Is Murphy truly dead

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Gard acted as if she were bereaved, and she would know. For all we know she might have been contemplating a future, a family with Hendricks, and that is now gone.

[TrueMonk]

To be fair we do not know what the contract with Marcone says. It could be anything between they will do whatever you want and monster killing only. I do not think the latter is all that unlikely.

One statement that could be relevant to the discussion is that Gard (or the other Valkyrie?) At one point stated that Einherjaren so not make good lovers. I wonder why that is?

[Arjan]

To be fair we do not know what the contract with Marcone says. It could be anything between they will do whatever you want and monster killing only. I do not think the latter is all that unlikely.

One statement that could be relevant to the discussion is that Gard (or the other Valkyrie?) At one point stated that Einherjaren so not make good lovers. I wonder why that is?

Prejudice  modern men are so much better.

But apparently everything still functions which tells you Odin did a good job.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

And yet Gard was deeply in love with Hendricks who conformed to the physical stereotype of Einenjhar to a tee. He had even grown a beard in PT/BG.

This would suggest it is something about Hendrick’s character which differentiated him from the Einenjhar, in an anti-theistic all manner. It wasn’t his attitude to battle, Hendricks was an enthusiastic and accomplished warrior. This leaves his attitude to the fairer sex as the likely point of divergence, and attraction to Gard. From this I believe we can deduce Nathan Hendricks was a feminist.

He was known to admonish with reproving looks Marcone, and this must have been occasions when Marcone referred or treated women in the outfit in a poor or discriminatory fashion compared to their Male co-workers.

Now we know what his thesis probably was. “Feminism and It’s Role in Organised Criminal Undertakings In the United States Of America in the 21st Century”. Ms Demeter was likely his prime case study. Gard may have been another. Lara would have been a third. You can therefore see the attraction for Hendricks with Gard, a strong, supremely competent woman, his physical and intellectual equal and someone with whom he was not afraid to share his emotional life with. Gard knew Hendricks hated the name Nathan but kept it for his mothers sake.

Valhalla therefore doesn’t have one but two feminists amongst its denizens.

[morriswalters]

Soul is the essence of who someone is. As long as you have your soul you are yourself. Walhalla is a genuine afterlife so the people in there are the same people. Makes no sense otherwise, it would not be an afterlife.

And souls would have no use.

You are you only so long as you have the people who are part of you in your life.  When you're 100 and everybody you know is dead who are you then?  It's a morbid thought but it is what it is. Remember those Ghosts in Ghost Story that couldn't remember who and what they were. They may not have been souls but they are much what I imagine souls could become watching everyone they ever knew die.

In terms of the story it allows Jim to cheat.  That's now three people Jim has stashed against some story idea that might need them.  So Murphy will remain dead only so long as the story doesn't demand her.

[Arjan]

You are you only so long as you have the people who are part of you in your life.  When you're 100 and everybody you know is dead who are you then?  It's a morbid thought but it is what it is. Remember those Ghosts in Ghost Story that couldn't remember who and what they were. They may not have been souls but they are much what I imagine souls could become watching everyone they ever knew die.

In terms of the story it allows Jim to cheat.  That's now three people Jim has stashed against some story idea that might need them.  So Murphy will remain dead only so long as the story doesn't demand her.

Everybody she knew. She knew quite a few of them already.

Question for Jim. Are you going to write a short story about Murphy in Walhalla?

[Arjan]

Also Jim is very busy sanitizing Norse mythology. The entrance criteria to walhalla in Gard’s speech at the end of Battle Ground are from what you will find in old sources and where is vadderungs thirst for human sacrifices?

One explanation is that when human stories change they change. The other one is that Jim does not want to deal too much with the differences in morality between the the original stories and current readers.

Murphy will be fine. Jim just changes the story enough to make that happen.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Indeed look, at how the story of Kringle has evolved, Odin was part of it in mythology with Christianity absorbing the ‘pagan’ Norse religion, but I bet Vadderung has in recent decades started to get a wicked thirst for Coca Cola, neat.

Harry has never done a summoning for Kringle it would be very interesting to see him do one, and what he would use given the evolution of his personal mythos.

The same should apply with the Odin aspect, the MCU will have been pulling that in a radically different direction in the last decade and a bit in particular, but sounding like Sir Anthony is better than an unquenchable thirst for the real thing.

I do wonder if the creation of the Vadderung persona was to counteract these different pulls? No real public aspect unlike Kringle or Odin to be manipulated. As Vadderung Odin/Kringle can be more himself. We know how Mab feels about Disney, how much of a pull is that on her? Does the freedom Molly has in the Good People reflect the effect of Frozen, allowing her to stay attached to her family? To do ‘good’?

The MCU/Marvel Comics doesn’t really include the Einenjhar (unless those were Hel’s Soldiers) but does include Valkyries. Is this reshaping Valhalla?

[The_Sibelis]

Or ya know, they come back lacking something vital in the passion department? Like, Lucio said it was good for the soul, but if they're running on a false soul fire, they don't exactly have the same soul/passion for life. (Almost literally considering they all blew themselves up with joy to kill a giant and go back to Valhalla)

[morriswalters]

Also Jim is very busy sanitizing Norse mythology. The entrance criteria to walhalla in Gard’s speech at the end of Battle Ground are from what you will find in old sources and where is vadderungs thirst for human sacrifices?

One explanation is that when human stories change they change. The other one is that Jim does not want to deal too much with the differences in morality between the the original stories and current readers.

Murphy will be fine. Jim just changes the story enough to make that happen.

Yeah, as I said when I added my two cents on this, it isn't about the myth.  It's how I feel about the way he handled Murphy's death in terms of how the story is written.

[Mira]

Gard acted as if she were bereaved, and she would know. For all we know she might have been contemplating a future, a family with Hendricks, and that is now gone.

Exactly, she didn't take much comfort in the facts that Hendricks would be whooping it up in
Valhalla drinking ale, fighting where needed, possibly getting killed to be born again to do it all over again.  What she was mourning is the man she knew and loved is gone, until all memory of what she knew and loved is gone, he will return, but he won't be that man.

[vincentric]

Nothing says they won't be themselves. The rule is that all their mortal friends, enemies, associates and loved ones will have forgotten them. They'll have to make all new connections and may change over time but anyone like say, a time travelling wizard or an immortal mantle holder, could still sit down and have a beer with them and talk about old times.

[Mira]

Nothing says they won't be themselves. The rule is that all their mortal friends, enemies, associates and loved ones will have forgotten them. They'll have to make all new connections and may change over time but anyone like say, a time travelling wizard or an immortal mantle holder, could still sit down and have a beer with them and talk about old times.

Do you really think any of the Einenjhar that we've met at Marcone's place or elsewhere are like the mortals they used to be?  I doubt it, other than their ability as warriors, friends and family are not part of their lexicon, they are dead.  It is a kindness to those left behind I think, that they cannot return until all memory of them is lost.

[Arjan]

Do you really think any of the Einenjhar that we've met at Marcone's place or elsewhere are like the mortals they used to be?  I doubt it, other than their ability as warriors, friends and family are not part of their lexicon, they are dead.  It is a kindness to those left behind I think, that they cannot return until all memory of them is lost.

Of course they are. Just like the souls in Hades or those in heaven. Those are afterlives otherwise they wouldn’t be. It is Murphy who went to walhalla, this is different from things like black court vampires.

Like Uriel said. You are a soul, you have a body. The soul is the defining part and where Murphy’s soul is is Murphy.

[Mira]

Of course they are. Just like the souls in Hades or those in heaven. Those are afterlives otherwise they wouldn’t be. It is Murphy who went to walhalla, this is different from things like black court vampires.

Like Uriel said. You are a soul, you have a body. The soul is the defining part and where Murphy’s soul is is Murphy.

Maybe, maybe not... What if Odin merely has their body, but not their soul?  I don't really think being a cold blooded killer is the defining part of Murphy's soul..