea that the Jotunn may actually have been gods, and, for my money, that might actually be true. Definitely not "the first gods" in the sense that the Jutuls would insist, but there is some small evidence that Jotunns were in fact worshipped. We certainly know that Surtr was worshipped or at least ritually placated. On the other hand, thinking about it, one can't help but suspect the pang of a sort of social-evolutionist take on the Norse religion wherein everybody starts off killing people and other animals in sacrifices until a new and more "civilised" (yeah, "civilised", if you can believe it!) cult shows up, presumably to abolish all of that.

Yes! This was my main critique when I first saw season 1. I always understood the Aesir as civilization and order, occupying a looming stronghold surrounded by a huge wall to keep out the darkness, the unknown, the wild chaotic world. And then in Netflix Ragnarok, the remaining jotnar are the ones who occupy the stronghold on the hill with the gods on the outside.

At first, I was thinking that they took this position to make the gods more relatable to modern audiences. Back in the day, when these myths were conceived, environmental destruction and civilization could be very positive, if it meant keeping dangerous animals, elements, and marauders at bay. Nowadays, the wilds are not the threat they once were, and what little natural world remains needs to be preserved. As such, it seemed like they wanted to keep the gods as protagonists, so they changed up their role as the force of order and civilization.

I loved the show, but this was a very ill-fitting change, in my opinion. Because the roles weren't swapped one to one. The jotnar were still depicted as primal and chaotic, with their nude wilderness wandering, roaring and eating of hearts, and their seeming trance state and wild dancing/sex on listening to their old music. But then they were simultaneously cast in this rigid backdrop of upper class family and owners of everything, and it didn't quite mesh for me.

Then, after season 2, I started to wonder if this lack of cohesion was intentional. The Jutuls were not fully evil, and it seemed like the show was being very blatant about them not fitting with the lifestyle they were stuck in. They were all playing roles as a family over and over again, completely disconnected from who they really were. The show also brought in two other young gods and showed them taking advantage of their power to benefit themselves and lord over others. It looked to me like the show was building up a theme of power elevating but also corrupting, alienating, and trapping. The Jutuls were seemingly the only survivors from the previous Ragnarok, so they were naturally the most powerful beings left. But they took advantage of this power and ended up filling the ill-fitting space the gods had left behind, lording over all others. I felt like the show was building to this and that it would be fully realised and hopefully resolved in season 3.

Season 3 started with the gods abusing their powers much more egregiously. Eventually, even the protagonist succumbed to this. I was hoping this was building to a reveal that the gods were no more righteous than the jotnar, back in the beginning- they were just the ones in charge. And now the jotnar were in charge, having taken their place. But the jotnar, who were so closely linked with natural forces, turned to destruction of nature in their quest for power, and that was why they could never be happy or satisfied where they were. They were destroying themselves along the way. As long as either gods or jotnar abused their abilities for power and domination, they would be changed for the worse and trapped in this cycle of Ragnarok. The only thing that would break this cycle would be ceasing this endless domination to achieve balance.

When Wotan took Magne aside in the wilderness, talking about Thor’s connection to the natural world, I really thought we were going there. And then... mmm... maybe to a small extent. I feel like the show only went part of the way, and not in the ways that mattered to me in the story. They called a truce, but it was based on a power imbalance, and it lacked meaning other than just not wanting to die. The gods continued to abuse their powers to elevate themselves, and the jotnar continued playing their ill-fitting roles. There was no end to the quest for power on both sides, even if they agreed to coexist. And my hopes for the jotnar achieving internal peace and balance by returning to their true calling of nature seemed to be dashed.

I really feel like the show could have used a fourth season. I want to believe that these elements would have been resolved better with more time. I wonder if the last episode ended the way it did because they didn't have time for a proper resolution. Or maybe the last episode was how the show was supposed to end all along, in which case a lot of resolution would lose its impact anyway. I will continue to wonder how much of this story was changed over the years, and to what extent. I still love the show, but the quality of the story and characters really deserved a more fleshed out ending, in my opinion.

Ragnarok without context

Re: Laurits Character Development

(Ragnarok Spoilers)

I feel like Laurits was actually the reasonable one throughout all of season three, and it was ultimately his reasoning that led to the resolution.

Interesting considering Loki is blamed for starting Ragnarok and as such people have treated Laurits like a traitor or a pawn the entire time.

No one wants to take accountability for themselves so they make Laurits & Loki scapegoats. He put his foot down, though, and changed everything.

Laurits matured quite a lot and held onto his beliefs even when everyone else mistreated him. I was kind of worried they'd make him go full villain but...

It was Magne's pride and hubris that got the better of him, in addition to Fjor's fear of losing power. All the others wanted to profit off of godliness.

Laurits just wanted to be himself and live peacefully. He's always played both sides in order to just be able to exist freely and enjoy life.

That's very Loki of him. Like, the mythos Loki. Not the villain Loki popularized in media. Maybe that's why Magne struggled to understand him.

Magne judged him on this perception of who Loki was supposed to be and for a long time he didn't accept him for being both god and giant.

Everyone was trying to make Laurits "good" by making him choose a side, but as shown neither god nor giant are inherently good or evil.

Because both were capable of good and evil.

When Jens tells Laurits he's a good person and Laurits says he's never been told that before it really solidifies how awful people have treated him.

For something he can't control - his ancestry.

Anyway, I was ready to see Laurits sharply decline into villainy given the end of the second season but I was pleasantly surprised by his development.

RAGNAROK 2.06 “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE”

Edit: I forgot to clarify. When I say "Ragnarok", I'm talking about the Norwegian Netflix Series. NOT Thor: Ragnarok (2017) from Marvel.

You really can't trust Marvel to handle anything re: Loki's identity or any traumas associated w/ it while Ragnarok does the opposite and gets minimal praise for it comparatively. It's such a shame. Like, I don't care how anyone personally feels about the character. Here are The Facts:

Marvel never adequately addressed that Loki was stolen from the Jotnar as a baby, and that he was adopted into a society that hated Jotnar - that Loki has a complex relationship with his identity because of this and that Odin played the part of a genocidal warmonger far before Loki ever did.

Ragnarok explicitly identified 'Loki's' parentage as a complicated part of his identity, and they continued with this throughout the show. His inability to fit neatly into the 'god' or 'jotnar' categories results him being both used and discarded by both. "Odin" is not clearly a benevolent god who is always justified.

Marvel Loki's identity as a Jotun is rarely brought up ever again. Whereas it's a constant point of conflict for 'Loki' in Ragnarok, and actually he doesn't hate being a Jotun because it FINALLY explains why he feels different from everyone else AND 'Thor' tries to protect him despite his difference.

Marvel has "fluid" written under sex/gender for Loki, and gets monumental praise for it. They put in a throw away line about hAs AnYonE EvER sEen A FeMAle LokI soUnds TerrIFying or whatever which completely ignores the fact that Loki's gender is fluid, defeating the purpose of that "fluid" line.

Also, they make their Loki fall in love with a female variant of himself rather than commit to showing either in queer relationships, after another throw away comment about them both being bisexual. Like, there's a running theme of telling and not showing in Marvel and I hate it.

Ragnarok's 'Loki' dresses however they want, and he's in "women's clothes" and wearing makeup by like the second episode. He internalizes that his feminine appearance and dress makes him a freak, but he does it anyway AND his family supports him! They encourage him to be himself!

Also! He explicitly flirts with men. He explicitly says he doesn't care about gender and sexuality, not that they aren't important to him but they're not a barrier to him. He shows a wide range of complicated feelings towards his identity that are actually explored and taken seriously.

Marvel will NEVER do that in their MCU.

RAGNAROK 2.06 “ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE”

Laurits has very clear attachment issues that I wish people would take into account when judging his actions. Not just why he flip flops between helpful and not-helpful behaviors, but why he struggles to connect with his peers in general. It seems a bit paradoxical - he gets attached easily to anyone who gives him the tiniest hint of acceptance / inclusion (e.g. Fjor & friends, Jens, Vidar...) but he is incapable of maintaining those relationships. He internalizes this, blaming himself. Yet, many of the people around him simply do not understand what it is like to be him. People in Edda seem generally accepting of gay, lesbian, and transgender people. At the same time, Laurits does not fit neatly into any one identity. He can make friends easily by being bold in his gender presentation and his words/actions, which people like. They just don’t care to know him beyond the performance he gives to gain the attention and acceptance and affection he seeks, and he doesn’t really know why that is so he calls himself a freak. He’s not a person. He’s a roadside attraction. He can certainly entertain people but he can’t ever truly fit in. This makes him feel unwanted and unlovable.

To compound all of this, Laurits has to deal with a familial identity crisis. Magne’s father, who Laurits admired and feared he couldn’t live up to, isn’t Laurits father. Vidar is a terrible person, but at this point Laurits is willing to do anything to gain a sense of belonging. Perhaps on a subconscious level, he knows Vidar is only getting closer with him to get to Magne. He was so happy to spend the day with Vidar, but his smile fell as soon as Vidar started asking questions about Magne. He didn’t want this. He just wanted a father who could be there for him, relate to him, teach him to be stronger, and accept him as their son. Now, he’s forced to split his loyalty between his father and his brother who hate each other. Helping either one of them calls into question his loyalties. No matter what he comes out a traitor. He’s not fully allowed to be either Vidar’s son or Magne’s brother. His desperation leads to an unhealthy attachment to Vidar, who is literally just using him. The rest of the Jutuls hate him and call him a bastard and a “thing” - not a person, a thing. Meanwhile, Magne becomes easily upset with him and doesn’t trust him even when Laurits does try to maintain their relationship.

Odin/Wotan, as usual, does not help matters. Laurits is trying to precariously balance his relationship with Vidar with helping out Magne. To just walk into the room with Magne offering help only to be told by Odin/Wotan that it’s in his nature to be a traitor was horrible (as if alienating and hurting Loki and his children didn’t make Ragnarok a self fulfilling prophecy...) He’s really just a kid who is trying to find his place. His awakening as Loki doesn’t make him good or evil. His skill of deception isn’t more or less hurtful or helpful than Thor’s direct and violent approach to problem solving. Being forced out, Laurits took Odin’s blood knowing it would be the only way to preserve his life. By being both god and Jotun, he’s no longer forced to be loyal to one side or another. He can pick whatever side helps him survive. That may seem self-centered of him, but that’s just what happens to people who don’t feel loved or cared for at all. They fight for themselves because no one else fights for them. Now, it’s easy enough to say - hey wait - Magne fights for him! ...but that’s... complicated. I have no doubt Magne loves his brother, but winning his battle hinges on the destruction of the Jotun... and Laurits is Jotun.

Maybe there is a way around that, but for Laurits it doesn’t look good. I’ve said this before, but it’s hard for Laurits to reconcile Magne telling him he’s his most important person and he loves him with Magne killing Vidar and forging a hammer that could kill more Jotun. I am not trying to condemn Magne, because I believe he did everything for the right reasons and he’s really trying to protect Laurits. It’s just that Laurits still doesn’t know where he stands, and by the end of the second season he’s decided to just stand for himself. You can really see how confused and frustrated he is by all of this after he is beaten and Magne rescues him again. Magne holds him. Apologizes to him. Affirms he cares for Laurits in his actions. It’s the closest Laurits gets to anyone showing him genuine kindness in a long time, and it’s from the one person who could utterly destroy him. Not only that, but Laurits now has his own weapon (the Midgard Serpent) which he may have to use against Magne either because the Jutuls force his hand or Magne does. The tears that roll down his face while in Magne’s arms seem at odds with the very next scene of him releasing Jormungandr but it isn’t.

It encapsulates Laurits’ inability to form any stable attachment to anyone and his belief that the only way he can survive this ‘war’ is to look out for himself and his own interests.

LAURITS SEIER’S LAST APPEARANCE in RAGNAROK 2.06