“Odin and Fenris” 1909 illustration by Dorothy Hardy in Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber – I own the book with this image (public domain)

(8) NORSE MYTHOLOGY

Norse mythology is essentially the cabin in the woods, metaphorically as the horror trope.

Arguably even literally as the 2011 film of that name, as elaborate and deceptive machinations behind the scenes – primarily by Odin – for ritual sacrifice to keep the world-destroying eldritch abominations at bay.

But certainly at the metaphorical level of the horror trope, Norse mythology is the cabin in the apocalyptic woods.

The apocalypse, that is of fire, ice and darkness – embodied or represented by giants, monstrous wolves or serpents, and the evil dead of Hel. An apocalypse that the gods can only hope to keep at bay but will ultimately overwhelm them and destroy the world – an apocalypse where even the greatest of gods will be swallowed up by wolves or drowned in venom.

Sure, Asgard and Valhalla might be much grander places than the usual cabin in the woods to bunker down and party up in preparation for the apocalyptic horror.

Sure, the gods are much more powerful than the average horror protagonist in the cabin of the woods. Well, with the exception of Ash Williams in the Evil Dead franchise, but we all know he’s a dead ringer for the god Tyr, even down to the sacrificial loss of his hand.

The gods can even have a bit of fun and adventure before the metaphorical lights go out, aided to some extent by limited co-existence or détente with antagonists that are not quite as adversarial as the average horror antagonists, at least for a while.

But in the end, Norse mythology is the cabin in the woods, besieged by apocalyptic eldritch abominations.

As with the Bible and classical mythology, modern horror rarely adapts the eldritch abominations of Norse mythology directly – with the notable exception of the 2017 film The Ritual (and the book it adapted)– but instead adapts its ambience, template and tropes for the cabin in the woods.