In the last three episodes, we are entertained by tales beyond the Aegean Sea. We learn of Beowulf, the great Scandinavian hero who defeated Grendel in the classic poem. We discover the Christian, German, and Scandinavian roots of the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series. And finally we explore the different realms of Yggdrasil, the World Tree - Asgard, home to the gods; Midgard, world of humankind; and Hel, the netherworld. Thor, the warrior of Norse myth, is locked in a battle to the end of days - Ragnarok - with Nidhogg, a serpent big enough to wrap all the way around the World Tree.
Beyond simply walking us through these various tales, we learn of the archaeological evidence found to support them. For example, we see some of the caves that the Greeks thought were entrances to Hades, the Greek realm of the dead. And we see the walls of what may have been the legendary city of Troy from Homer's stories of the Trojan War and the aftermath. It's amazing to consider that these myths were most likely based on real world places, people, and events.
The colored contact lenses used by the human actors throughout the series gets a bit old after a while, although I have to say that they did present an easy way to know which characters were gods or demigods and which were merely human. For example, characters such as Zeus and Poseidon wear bright blue or white colored contacts as full gods and characters such as Hercules and Perseus, both demigods with a god as a father, have less brightly colored contacts. Even Thor has red contacts in one of the final episodes. But characters such as Odysseus, who were completely human, wear no contacts that we can see.
If you're looking for a way to learn more about Greek mythology or merely want to see a well-written and produced series about heroes and gods, Clash of the Gods: The Complete Season One is a fun way to reconnect with classic myths and legends. I hope to see Clash of the Gods continue with tales from other areas of the world such as Egypt, India, or perhaps ancient Babylon. There are many more gods, goddesses, and heroes to explore!
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