Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Hahaha, Thor's neon beard XD

Dont you know its the subject of many legends!

[Riothamus12]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

I hate erroneous information its one reason why I dislike Wikipedia and "nutritionists" .But this is a work of fiction its not selling itself as truth.
And lets be honest, given how much information in religion is UPG or based on tenuous interpretations of old biased and erroneous/taken out of context texts, its hard to criticize the movie makers too much.

They have set out to make a fun action packed fantasy movie that some elements from European myth and religion to help attract viewers and give them something to relate too.
Besides Odin was a necromancer, and he has a huge army of once dead warriors

I don't care what they're selling it as. The last thing we need is more of the ignorance on the subject being propagated. There's too much of it as it is. I hope the film bombs.I would also beg to differ on the upg thing. Have the followers of the many old Gods not suffered enough of this sort of thing? Thor, the valiant defender of human kind deserves better.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

We're not the only religion who has been portrayed negatively and stupidly in movies. And we're not the only mythology that has had horrendously erroneous information spread around about.

I wont personally get my knickers in twist about it, but then I'm kinda used to it... no one ever portrays Demonolatry or Satanism in anything but a negative and ridiculously inaccurate light.

Besides... forgetting the mythology for a minute... who's ever seen a historically accurate Viking film? Ever? My favourite so far is 'Outlander' and it has aliens in it. I've simply given up hope for an accurate and respectful Viking or Norse mythology film.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

I don't care what they're selling it as. The last thing we need is more of the ignorance on the subject being propagated. There's too much of it as it is. I hope the film bombs.I would also beg to differ on the upg thing. Have the followers of the many old Gods not suffered enough of this sort of thing? Thor, the valiant defender of human kind deserves better.

All major world religions deal with it in some form, for us the Marvel series has been doing a good job of turning Thor and Odin into a 12 year old boys super hero fantasies. Difference is most Heathens are strong enough mentally to shrug it off, we're not a pregmatic religion like the major ones, so we seek not mass conversion, therefore we are fine keeping to our own faith and devices. Does not matter what the populace thinks, if they do not believe Thor is real, how can they shame him? Its like me saying superman is stupid, and then a bunch of people jumping up and saying "Superman the valiant defender of of human kind deserves better!" Well, I don't believe he's real, so he doesn't deserve much.

Gotta take into account the fact that we are a very small and minor religion in the grand scope of the modern world.

[Lokabrenna]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

I'm generally meh when it comes to depictions of my deities in media. I mean, I'm really not one to talk:

I like Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, if nothing else, it's cute.
I play games in the Shin Megami Tensei series (and spinoffs) which is like Pokemon....with deities and spirits from all over the world. I used Thor to beat one of the final bosses once.
Oh, and let's not forget Valkyrie Profile, where Frey is a girl and Odin is half elf (this is actually something they explain in the game. Freya kicks ass though.

I like to read urban fantasy with Norse themes just to see how badly they bungle it. In Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, Thor is a major asshole who kills people for no reason.

[Riothamus12]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

All major world religions deal with it in some form, for us the Marvel series has been doing a good job of turning Thor and Odin into a 12 year old boys super hero fantasies. Difference is most Heathens are strong enough mentally to shrug it off, we're not a pregmatic religion like the major ones, so we seek not mass conversion, therefore we are fine keeping to our own faith and devices. Does not matter what the populace thinks, if they do not believe Thor is real, how can they shame him? Its like me saying superman is stupid, and then a bunch of people jumping up and saying "Superman the valiant defender of of human kind deserves better!" Well, I don't believe he's real, so he doesn't deserve much.

Gotta take into account the fact that we are a very small and minor religion in the grand scope of the modern world.

Well they are fools for denying the old ones existence in my eyes. Not worshiping a God does not mean you should disrespect them. The ways we follow no matter how new the path is, is based in wisdom that is as venerable and ancient as any and if nothing else it deserves proper respect no matter how few there are. I long to see the day of temples standing like cathedrals and churches among the cities of the world where chants to ancient Gods echo nigh the whole day round. Whether I live to see such a day or not is beyond my control, but I think we deserve that much as such believers.

[Denarius]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Well, I don't believe he's real, so he doesn't deserve much.

Supes has actually done some pretty heroic things in our world, despite his existential handicap.

Not worshiping a God does not mean you should disrespect them.

I'll give you that, just not believing in something is not grounds for disrespect. However, there is no real reason why we shouldn't disrespect them and no real reason why we should respect them either.

I don't see how this is any different than say The Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, American Gods, or Good Omens. Aside from story quality, that is.

[Doc_Holliday]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Well they are fools for denying the old ones existence in my eyes. Not worshiping a God does not mean you should disrespect them.

Careful, that is the exact type of ideology that kept us from practicing our faith for more than 1500 years. We have just been given back our rights to worship and our reconstruction paths are very, very new. That doesn't mean we all need to get a chip on our shoulder and walk around saying "Hehe Odin and Thor forever don't be fools believe what I believe!" No sir, maybe its because I come from a very multicultural and accepting part of Canada. But my view is and always has been "Who in the fuck are we to say our gods are real and theirs aren't, and vice versa." The people you say are fools for not believing in old gods, they are some of the wisest and most caring I've ever met. Christians and muslims that is. You have to understand how ignorant it is to believe that all people are fools if they do not believe what you believe, and that if they do not believe in my gods existence they still have to roll him out the red carpet. We're brand new here, I don't see how we have the right to, with maybe 1-2% of the worlds religous populaton being heathens, if even that much. I don't see how we have the right to topple the main religion on earth wich is a 2000 year old collection of amazing stories, wisdom and solutions for the every day man. Christianity is a brilliant and adaptable religion that has not run its course yet like our old ways did, keep in mind, we saw Christians and Christians saw us (Back in Viking ages) and we both said "What fools for not believing our ways!" and they slaughtered our believers and converted the rest. Now, you can't blame those old trespasses on the Christians of today, but it just goes to show you where elitism and close mindedness has gotten both sides so far.

The ways we follow no matter how new the path is, is based in wisdom that is as venerable and ancient as any and if nothing else it deserves proper respect no matter how few there are. I long to see the day of temples standing like cathedrals and churches among the cities of the world where chants to ancient Gods echo nigh the whole day round. Whether I live to see such a day or not is beyond my control, but I think we deserve that much as such believers.

I agree with your vision, great temples and old gods' statues everywhere etc. etc.

But I see not why we can't have a catholic church three doors down, thats my vision. Acceptance has to come first for us to progress anywhere. And we cant expect the 99.9% of the rest of the world to conform for little us, its a bit conceited.

[Aeran]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

I like Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok, if nothing else, it's cute.

Wow, I can't believe that's an actual title for a show Thought it was a joke at first.

Anyway I'm not a heathen (although I am something of a norse myth fanboy), but given how absurdly so many other religions have been depicted by movies in the past, I can't see why this is worth getting worked up about. Is it any more offensive than something like, off the top of my head, the way the angel Gabriel was depicted in that Constantine movie? What about Stargate portraying the Norse pantheon as little grey men battling the Egyptian/assorted other pantheons who are really alien slugs who possess human bodies? Yeah it sucks seeing a deity a lot of people have a spiritual connection to being misrepresented, but it's just a movie, and one that looks almost certain to bomb at that. There are more important things to get worked up over.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

SG-1 Asgard and their "We won't interfere at all unless the Protected Planets Treaty is broken. You don't see us arming Earth and Stargate Command fixed that damaged star all by itself," policy were awesome. Other pantheons tended to get screwed over by the series though.

That said, pretty much agreeing with the point that the film industry does this to everyone.

[Claude]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

We're not the only religion who has been portrayed negatively and stupidly in movies. And we're not the only mythology that has had horrendously erroneous information spread around about.

I wont personally get my knickers in twist about it, but then I'm kinda used to it... no one ever portrays Demonolatry or Satanism in anything but a negative and ridiculously inaccurate light.

Besides... forgetting the mythology for a minute... who's ever seen a historically accurate Viking film? Ever? My favourite so far is 'Outlander' and it has aliens in it. I've simply given up hope for an accurate and respectful Viking or Norse mythology film.

I actually watched a really good Viking movie back in June. I can't remember what the name was, but it was a Swedish movie about a girl who is abducted by a crazy bandit chick and her posse. She escapes with this other girl named Frejya and I'll leave it at that in case you guys figure out what I'm talking about and watch it.

There are good movies out there. You just have to dig through a pile of moronic horse dung to find them.

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SG-1 Asgard and their "We won't interfere at all unless the Protected Planets Treaty is broken. You don't see us arming Earth and Stargate Command fixed that damaged star all by itself," policy were awesome. Other pantheons tended to get screwed over by the series though.

That said, pretty much agreeing with the point that the film industry does this to everyone.

I love love love SG-1! They only used three pantheons:Norse, Chinese and Egyptian. Despite the terrible inaccuracies I still cry when I think about how the series ended. lol

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My issue with all of this is that no one would ever ever ever make a fictional movie portraying Jesus as a hippie and Judas as a bad-ass zombie killer. Even if such a movie was made it'd never make it into a theater. But any movie showing Zeus as a petty monster feeding off the fear of worshipers or Thor a tye-dyed megalomaniac have the opportunity to be box office hits. That sort of double standard is what gets me going. If one god if fair game then they all are no if ands or buts.

[MaskedOne]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Nope, they pulled in Kali, Cronus, Camulus and Amaterasu as System Lords. So that adds Hindu, Greek, Celtic and Shinto representatives. They also had a devil analog and the Ori tended to pull some of the more idiotic stunts of Abrahamic faiths. SG-1 pretty much said screw you to anyone outside the Aesir* or Arthurian myth.

*The Pegasus offshoot of Asgard that were villains for a week or so were called Vanir if memory serves.

Ignoring the horrible treatment of all non-Aesir, non Arthurian characters in the series, it still had some cool elements. The Asgard were great. I despised Unending. They could've done better by the Asgard than that.

[Denarius]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Even if such a movie was made it'd never make it into a theater.

Dogma was in theaters and it portrayed God as a crazy girl who liked skeeball. There is also Legion, which is pretty damn blasphemous... Seriously look it up.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

I actually watched a really good Viking movie back in June. I can't remember what the name was, but it was a Swedish movie about a girl who is abducted by a crazy bandit chick and her posse. She escapes with this other girl named Frejya and I'll leave it at that in case you guys figure out what I'm talking about and watch it.

There are good movies out there. You just have to dig through a pile of moronic horse dung to find them.

I actually really like Viking movies, even the moronic horse dung ones. Sometimes the terrible, inaccurate, awful ones are really entertaining (King Arthur or Pathfinder, anyone?)... that seems just terrible, but I love them anyway lol

If you ever remember the name of that movie let me know... I'm always on the lookout for Viking movies lol

My issue with all of this is that no one would ever ever ever make a fictional movie portraying Jesus as a hippie and Judas as a bad-ass zombie killer. Even if such a movie was made it'd never make it into a theater. But any movie showing Zeus as a petty monster feeding off the fear of worshipers or Thor a tye-dyed megalomaniac have the opportunity to be box office hits. That sort of double standard is what gets me going. If one god if fair game then they all are no if ands or buts.

Except maybe Jesus Christ Superstar. That is STILL getting away with portraying Jesus as a hippie. lol. A movie and a never ending list of stage productions... I'd say it's had a lot of theatre time.

And Dogma was mentioned above. I'll second that wholeheartedly.

Nope, they pulled in Kali, Cronus, Camulus and Amaterasu as System Lords. So that adds Hindu, Greek, Celtic and Shinto representatives. They also had a devil analog and the Ori tended to pull some of the more idiotic stunts of Abrahamic faiths. SG-1 pretty much said screw you to anyone outside the Aesir* or Arthurian myth.

*The Pegasus offshoot of Asgard that were villains for a week or so were called Vanir if memory serves.

Ignoring the horrible treatment of all non-Aesir, non Arthurian characters in the series, it still had some cool elements. The Asgard were great. I despised Unending. They could've done better by the Asgard than that.

I loved SG-1, right up until Vala joined up and they started against the Ori.

No one takes mythology and twists it into an inaccurate, entertaining show better than SG-1 lol

Dogma was in theaters and it portrayed God as a crazy girl who liked skeeball. There is also Legion, which is pretty damn blasphemous... Seriously look it up.

Legion wasn't blasphemous, it was pretty accurate. Apart from Michael being the one who fell from Heaven in order to protect humanity... it was actually Satan who did that... but hey, who was gonna go for THAT movie? Legion was the movie that actually took the original stories and dared to contradict popular modern belief on the subject.

So yeah... lots of people see it as blasphemous but that's not strictly true. Not when you know the original stories.

[Denarius]

Re: Malaysian Film Portrays Norse/Heathen Religion in Negative Light?

Legion wasn't blasphemous, it was pretty accurate. Apart from Michael being the one who fell from Heaven in order to protect humanity... it was actually Satan who did that... but hey, who was gonna go for THAT movie? Legion was the movie that actually took the original stories and dared to contradict popular modern belief on the subject.

Okay, maybe blasphemous was a poor choice of words. I rescind my complaint, and leave heretical in it's place. I always get those two confused.