Netflix's new animated series Twilight of the Gods draws heavily on Norse mythology, but is its 'Song of Sigrid' real?
After releasing his director's cuts of Rebel Moon, Zack Snyder continues his partnership with Netflix with Twilight of the Gods. The adult animated series tells a tale of revenge as a warrior named Sigrid hunts down the god Thor for ruining her wedding.
Throughout its eight episodes, Twilight of the Gods references the gods and heroes of Norse mythology while blurring the lines with the legends of Viking history.
Who Is Sigrid Based on in Norse Mythology?
Sigrid (voiced by Sylvia Hoeks) in Twilight of the Gods shares many connections to Norse Mythology and real history, but is she based on a real person?
One of the most notable Sigrids in Norse sagas is 'Sigrid the Haughty,' a Scandinavian Queen who was said, in some historical accounts, to have relationships with real historical figures, including Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway, and Denmark's Sweyn Forkbeard.
However, historians have disputed Sigrid's existence, suggesting she is perhaps an amalgamation of several real queens rather than one specific figure in history.
Sigrid in Twilight of the Gods is the daughter of a giant and a human. She is a fierce warrior, fuelled by vengeance against the Gods.
In Twilight of the Gods, Sigrid shares some similarities with the Norse character of legend, such as her marriage to a notable human king. However, that seems to be where the historical influences stop with her character.
Other characters in the animated series, such as Thor, Odin, and Loki, have already seen many adaptations across media. Still, here, they also have slight creative twists on their Norse mythology counterparts to serve the story of the TV show.
Zack Snyder explained in an interview with CNET that Sigrid is the result of a combination of a "human story" and "heavy mythology," therefore making her more of an original creation rather than a reinterpretation of any specific historical figure:
"I think that we had our human story, and it allowed us to sort of hang some pretty heavy mythology on Sigrid's story."
The Song of Sigrid in Twilight of the Gods
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Twilight of the Gods.
Throughout the series, it becomes clear that the characters are fighting to stop Ragnarok from coming, aka the endgame of the Norse gods. The title of the show, Twilight of the Gods, is even a different name for the event of Ragnarok.
In the final episode of the season, titled "Song of Sigrid," things come to a head in an epic battle between Sigrid and her warriors and the Aesir (gods).
Despite being offered the chance to end the bloodshed, Sigrid cannot quit her journey of revenge and inadvertently kills Baldr in the finale, which is considered one of Ragnarok's precipitating events. Loki then kills her to continue her quest for vengeance in Valhalla.
When she awakes in Valhalla's halls, Thor tells her that the "Song of Sigrid" has just begun.
For those turning to Norse mythology to find what the Song of Sigrid may entail for any potential future seasons of Twilight of the Gods, there isn't much to find.
As Sigrid has been developed uniquely for Netflix's animated series, the rest of her story will take an unpredictable path that blurs the legends of Norse myth and human history.
Twilight of the Gods is streaming on Netflix.
